Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 5

[Comrade]

It's interesting other cities can preserve their historic schools but Salt Lake can't.

First East and now West.

South was preserved but mostly because it became the south campus to SLCC. Had it never become the south campus, it would have been demolished long ago.

Yet Boise High in Boise could be restored:



Denver's East High:



Roosevelt High in Portland:



And of course, Ogden High:



No cool looking schools anymore in SLC.

[Paniolo Man]

This weekend:

North Capitol Building (Different angle due to new closures and demonstrations):



Stadler Expansion:

[delts145]

Downtown Update - Gables Library Square - Under Construction

Taylor Anderson Reporting for BuildingSaltLake.com - Full Article @ https://buildingsaltlake.com/atlanta...near-downtown/

We now have details on what’s being built on the northwest corner of 600 S. 300 E. near Downtown.

...Atlanta-based Gables Residential is underway constructing a new single-use apartment building that will include 275 market-rate units in a project it’s calling Gables Library Square.

“We’ve designed this community to offer not just best-in-class amenities but also a quiet, elevated feel that aligns with the majestic beauty of Salt Lake City,” said Charles Elliott, Gables Residential’s Chief Investment Officer. “Every detail of Gables Library Square has been thoughtfully planned to deliver an apartment home environment where residents can thrive, whether they’re working, relaxing, or enjoying their surroundings.”...

Renderings by Gables Residential and Method Studios

...In a news release, Gables said it would include a coworking lounge, two story gym with yoga studio and sauna, bike and ski lockers, spaces for pets, rooftop pool and other lounging spaces.

The units will include high-end finishes like premium tile, backlit mirrors and luxury fixtures, Gables said...

Project Details: 38 studios - 172 one-bedrooms - 59 two-bedrooms - 6 townhome units - Total: 275 units

Renderings by Gables Residential and Method Studios







Renderings by Gables Residential and Method Studios - Full Article @ https://buildingsaltlake.com/atlanta...near-downtown/


December 26 2024










Photos By Kier Construction @ https://www.kier.org/our-work/multi-...ibrary-square/



January 2025








Photos By Kier Construction @ https://www.kier.org/our-work/multi-...ibrary-square/


February 2025








Photos By Kier Construction @ https://www.kier.org/our-work/multi-...ibrary-square/


April 2025






Photos By Kier Construction @ https://www.kier.org/our-work/multi-...ibrary-square/




May 2025






Photos By Kier Construction @ https://www.kier.org/our-work/multi-...ibrary-square/



July/August 2025












Photos By Kier Construction @ https://www.kier.org/our-work/multi-...ibrary-square/

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[bob rulz]

Originally Posted by wrendog

I think he was referring to the hines rebuild of the south temple tower as the current tallest tower under construction

As far as the 55 story tower, there have been rumblings about that. Can't remember who was quoted in the article about astra's completion, but whoever it was alluded to it as well

I'll believe it when it actually starts rising. At this point I just expect disappointment.

[Orlando]

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I was referring to other 50-story highrises conceived to be east of the Astra.

So, lots of speculation going on.

I think we'll need some time to see how soon or if Astra, Worthington, & Seraph can get fully occupied, and if they do, did they drain Liberty Sky, The Regent/Tower 5(I forget it that one is a condo tower or apartments) and other 'older'ish residential apartment towers & midrises.

[airhero]

Originally Posted by Orlando

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I was referring to other 50-story highrises conceived to be east of the Astra.

So, lots of speculation going on.

I think we'll need some time to see how soon or if Astra, Worthington, & Seraph can get fully occupied, and if they do, did they drain Liberty Sky, The Regent/Tower 5(I forget it that one is a condo tower or apartments) and other 'older'ish residential apartment towers & midrises.

There are apartments on the west block of city creek but the highrises are all condos.

Some additional low-value speculation:

Mid-2026 may be a good time to assess. I think Astra's goal was 95% occupancy by mid-2026. Not sure what they're at now. With Worthington also trying to fill up and Seraph opening in two weeks, if they can manage to hit that and Liberty Sky remains around 90-95, seems like that would be a good sign. An eager developer might start moving at that point, or sooner if their market metrics start to pencil out. Hard to gauge all the metrics as an outsider, though. I'm thinking a cautious approach is far more likely, even in the face of continuing highrise apartment demand.

