Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 5

[Atlas]

I don't dislike Astra myself but I will share some towers I like since Schmoe is asking.

I actually really dig the last two designs we've seen for the Regent Street parcel next door to Astra. They have the same massing but present as completely different styles, "neo-commercial style" vs. "cyber neo-international" style. It sounds like we are getting neither of them, unfortunately:

Likewise, the (also probably dead) proposal for the Utah Theatre tower would be really bold and distinctive if it was maybe 100+ ft taller:

As for buildings in other cities, I echo the praise for the Wilson in Austin (although the taller version was much more impressive) and I also love what Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) is doing with their mixed use projects:

Telus Sky in Calgary


Qianhai Prisma Towers

Most of the really cool skyscrapers in the world are office buildings, and unfortunately that doesn't seem to be a trend that will continue outside of places like NYC.

[Ironweed]

Originally Posted by Schmoe

I've been working on Astra Tower for 4 years now, but the basic design was already complete when I joined Kensington. The family's goal is timelessness, and I think in 50 years we'll find Astra Tower still fits well in the skyline despite changes in trends and tastes.

That said, I'm curious if people can post some photos of your favorite multifamily towers from around the country--or even the world. I'd love to get an idea of what people like and what they think would fit within the SLC aesthetic.

Dearest Schmoe,

Do you know if the lot to the west will still have a hotel/mixed use building? Thank you.

P.S. Tickets to see the boxing match between Comrade and Boz on Sears Island go on sale this weekend at Smith's Tix for .05.

[i2theSKY]

Schmoe we a have good example of what I would like to see more of in our own backyard. I've always thought if the Regent had been a 50 story tower it would've been a knockout. I've always been a sucker for a tower with curved walls and sharp angles.

[Rileybo]

I’d like to see less boxes, less flat tops, more curves, and more spires and crowns. I also love colorful lighting.. besides the Walker, One Utah, and Wells Fargo Centers no other high rises standout in anyway in the nighttime skyline.

[Atlas]

I actually don't think the box shapes are the problem. It has more to do with overall height and the ratio to width.

Wells Fargo and the CCH are chunky, Vegas-style wall buildings from the east/west. Sundial would have been the same from the north/south. Couple that with the fact that a bunch of our buildings are between 350 and 450 ft and you get the tabletop effect.

A couple tall, square top buildings would break that up nicely. Look at Edmonton, almost no spires but a great skyline:

Source

IMO Astra looks best from the south and southeast for the same reason.

[Comrade]

It helps when you have an 800 footer like Edmonton, tho.

There's multiple reasons Salt Lake's skyline might look a bit more uniform than other cities.

1. Lack of height diversity. No tower stands out. Now counting Astra, are almost all within 100 feet of each other. Edmonton has an 800 footer (823 technically) and their next tallest is 630 feet).

2. The design of downtown. The towers aren't staggered throughout downtown. They're all almost all located on just two streets and that creates a literally skyLINE. So, all towers kind of just bunch together. If more towers were east of State and west of Main, I think the skyline wouldn't look as uniform. You also have clusters where every building seems to be built around another near-equally tall building: Wells Fargo, One Utah Center, American Towers, 222 South Main and the COB (tho, that one does kinda sit back), Key Bank, Beneficial Life, WTC and Zions). That's 10 of some of the city's tallest buildings concentrated in just two areas.

[Paniolo Man]

Originally Posted by Schmoe

I've been working on Astra Tower for 4 years now, but the basic design was already complete when I joined Kensington. The family's goal is timelessness, and I think in 50 years we'll find Astra Tower still fits well in the skyline despite changes in trends and tastes.

That said, I'm curious if people can post some photos of your favorite multifamily towers from around the country--or even the world. I'd love to get an idea of what people like and what they think would fit within the SLC aesthetic.

Lots of opinions on building shape around here. I believe that the shape of a building doesn't matter nearly as much as texture. Variations in exterior color and material are great, but adding texture truly makes a building blend into a skyline well.

Ala Moana's newer towers all really blend together, most have some sort of exterior elements in addition to different materials and colors.

IMO Gateway Tower West is SLC's best looking tower, by a lot. If an eventual skyscraper followed the same design, it would look incredible.

IMO Astra looks pretty solid, the northern side could look better, but it isn't bad.

I don't love 95 State and 111 Main, more or less a single color all the way up with no real texture.

[Atlas]

Originally Posted by Comrade

It helps when you have an 800 footer like Edmonton, tho.

There's multiple reasons Salt Lake's skyline might look a bit more uniform than other cities.

1. Lack of height diversity. No tower stands out. Now counting Astra, are almost all within 100 feet of each other. Edmonton has an 800 footer (823 technically) and their next tallest is 630 feet.

This was exactly my point.

[bob rulz]

I think 222 Main is the best-looking tower in Salt Lake. If it were twice the height it would do a lot for our skyline.

[RC14]

The Worthington is actually looking really nice IMO.

[Schmoe]

Thank you for the input, everyone. It's interesting to see what kind of designs you all think would work in SLC.

Originally Posted by Ironweed

Dearest Schmoe,

Do you know if the lot to the west will still have a hotel/mixed use building? Thank you.

Last I heard the primary land owner and developer of that project was trying to sell its interest. I wouldn't hold my breath.

I think both the concept and design would have been great for that spot, so it's too bad it has stalled out.

[taboubak]

Your input is always appreciated Schmoe and I think thay was very cool way to respond to the complaining. I'm very happy to have a new tallest building in SLC.

