Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 5 - Page 762

Paniolo Man · #**15221** Posted **Feb 28, 2023, 7:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by UtahBison

According to a Building Salt Lake Tweet:

"The USDOT just announced it awarded Salt Lake City with $1.97 million to study ways to minimize the divides between the east and west sides of the city. The study will include the citizen-led Rio Grande Plan, among other issues."

This is a huge step in the right direction!

We all owe Hatman, Atlas, and Cameron (sorry, forgot his username) an enormous thanks for their amazing work on this.

i2theSKY · #**15222** Posted **Feb 28, 2023, 8:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottharding

All this talk on this Temple Square concept is moot, isn't it? Aren't these renderings from 2020? The LDS church has already committed to and is well into construction on their temple square redesign. Maybe the concepts for their blocks west of West Temple are relevant, but it seems to me that this was never more than speculative and that these decisions have already been long since made. Plus, I really don't see the LDS church ever choosing to demolish the JSM Building. There's just no way anyone would get behind that idea.

This was my thoughts as well when I saw the date of the concept. The landscaping currently going in resembles the concept that retained the COB and JSM Buildings. I personally hope some version of the west concept comes to fruition. I think it would go a long ways towards beautifying the city.

Utah_Dave · #**15223** Posted **Feb 28, 2023, 9:13 PM**

I’m really glad the old temple perimeter walls were for the most part removed. I hope the church can join some of their city blocks to the west together into one long block but only if they can partially submerge the roadway underneath. Opening up temple square will be a nice change of pace from the past

Utah_Dave · #**15224** Posted **Feb 28, 2023, 9:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paniolo Man

We all owe Hatman, Atlas, and Cameron (sorry, forgot his username) an enormous thanks for their amazing work on this.

Yes! The time, effort, and the idea are all equally amazing and appreciated

RC14 · #**15225** Posted **Feb 28, 2023, 9:38 PM**

I think 200 west should be moved underground from 100 South to either North Temple or 200 North. The street doesn't carry allot of traffic anyway do to the Salt Palace bridge. This would make the area more cohesive and walkable and also allow automobile traffic to completely bypass Temple square and South Temple. It could also eliminate one light for Trax trains traveling along South Temple.

Stenar · #**15226** Posted **Feb 28, 2023, 9:50 PM**

First of all, you're getting upset over a concept that has almost no likelihood of happening.

Second, closing that section of Main Street was part of SLC's "Second Century" plan since the '60s.

Third, I see no problem with it if those streets are still able to carry vehicular traffic through tunnels or under land bridges.

My only problem is demolishing The Hotel Utah, the Church Administration Building, and relocating the Assembly Hall.

Quote:

Originally Posted by felixg

Long format post incoming, feel free to skip;

I am completely lost as to how anyone, Mormon or not, on an urban development forum can see virtually anything positive whatsoever about these plans; these ideas are absolutely deranged afaic

First of all, privatizing public utility spaces like roads is completely and physically antithetical to the idea of public space being for everyone, not just those with the money to buy it, and therefore the values and rules subjugated by them. I resent what they did to main street in the 90s and I would resent this 1000x more, I genuinely don't see how this could even be legal

Secondly, excusing any of these plans as being acceptable because of the church’s place in our area’s history entirely washes over anyone else who has made SLC home in the last century. Mormons have not even been in salt lake’s majority since like the 1930s iirc? That would mean this city has technically spent more time without a dominant Mormon population than with one. If they weren’t planning on either burying or completely taking over 5+ public streets I might feel slightly differently here; what’s stopping them from expanding into marmalade and the avenues in a few decades when they’re bored and wondering what to do with another 50 billion?

Thirdly, everything about the physical design of these plans screams “take us seriously as a world religion!!”. And they’ve really managed to include it all— it’s got the Vegas/Dubai waterways, the Disneyland monorail, the fake Venetian clocktower, and of course more of that postmodern, simulated, City Creek urbanism making up the edges. It’s like if a bunch of design students were tasked with imagining what an LDS Masjid Al Haram would look like. I mean if this happens there’d literally be a matching, church-owned shopping center attached to the complex’s south side, this is beyond parody lol

I earnestly believe that no single entity, especially a religious one with virtually no one to answer to but its own 15 heads, should be legally able to do this much change to an urban center home to millions. It would be completely insane to allow any of this to happen

Comrade · #**15227** Posted **Feb 28, 2023, 11:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stenar

My only problem is demolishing The Hotel Utah, the Church Administration Building, and relocating the Assembly Hall.

lol those are some massive problems to just throw out, 'my only problem...'.

I'd say just demolishing Hotel Utah is a non-starter for this plan.

RC14 · #**15228** Posted **Feb 28, 2023, 11:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tchild2

LOL. This "master plan" is more idiotic than the proposal to convert Utah Lake into islands populated with houses and condos.

Replace the Hotel Utah / JSMB with a non descript, "temple square meeting house" and a "kids play zone"?

Here is an idea - take that crap parking lot on N.Temple & 300 S. Then take that abortion of a city block next to and develop it into a beautiful, world class Museum-park combo. Save 500 million and keep the stupid ideas for the Saudis building a vertical city in the desert.

This plan contains allot of fluff. I think they are just throwing out everything that is possible and hopefully this plan gets streamlined to the most important aspects. I like the general idea of opening up those blocks and creating better sightlines to the Temple. I also am starting to like the idea of moving the church offices to the west.