I'm living in Liberty Sky temporarily. I believe there may be issues keeping the more expensive units filled with Worthington and Astra as competition. Other than that it seems to be doing okay. Elevator wait times can approach annoying levels sometimes. A lot of the renters actually don't live here as a primary residence, though. I met a family of 4 living in Park City. They keep a unit in Liberty Sky as a base when they come into the valley.

If you go by online availability looks like Sky has stayed near 95 percent occupancy so far, with vacancies disproportionately on the high floors.

[Orlando]

Thanks for the info. I'm sure the developers speculating on these towers are watching all this data very closely to see if they're willing to take the risk of being the first next big tower out of the ground.

[Orlando]

Anybody care to paste the contents on here?

https://buildingsaltlake.com/salt-la...town-overhaul/

[Makid]

Here’s the timeline for the massive overhaul of Abravanel Hall, UMOCA and the Salt Palace

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2025/09/...bravanel-hall/

Construction plans for Salt Lake County’s portion of the downtown sports, entertainment, culture and convention district call for breaking ground on major overhauls of the Salt Palace Convention Center, Abravanel Hall and the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art as early as February 2027.

That detail emerged from a contract the county signed with MHTN Architects, which The Salt Lake Tribune obtained through an open records request.

MHTN is a partner of Populous, a global architectural design firm that has worked on major projects like Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London and is currently working on a new stadium for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. MHTN designed Millcreek City Hall and the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office building in Salt Lake City, among others.

• Phase 1 (planning phase from September 2025 through January 2026): $1.15 million.

• Phase 2 (includes design, bidding, and construction): $900 million to $1.1 billion.

When will construction happen?

Henrie said the initial start of construction will begin on Feb. 16, 2027. The portion of the Salt Palace recently purchased by Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth owner Ryan Smith is scheduled for demolition that day, according to the contract, but “full construction” will likely occur between December 2028 and October 2030, Henrie added.

The Salt Palace is scheduled for completion by October 2030, and the county hopes construction on Abravanel Hall and UMOCA will wrap up by then as well.

What’s in store for UMOCA?

• Seven gallery spaces, including at least one double-height gallery space and at least one gallery space for primary use of multimedia exhibits.

• A 150-seat auditorium.

• Eight artist-in-residence creation spaces.

• A multifunctional education space for classes, workshops, and community engagement.

• Technical support, including an “art shop,” kitchen, art storage vault, fabrication shop and administrative offices.

• A lobby with a guest services area and a boutique/merchandise shop.

Sounds like the next 17 months we will get more sporadic information regarding the various projects for the Entertainment District and the Salt Palace/Abravanel Hall/UMOCA projects.

I do wish that the County would push for housing as part of the UMOCA project. Build a replacement for the Multi-Ethnic Senior housing on block 67 along 1st South. They could even increase capacity in a new building to provide more support for the elderly. The current building could then be replaced with a market rate tower. This would benefit everyone involved, from the non-profits, The City,County, and State.

[Makid]

Originally Posted by Orlando

Anybody care to past the contents on here?

https://buildingsaltlake.com/salt-la...town-overhaul/

I don't think we can post the entire article but you can view it here.

I will add some selective quotes from the link:

Moves are being made downtown.

Both Salt Lake County and the Smith Entertainment Group announced some of their development partners as part of the Salt Palace Convention Center renovation and the adjacent outdoor entertainment district near the Delta Center.

Salt Lake County announced Friday in a news release it had picked Construction Control Corporation (CCC) and RLB to oversee the convention center’s “construction and cost management,” while the two companies would also respectively act as local and global representatives. The county also picked MHTN and Populous as their local and global architecture design partners, respectively.

Also on Friday, SEG announced it had selected HKS as the architectural firm to design the master plan for their Sports, Entertainment, Culture and Convention district (SECC) that would bridge the Salt Palace with the Delta Center.

[airhero]

“full construction” will likely occur between December 2028 and October 2030, Henrie added.

The Salt Palace is scheduled for completion by October 2030, and the county hopes construction on Abravanel Hall and UMOCA will wrap up by then as well.

That seems really quick for this sort of project. I guess when every facet of government on both sides of the aisle and billionaire stakeholders are all working in tandem things really get done, for better or worse.

I wonder if construction on the current west block of the convention center can happen in tandem or if the bulk of it will need to wait until after convention center construction wraps up. I'm assuming since the sale of that land is slated for 2027 it can happen in tandem starting at that point.