In other news apparently according to the developers, OKC's 1907ft tower has secured the 1.5 billion needed for construction to become the new tallest building in the US if built. This would be pretty hilarious, will this inspire other mid-major American cities like ours to go bigger?

http://www.dezeen.com/2024/03/11/leg...nding-secured/

[wrendog]

Originally Posted by taboubak

Your input is always appreciated Schmoe and I think thay was very cool way to respond to the complaining. I'm very happy to have a new tallest building in SLC.

In other news apparently according to the developers, OKC's 1907ft tower has secured the 1.5 billion needed for construction to become the new tallest building in the US if built. This would be pretty hilarious, will this inspire other mid-major American cities like ours to go bigger?

http://www.dezeen.com/2024/03/11/leg...nding-secured/

That is the dumbest proposal of all time and I can't believe it has a shot of actually happening

[meman]

Im with you, RC14 I think the Worthington Tower is the sharpest looking new tower in Salt lake city. I really like the glass and bronze facade on the building.

Also for any one out there who thinks Salt Lake City is not very progressive downtown, Tulsa has not had a single new highrise built in their downtown in nearly 40 years, Detroit has not had any new highrises built since 1984 and st louis has not build anything new since 1989. Also listed as long-dormant downtowns was Jacksonville, Fresno, Rochester NY , New Orleans (no new highrises since 1989, and PRovidence, RI. This info was from a you tube video I watched a few days ago.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by meman

Im with you, RC14 I think the Worthington Tower is the sharpest looking new tower in Salt lake city. I really like the glass and bronze facade on the building.

Also for any one out there who thinks Salt Lake City is not very progressive downtown, Tulsa has not had a single new highrise built in their downtown in nearly 40 years, Detroit has not had any new highrises built since 1984 and st louis has not build anything new since 1989. Also listed as long-dormant downtowns was Jacksonville, Fresno, Rochester NY , New Orleans (no new highrises since 1989, and PRovidence, RI. This info was from a you tube video I watched a few days ago.

The YouTube video is off. Detroit has had a few 20-plus story buildings built since the 1980's and the Hudson's Site development is currently u/c at 49-stories and 685 feet. New Orleans has had new high-rise construction as well.

Probably want to check the City Compilations Sub-Forum for better, more accurate information.

[DZH22]

Originally Posted by meman

....Detroit has not had any new highrises built since 1984 and st louis has not build anything new since 1989. Also listed as long-dormant downtowns.... and PRovidence, RI.

Detroit's Hudson Tower has basically been the most exciting non-supertall for this entire website in the past year. They have built a few others in the 200'-300' range too.
https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...208634&page=72

Providence Rhode Island built a 380', plus 3 more over 200', in a nice stretch between 2007-2009. Since then they have been pretty stagnant though, and chased away the 550' Fane Tower proposal like a bunch of small-minded losers. The city is dense and beautiful and should have been booming on a similar scale to itself as Boston and NYC, but pathetically couldn't and still can't get out of its own way. There is some small scale stuff but I don't see prosperity or real growth in Providence's future.

[Orlando]

[QUOTE=meman;10162874]Im with you, RC14 I think the Worthington Tower is the sharpest looking new tower in Salt lake city. I really like the glass and bronze facade on the building.

.[/QUOTE

Regarding the Worthington, that style of alternating panels, etc. will look dated in 10 years. There are so many buildings doing that style. I get it. But, I agree with Schmoe that the Astra tower will look less dated. It adds a lot to downtown SLC.

[freeshavocado]

At the end of the day, even though Astra doesn't look as nice as some newer residential towers in bigger cities. I'm just happy downtown SLC is getting more housing.

I think a downtown's health should be measured primarily by its 24/7 population (residential/hotel). Office towers are cool, but they only add a 9-5 lunch crowd that clogs roadways during rush hour.

Looking at towers over 250 ft, SLC has a better ratio of residential/hotel to office than other mid-tier cities in the US.

SLC: 11 residential/hotel vs 10 office
Sacramento: 2 residential/hotel vs 13 office
Buffalo: 3 residential/hotel vs 12 office
Jacksonvile: 2 residential/hotel vs 13 office
Omaha: 1 residential vs 10 office
Oklahoma City: 2 residential vs 14 office
Louisville: 5 residential/hotel vs 9 office
Cinncinnati: 6 residential/hotel vs 22 office
Columbus: 6 residential/hotel vs 21 office
Indianapolis: 7 residential/hotel vs 13 office
Kansas City: 10 residential/hotel vs 20 office
Pittsburgh: 9 residential/hotel vs 39 office
Charlotte: 15 residential/hotel vs 27 office
New Orleans: 10 hotel vs 23 office

Some mid-tier cities where the ratios are little closer to SLC's are:
St Louis: 20 residential/hotel vs 28 office
Nashville: 16 residential/hotel vs 17 office
Portland: 11 residential/hotel vs 14 office
Milwaukee: 11 residential/hotel vs 12 office
San Antonio: 11 residential/hotel vs 8 office

This obviously doesn't take into account medium-density housing. SLC has a lot of opportunity to fill all those empty lots and increase the downtown population.

[Comrade]

Salt Lake is definitely doing well. It can do better, of course, but I am pleased with the progress we've seen the last decade or so.

But the city still has a lot of progress to make to get back to pre-pandemic activity levels again:

https://www.deseret.com/2023/11/25/2...town-recovery/

[Atlas]

Originally Posted by Comrade

Salt Lake is definitely doing well. It can do better, of course, but I am pleased with the progress we've seen the last decade or so.

But the city still has a lot of progress to make to get back to pre-pandemic activity levels again:

https://www.deseret.com/2023/11/25/2...town-recovery/

This was their "updated" definition of downtown SLC that resulted in the numbers falling from 139% to 82%:



These researchers did not do their homework on SLC, if you ask me. Activity is way up from 2019 in my experience.