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  #5981  
Old Posted Sep 26, 2019, 7:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Gastroc View Post
https://www.geekwire.com/2019/qualtr...-headquarters/




Frustrating that Seattle gets a new downtown tower from a company started in Utah by Utah natives... This would have looked so good in SLC.
I see this building daily on my bus ride. It's nearing completion. The base of the building will be pretty cool. I've been watching this design since it's concept presentation.



But, yes, I definitely agree. Qualtrics, Pluralsight, etc. These guys have got to catch the vision of what could be in or near downtown SLC. The Granary District, the Gateway area, or even downtown are ripe for some cool innovation district stuff.

A few years back I did some conceptual urban design of the Fleet Block/ Granary District, and I've been holding back what we designed, but here's a peak into part of it. We had several design parameters, such as Innovation District with mix of research, tech, housing, etc. as well as following the principles of Wellness. This is along 4th west, and in the back ground is a tech office building, but retail and restaurants lining up along the proposed streetcar line. It's a very sketchy rendering, but this was a very lean effort. So, limited time and money to make it look better.

Last edited by Orlando; Sep 26, 2019 at 7:57 PM.
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  #5982  
Old Posted Sep 26, 2019, 8:40 PM
Utah_Dave Utah_Dave is offline
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Can someone send Ryan at Qualtrics a polite tweet in response about the co-headquarters in Seattle and let him know he’s going to have to build the sister building in SLC?

They can definitely build it cheaper here too.
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  #5983  
Old Posted Sep 26, 2019, 9:43 PM
Utahn Utahn is offline
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Originally Posted by Utah_Dave View Post
Can someone send Ryan at Qualtrics a polite tweet in response about the co-headquarters in Seattle and let him know he’s going to have to build the sister building in SLC?

They can definitely build it cheaper here too.
Sadly, I don't think there's any chance of Qualtrics building a large office in SLC anytime soon. A good friend of mine has a relatively high position at Qualtrics, and I asked about the possibility of Qualtrics moving/expanding into SLC. It seemed very unlikely. The Seattle office was originally opened to help with recruitment as Qualtrics was then struggling with recruiting enough high level talent to Utah, the Seattle co-headquarters was part of the answer.

They also said that Ryan loves Provo and lives right down the road from the Qualtrics building and so doany of the others, and there's no desire to lengthen that commute. Add to that fact that after Ancestry left the Riverwoods in Provo, a lot of office space opened up, and there's room to grow for several years right there where they're at.
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  #5984  
Old Posted Sep 26, 2019, 11:15 PM
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Part of their problem recruiting is because Qualtrics and a bunch of these high-tech offices are out in very non-urban locations in Utah Valley. Salt Lake City and other parties have been trying to get these guys to open their eyes to a higher vision of urban development near downtown SLC. Apartments fill up in no time in SLC, and many of those renters are reverse commuters that work in Lehi, but want to live closer to more urban amenities that SLC has.

Last edited by Orlando; Sep 27, 2019 at 12:02 AM.
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  #5985  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2019, 12:08 AM
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Work has started on the Spyhop building at Central 9th. Crazy how quickly that neighborhood is becoming built out.
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  #5986  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2019, 12:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Utahn View Post
Sadly, I don't think there's any chance of Qualtrics building a large office in SLC anytime soon. A good friend of mine has a relatively high position at Qualtrics, and I asked about the possibility of Qualtrics moving/expanding into SLC. It seemed very unlikely. The Seattle office was originally opened to help with recruitment as Qualtrics was then struggling with recruiting enough high level talent to Utah, the Seattle co-headquarters was part of the answer.

They also said that Ryan loves Provo and lives right down the road from the Qualtrics building and so do many of the others, and there's no desire to lengthen that commute. Add to that fact that after Ancestry left the Riverwoods in Provo, a lot of office space opened up, and there's room to grow for several years right there where they're at.
You brought up an excellent point Utahn. Many of us just automatically forget that Qualtrics is not located at the Point of the Mountain, but the Riverbottoms of Provo. If it were in Lehi or Draper, that would be an easy commute from Downtown Salt Lake, and I think wouldn't be such an issue with recruitment.