[Makid]

Originally Posted by airhero

That seems really quick for this sort of project. I guess when every facet of government on both sides of the aisle and billionaire stakeholders are all working in tandem things really get done, for better or worse.

I wonder if construction on the current west block of the convention center can happen in tandem or if the bulk of it will need to wait until after convention center construction wraps up. I'm assuming since the sale of that land is slated for 2027 it can happen in tandem starting at that point.

I would expect it to be in tandem. The demolition starts the projects off. There will be some light work on the Salt Palace's south end to get things moving and ensure that capacity is held for the sold conventions.

I can't wait to see the overall plans for the updated Salt Palace Convention Center based on what the Tribune article provided:

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2025/09/...bravanel-hall/

What are the specifics of the Salt Palace renovation?

The renovation will include an estimated 110,000-square-foot ballroom space, according to the contract. The current ballroom is about 45,000 square-feet, according to Visit Salt Lake.

The convention center’s exhibit halls will be about 485,000 square-feet, roughly 30,000 square-feet smaller than the current space, according to the county’s estimates for the project.

Support spaces, which include kitchens, hallways, offices, bathrooms and mechanical support, is estimated to make up 547,000 square-feet of the renovated building, the contract states.

About 400 parking spaces will also be replaced on the property, according to the contract, though details on where they would go were not available.

I am excited to learn more about the plans for the the Convention Center. I do wonder about the return of 1st South between West Temple and 2nd West and how much of the block west of City Creek SEG is looking at utilizing for the 2nd phase of the Entertainment District. SEG had previously stated they wanted as much of this block as well and that is what led to the push regarding saving Abravanel Hall. These 2 items will be key in the overall design and layout of the new Salt Palace configuration.

There are only a few things that we do know though as of now, UMOCA and Abravanel Hall will be staying on their current block, UMOCA will be moving though.

It will definitely be interesting over the next year and change as we learn more about the projects. At a minimum, it looks like the next construction phase for downtown will start no later than February 2027. It also looks like we will go a few months between the end of the Temple Square work and the start of the Entertainment/Salt Palace projects.

[Snoogalator]

Renderings for the renovated Salt Palace, Abravanel Hall and Utah Museum of Contemporary Art — more commonly called UMOCA — will come sometime between mid-summer and early fall of 2026, Henrie added.

looking forward to this, honestly pretty reasonably short amount of time to wait

[Comrade]

I wish most major projects were this fast.

[Snoogalator]

Originally Posted by Comrade

I wish most major projects were this fast.

man if only it was the rio grande plan

[i-215]

Originally Posted by airhero

That seems really quick for this sort of project. I guess when every facet of government on both sides of the aisle and billionaire stakeholders are all working in tandem things really get done, for better or worse.

I hope it succeeds. I'm even (slowly) warming up to the grade separation on 300 West.

But Smith is a tech bro (albeit a Utah one). And I just can't fight this gnawing feeling that once the demolition has happened, something will happen in tech (e.g., A.I. renders Qualtrics irrelevant, etc.) and there will be a bankruptcy and we'll be stuck with a vacant lot that will sit there for 20 years.

[Boz]

The overwhelming optimism on this forum is palpable.

[i-215]

In fairness, it's mostly me. I'm the perpetual rain cloud re: SEG. And (hopefully) wrong.

If the project is successful (and there's a lot of momentum to help it succeed), it will be a nice addition to downtown SLC.

[Makid]

The Government owned portions will happen within the timelines, so we can count on the updated Convention Center, Abravanel Hall, the UMOCA, and the updates on/above 3rd West.

I do expect that the first phase of the Entertainment District to happen and to include a Hotel, Residential tower, restaurants/shops, and a 6,000 seat concert venue. Beyond this though, is all really unknown. We have seen plans and guesstimates regarding the phase 1 layout and structure but the overall design and heights haven't been provided so we should remain skeptical there.

Greed is playing a big role in the Entertainment District and I would expect that SEG would do everything they can to get as much money from Delta Center attendees as possible.

One other aspect that will help developments over the next 8 years is the Olympics returning. This will increase the focus on the City and the developments within the City. This is a push for both developers and developments to be able to showcase their projects to the world. Egos will help some projects to happen.

[meman]

I just returned from spending the night in downtown Portland and noticed they have a beautiful blue-glass Ritz-Carleton (very tall-460 feet high). It started me to think about why Salt Lake does not have a Ritz-Carleton or Four Sesons Hotel?

Maybe one could be build for the SEG project.
Any thoughts anyone?