Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 5

[delts145]

Originally Posted by scottharding

The old Ace Automotive Warehouse on 700 South (across the street to the North of the Sears block) has construction fencing around it this morning. The guy on the site said the warehouse is being restored and included in the new design.
Anyone know anything?

I had a hard time placing it until I looked at the BSL article ChickenBurgers pointed to. Isaac Riddle reported on it almost two years ago. I remembered the name and the warehouse component.

The Charli - https://www.buildingsaltlake.com/dev...al-boundaries/

Rendering of the east façade of the proposed Charli development as designed by Method Studio. Image courtesy Salt Lake City public documents.


Rendering of the north façade of the proposed Charli development as designed by Method Studio. Image courtesy Salt Lake City public documents.

[berger4]

Originally Posted by delts145

I had a hard time placing it until I looked at the BSL article ChickenBurgers pointed to. Isaac Riddle reported on it almost two years ago. I remembered the name and the warehouse component.

The Charli - https://www.buildingsaltlake.com/dev...al-boundaries/

Rendering of the east façade of the proposed Charli development as designed by Method Studio. Image courtesy Salt Lake City public documents.


Rendering of the north façade of the proposed Charli development as designed by Method Studio. Image courtesy Salt Lake City public documents.

Actually the Charlie which you have referenced is already framed and far along, the iris is referenced further down in the article and is where the ace warehouse was I’m pretty sure.

[scottharding]

That's right. The Charli (the old Taffy town) is topping out right now. In the BSL article it says they were building it in two phases, with the conversion of the old warehouse being the second, but it appears they've gone ahead and done them both at the same time.

As for the Iris, that's definitely the site. I wonder if this rendering is still the case though. My short conversation with the man on location said the old Ace warehouse was going to be restored, and there's no mention of that in the article or indication of it in the image.

[delts145]

Thanks Berger4 for the heads up. I should have scrolled further down. ^^^Your're information is probably more current Scott since the article is about two years old. Someone needs to get a few photos of all this. I'm super curious about what the warehouse at the Iris site looks like.

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by bob rulz

This was completed 2 years ago. I've taken a few classes in this building. It's a beautiful building both inside and out, but it's at the expense of the interior functionality. The layout is a mess and some of the classrooms don't have any outlets to plug laptops into - in a school building built in the year 2018.

I know that's outside the scope of this thread, but a good example of how not to prioritize form over function.

Oh hey, I teach in that building.

And it is beautiful, and does have great amenities, and does have some really messy things like rooms with no outlets and large rooms that bisect into smaller rooms (which is great) but then the controls for the projector, AV etc for Room B and C are on the wall of Room A. They're sorting some of that out. My classes this semester will all be online, so it's moot...but sometimes the newest shiniest still has some kinks to work out.

[Makid]

There was a discussion during the SLC Council work session regarding zoning heights, specifically the area direction East of the Central Station.

• Video Link

The discussion starts about an hour 20 into the video.

There are also a few documents that are provided on this as well:

Staff Report: https://slc.primegov.com/Portal/viewer?id=15947&type=2

Administrative Transmittal: https://slc.primegov.com/Portal/viewer?id=15859&type=2

There are a few other documents that are linked to this under the Meeting Documents for the overall meeting.

I did notice that there were a few reasons given against raising the heights, as of right.

1: Historic Preservation, increased heights could lead to demolition of historic buildings to get a better use of the land.
2: Reduces/Removes incentives the city can offer to increase affordable housing.

I don't like the idea of Historic Preservation via limiting zoning height. It doesn't save the building, as someone could still demolish the building as long as it was within the height requirement.

I also don't think that any incentive is lost with increased zoned heights. Sure, developers could all build taller as of right, but the incentive would still be there to build taller with the inclusion of affordable units.

Next, I noticed that there is a conflicting set of issues that the City is starting to realize. For some reason, there are some in the City that are set on the pyramid shape with the CBD (D-1 zoning) being the tallest and then extending downward to the West.

At the same time that they reference the pyramid shape, there is also reference to diminishing space within the CBD area for taller buildings. They call out that the recent building boom has reduced and removed many of the remaining D-1 parcels. There are now very limited spaces available due to either planned projects or land banking.

Here is the conflict: The City has it codified that as the CBD/D-1 area fills out, the D-1 would eventually extend to the West over time.

So the City knows it is running out of space in the D-1 area but also hamstrings itself by not wanting to allow taller buildings in the GMU, D4 and D3 areas. This is done to again, preserve the Pyramid.

How can the increased D-1 heights be extended Westward as planned when there are those that are against this.

Additionally, there is a reference to both the CCH and Block 67 Phase 2. Both project areas are in the D4 zone, both are adjacent to D1 and requested to have their project area zoning changed to D1 to allow for increased heights.

It is mentioned in one of the documents that both projects were scaled down to fit into a D4 overlay zone with a 375' cap on height.

I think that this is the City shooting itself in the foot, while giving more power to the Land Bankers. The good thing is that there is an appetite for changing the heights and work is being done to make this happen.