I take back what I said earlier about the Hotel Utah. I don't think they should touch anything on the Church Administration block.
Also, where is Ensign College? I thought the long term plans use to include an expansion of that campus and BYU Salt Lake.

bob rulz · #**15229** Posted **Mar 1, 2023, 3:27 AM**

There is no way that is a real plan, and we shouldn't take it seriously as such.

Makid · #**15230** Posted **Mar 1, 2023, 4:01 AM**

The Administration block won't change outside of the current work being done. The Triad block may change but not as pictured. The Devereaux mansion is on that block and it isn't going anywhere.

After Temple Square is completed, I would expect work to begin on the block east of Triad (3rd West). This would include a new family history library as well as other buildings. After this block is complete, work would move eastward to the block west of Temple Square (2nd West). This block would be primarily open space, most likely with underground parking. Work will also happen on the properties directly north across from the block.

Work on the 3rd phase (2nd West block) where any possible road closures/land bridges/tunnels/etc. would occur.

A fourth phase would be the possible reconstruction of the Triad block. This would be done after KSL (Broadcast, radio, offices, etc.) is moved as well as Ensign College and BYU Salt Lake. These 3 would remain close to the church HQ and would be located near by downtown.

All totaled, this would be no less than a 15 to 20 year project to see it completed. We are still a bit away from the completion of the first phase (Temple Square and Administration block). I would expect that there are many things that will change with the plans, especially as each phase of the project happens.

Now, in order for any work to happen on the Triad block, we would see at least 2 new towers to support the moving of the studios, offices, and schools. This is on top of the need to replace the student housing for Ensign College that is currently occupying a portion of the Plaza hotel. That is unless these are incorporated into the buildings built on the block east of Triad (3rd West).

Stenar · #**15231** Posted **Mar 1, 2023, 6:20 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comrade

lol those are some massive problems to just throw out, 'my only problem...'.

I'd say just demolishing Hotel Utah is a non-starter for this plan.

I didn’t say the problem was insignificant.

Hatman · #**15232** Posted **Mar 1, 2023, 8:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paniolo Man

We all owe Hatman, Atlas, and Cameron (sorry, forgot his username) an enormous thanks for their amazing work on this.

There are many, many people who deserve thanks for 'sticking their necks out' and supporting the Rio Grande Plan. It really is becoming a community movement that I am honored to be a small part of.
This upcoming study will last at least a year, maybe more. During that time, we've got to keep up excitement and awareness of the plan, because one of the things the study will reveal is a cost. It is going to be $$$, and as much as people like a pretty picture, a big scary number can give a lot of people second thoughts. So as awesome as today's news is, we've got to keep working harder than ever to build public awareness/support in the time we've been given.
Exciting times ahead, that's for sure!

Makid · #**15233** Posted **Mar 1, 2023, 2:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatman

Here's a question - how many blocks would Ensign College need if it were to grow to 10,000 students, as suggested here:
https://www.thechurchnews.com/2020/9...resident-kusch

The U of U has ~25,000 undergrads, and takes up over a thousand acres. Ensign college would have 40% of the U's student population, but all crammed just 30 acres (or less!). Is that even feasible?
I think 10,000 college students downtown, right next to Temple Square, would do wonders for making downtown more vibrant, even if they are proudly stone-cold sober

NYU has just over 50,000 students in a very urban setting. Ensign College to reach 10,000 students would need 3 to 4, 20 - 30 story buildings in total for an urban campus. It could also be handled in 2 or 3 large 10 story buildings.

There would need to be roughly 5,000 beds for non-commuting students (they had previously stated they wanted more controlled student housing). The classrooms and administration could realistically be handled in 3, 20 story, towers.

There was talk at one point of including BYU in the Ensign College expansion for a larger BYU Salt Lake campus.

While it may not be ideal to many people, it is plausible that an urban campus for Ensign College could be built on the empty 4th South/West Temple parking lot block. The block could be developed in a way that includes commercial and residential buildings that would provide funding for the college expansion.

Blah_Amazing · #**15234** Posted **Mar 1, 2023, 4:09 PM**

https://www.ksl.com/article/50589438...-housing-units

Spark breaks ground on North Temple.

SLCHenry · #**15235** Posted **Mar 1, 2023, 6:10 PM**

https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/lette...ilt-in-reason/

I really hope we can get a nicer hotel soon. The Hyatt is nice, but it isn’t a five star.

delts145 · #**15236** Posted **Mar 1, 2023, 8:53 PM**

Yeah, Park City/Deer Valley has all of the really swanky hotels like the St. Regis, Waldorf Astoria, Steins, Montage, Pendry, etc. Though the Downtown Grand America is considered one of the great international hotels. Too bad it's not located further north. Hopefully, the development around it will continue to grow and speed up the vitality of that area. The Monaco also receives higher than four star reviews. The new Le Meridien and the upcoming Asher Adams are also definitely considered upscale. Le Meridien usually garners a 4&1/2 to five star review around the globe. We'll see what kind of ratings are given to Le Meridien in Salt Lake in a year or so.

Glad to see Brinshore has started on Sparks now. So far I like their two developments. I hope they'll have more coming up in the future for the Salt Lake area.