I do think that in many ways STACK development should get a lot of credit for this push to increase zoning heights. They are still pushing for the area East of the Central Station to have the heights increased, both min and max heights.

[Rileybo]

^^^

Watching that video

[scottharding]

That was unbearable.

[Atlas]

Excellent shot of 95 State today from u/chaunceton on the subreddit:

[Blah_Amazing]

Pandemic doesn’t stop the rise of flexible and shared office spaces in downtown Salt Lake City

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/08/...snt-stop-rise/

THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
By Tony Semerad
8/11/2020

Three quirky and flexible work spaces debuting in Salt Lake City’s downtown offer one possibility of what office life could look like in a world transformed by the pandemic.

The new hubs inside Main Street’s Kearns Building, a huge overhauled foundry in the Granary District and a revamped produce warehouse on 500 South were all planned or underway before the coronavirus hit.

They are intended as varieties of less traditional shared offices, where businesses or individuals might lease a few desks to a whole room or more, with basic services like WiFi, printers and coffee pots.

“We like to say we create the perfect dinner party,” co-developer Ellen Winkler said of new trendy spaces at Industry SLC, carved into an immense former iron foundry and World War II machine shop that dates back 160 years and other renovated industrial buildings at 650 S. 500 West.

“And we truly do, because our tenants come from all different walks of life,” she said.

But the past five months have shaken up just about every aspect of workplaces and routines, including how we think about safety, hygiene, floor plans, elevators, bathrooms, doors knobs, co-workers and everything else involving personal and shared space on the job.

There’s a wide spectrum of these coworking, flex office and other less-typical office options, from chains like WeWork and Impact Hub to a host of other hybrids and local brands such as Kiln, but they generally share the convenience of paying a monthly fee or short-term lease for space and basic support instead of inking a longer-term contract.

Their other key selling point — the notion of spurring more collaboration and productivity by designing work settings with more common areas for socializing — now carries new and possibly long-lasting health concerns.

The virus has also sent a shudder like no other though wider office markets in Utah’s central business district, threatening a run of economic boom years for downtown that brought new residents and towers and plans for even more skyscrapers and housing as demand pushed rents steadily higher.

Rebound ahead?

Key projects on downtown Salt Lake City’s skyline — including a new convention hotel by the Salt Palace, several luxury residential and office towers along State Street and more — are still on track, insiders say, although some slowed construction and others sped up with shifts in supply chains and the labor market.

At the same time, the virus’ economic toll has cleared out office spaces across the downtown area for months as thousands of employees work from home.

A snapshot by the Downtown Alliance, an arm of the Salt Lake Chamber, indicates just under a quarter of office workers in the urban core reported actually working in those offices last week.

Several large employers in Utah’s capital haven’t seriously talked about returning to the office yet and others are delaying at least past Jan. 1, according to the alliance’s executive director, Dee Brewer. “They feel like they are productive, that they are safe and that for their work product, the situation is working,” he said.

So why, you might ask, would developers open new shared offices right now — or any offices for that matter — in the teeth of an ongoing pandemic and downturn?

Because like many builders, business analysts, real estate brokers and city officials, they believe the downtown office market is ultimately going to see a sharp rebound from any virus-induced dip and they are banking on demand rising.

“We’ve seen sustained interest in projects downtown and citywide despite the struggles presented by COVID-19,” said Ben Kolendar, acting director of the Salt Lake City Department of Economic Development. “Employers and developers are looking beyond the crisis toward the recovery.”

Some even think pandemic-weary investors fleeing U.S. coastal cities may eventually mean more cash coming into markets like Salt Lake City, especially as Utah’s unemployment rate stays well below the national average.

Places like Industry SLC, The Square with Industrious Salt Lake City in the Kearns Building and offices in the A&Z Produce site say that judging from leasing interest and that economic outlook, the momentum is there, in spite of a slight slowdown.

“We had a lot of people press pause, but that’s good,” co-developer Jason Winkler said of recruiting new tenants. Many, he said, have tempered their plans until surging COVID-19 cases ease.

“They’re not disappearing. They’re just hibernating right now,” he said. “It’s becoming clear to people that in short order, this is going to come back to normal and yes, they’re still going to need somewhere to do business.”

New layouts in new times
The further you get inside Industry SLC, the less it looks like any conventional office or assembly of cubicles and corner offices you’ve seen before.

Jason and Ellen Winkler are the husband-and-wife owners of Q Factor and they have built similar projects in some of Denver’s up-and-coming neighborhoods. “Our design and construction lets us be really, really, really flexible,” Jason Winkler said last week on a tour.

Masks are a must in all common areas, according to rules posted on the tall front doors leading to an airy lobby, Publik coffee shop and mini-auditorium.

Ellen Winkler said the private areas of Industry SLC are designed for a wide and motley blend of spaces, open and enclosed. More typical meeting rooms and conference areas are interspersed with one-on-one huddle spots, cozy reading nooks and places to relax. Employees can also use private office areas and close the door, if they choose. Cleaners stand ready to wipe down any common area as soon as they’re used.

Further east at 136 S. Main Street, global developers with Texas-based Hines have poured $25 million into an overhaul of the historic Kearns Building. With partners at a national workplace firm Industrious, they’ve also created The Square with Industrious Salt Lake City, a 25,000-square-foot flexible workplace inside the iconic structure, built in 1911.

“Amid this pandemic, many companies are looking to adopt a new structure where people can work from home some days, work from a local workplace that doesn’t require commuting on other days, and then commute into a downtown or headquarters location on occasion,” an Industrious spokesperson said in an email.

Tenants at The Square can do that, plus share access to lounge and event spaces, a gym and wellness center, and rooftop views. To react to the pandemic, the space includes hand sanitizing stations throughout, members agree to temperature checks, and upgrades have focused on touch-free technologies and improved HVAC systems.

It’s only Hines’ second flex space to open in the world, with the first in a 33-story tower in Houston.

The new offices going into the renovated A&Z Produce building along 500 South are more traditional, while the reclaimed building gives tenants their own entrances and flexible customized floor plans, according to co-developer Brandon Blaser. And if they need bigger spaces as they expand, more offices are coming with the nearby Post District, a massive neighborhood development he is also a part of across the street between 500 and 600 South.

Blaser, too, said he has a bullish view of downtown’s recovery. “We can incubate our tenants,” he said, “and still have that long perspective and ability to grow.”

[Orlando]

• Video Link

This is quite an interesting video abut Salt Lake City and Utah and the leading industries of Utah. I recommend watching it.

[Atlas]

Nice, thanks for sharing.

This one was recommended to me based on viewing that one:

• Video Link

Our city has a very colorful history.

[jedikermit]

One of my friends does the "Salt Lake City History Minute" on YouTube for the Mayor's Office...there are some good (and short) ones in there too:

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...history+minute

[ThePusherMan]

While we are on the YouTube train, here is a video from the West Quarter project’s big pour. http://youtu.be/rRG8x4JHM28

[Orlando]

[QUOTE=jedikermit;9009487]One of my friends does the "Salt Lake City History Minute" on YouTube for the Mayor's Office...there are some good (and short) ones in there too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5Gu2uK8kUE [QUOTE]

Thanks for this post. I watched Return of The Jedi at the Centre Theater while the floods were flowing down State Street, where the theater was directly on.

[Orlando]

Apparently, that large parking lot between 4th & 5th south and between Main & West Temple, the nation's largest ballroom, Coconut Grove, existed there:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es5bqmmDxEI

[Atlas]

Makes sense given how many artists were known to have stayed at the Hotel Newhouse next door. It's really a shame that it all turned into a parking lot.

By the way Orlando, your YouTube links are broken. When you use SSP's YouTube embedding tags, make sure to only paste in the code after "v=" and not the whole link.

[delts145]

Post House District -

Salt Lake City, UT | July 30, 2020 - https://www.cbre.us/people-and-offic...-reuse-project

The Salt Lake City office of CBRE has been selected to oversee leasing of the A&Z Building, the former home of A&Z Produce and adaptive reuse project in The Post District, a $300 million master-planned neighborhood development. Scott Wilmarth, Nadia Letey and Melina Miramontes will oversee the office leasing requirement.

The A&Z Building is a three-story office building with a garden level, totaling approximately 36,000 square feet. Renovations are already underway, and the building should be ready for occupancy in September of this year. The renovation transforms an old produce building into a space that unites the historic nature of the structure with a modern aesthetic, featuring exposed brick and beam finishes. The A&Z Building will share an above-grade parking structure with an adjacent building and has a surface lot that can facilitate additional future phases of development.

"The Post District is a timely development that will redefine the western perimeter of downtown's Central Business District, and the A&Z Building is the first step in this paramount undertaking" noted Nadia Letey, first vice president of CBRE. "Careful consideration has been taken in the master plan to ensure that the needs of the neighborhood and local businesses have been addressed, including space for housing, retail, and local artist installations in addition to the planned office space."

The A&Z Building is part of The Post District, a major renovation in the area that aims to revitalize a 14-acre region bordering downtown's Central Business District. The Post District is a $300 million master-planned neighborhood development with 580 new residential units and over 300,000 square feet of new and redeveloped commercial space providing creative office, walkable restaurants, cafes, shops, open green space, public plazas and more. The initial office developments are taking place on the southern block of 500 South spanning from 300 West to 400 West.





.

[jedikermit]

[QUOTE=Orlando;9009751]

Originally Posted by jedikermit

One of my friends does the "Salt Lake City History Minute" on YouTube for the Mayor's Office...there are some good (and short) ones in there too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5Gu2uK8kUE

Thanks for this post. I watched Return of The Jedi at the Centre Theater while the floods were flowing down State Street, where the theater was directly on.

That's where I saw The Empire Strikes Back!

...my grandma was there too, and afterwards said she "didn't understand anything the big hairy one said"

[Orlando]

[QUOTE=jedikermit;9010478]

Originally Posted by Orlando

That's where I saw The Empire Strikes Back!

...my grandma was there too, and afterwards said she "didn't understand anything the big hairy one said"