Provo and Qualtrics are surrounded by surreally gorgeous views. As beautiful as it is it's just not at a point yet where most Non-LDS people feel comfortable living 24/7.
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  #5987  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2019, 1:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Orlando View Post
Part of their problem recruiting is because Qualtrics and a bunch of these high-tech offices are out in very non-urban locations in Utah Valley. Salt Lake City and other parties have been trying to get these guys to open their eyes to a higher vision of urban development near downtown SLC. Apartments fill up in no time in SLC, and many of those renters are reverse commuters that work in Lehi, but want to live closer to more urban amenities that SLC has.
I raised a similar point in the conversation, but although that may be partially the case, that's not the challenge it would seem. A lot of Qualtrics employees uncomfortable with Utah County or the commute from Salt Lake County live in Park City/Summit County or remote work in Salt Lake for most of the week. No, the type of folks Qualtrics has struggled to recruit are machine learning, artificial intelligence, other niche high tech industries, and folks with those skills as well as high-level management experience of which there are apparently few in Utah. My brother-in-law is doing a PhD in machine learning and AI here, and he said the same thing, as soon as he graduates he plans to leave the state because there aren't many intensive opportunities for his type of work. I guess as good as the tech market has become in Utah, there are a few areas that still haven't quite developed. At this sense, Qualtric because of its size is in a league all to its own among Utah tech companies, so I'm not surprised that this may be a challenge unique to their experience.
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  #5988  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2019, 2:58 AM
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I'm an employee of Qualtrics and agree with much of what has been said regarding the recruiting efforts. Honestly, Qualtrics actually has done a good job of bringing good talent into Utah but the biggest problem was being able to do it at scale. If the Utah office were in downtown Salt Lake, it would be much easier but still not enough still. (Although I wish it were in SLC.) Qualtrics will continue to grow in Utah but part of the equation is also Seattle specifically. Seattle is on fire in the tech world and would crush almost any other market for recruiting top tech talent. Seattle has so much talent that Qualtrics can easily pick up and many other people specifically want to move to Seattle for the tech scene.

Last edited by UV4EVER; Sep 27, 2019 at 4:00 AM.
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  #5989  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2019, 3:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Gastroc View Post



Frustrating that Seattle gets a new downtown tower from a company started in Utah by Utah natives... This would have looked so good in SLC.
To be clear, that's the 2+U Tower by the Skanska group. It's almost complete. They landed Qualtrics as anchor tenant, about 250k of 700k sf. Qualtrics didn't build the tower which is topped out. I've been following it for a bit as I really like it's district style elements. Qualtrics will vacate their existing Seattle offices and move their workforce in. Qualtrics is now an arm of massive German tech outfit SAP. I'm sure that played into it too.

2+U is a spec office tower multi use dev. I maintain an aggressive spec office tower would KILL in SLC. Patrinely needs to get moving as I'm hearing buzz of just that very thing. They've been occupied with their Denver tower and might miss the opportunity.
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  #5990  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2019, 3:11 AM
SLCLvr SLCLvr is offline
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To be clear, that's the 2+U Tower by the Skanska group. It's almost complete. They landed Qualtrics as anchor tenant, about 250k of 700k sf. Qualtrics didn't build the tower which is topped out. I've been following it for a bit as I really like it's district style elements. Qualtrics will vacate their existing Seattle offices and move their workforce in. Qualtrics is now an arm of massive German tech outfit SAP. I'm sure that played into it too.

2+U is a spec office tower multi use dev. I maintain an aggressive spec office tower would KILL in SLC. Patrinely needs to get moving as I'm hearing buzz of just that very thing. They've been occupied with their Denver tower and might miss the opportunity.
Skanska must have an appetite for risk not found in our local developers. At a former employer we leased some really nice space in a spec building Skanska constructed in Wroclaw, Poland.
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  #5991  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2019, 4:26 AM
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I can’t help but think the city should partner/incentivize some nice public amenities down town. I might be in the minority on this but downtown needs more of a draw downtown with some sort of attraction like a regional recreation center. Maybe one that incorporates indoor and outdoor activities. The blocks west of the temple could be a good spot. Maybe a large water feature or lake. Add in some fishing maybe too? I don’t know. I just feel like SLC is a little bit handicapped since it doesn’t have an ocean, lake or river front that is a natural magnet for people hang out and enjoy the area and create a community buzz and feel. There has got to be some good examples out there that other cities have been involved with. Help me out with this thought. I can’t put my finger on it.
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  #5992  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2019, 2:39 PM
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^^^
Well, one major opportunity missed for downtown is the Loveland Aquarium. When they are finished with the phase II expansion it will be unquestionably one of the top tier aquariums of the world. That could have been a huge plus for downtown attractions. Also, the Rio Tinto Museum should have been located downtown. They are both exceptional facilities and I'm glad they're in the metro, but I can't help but think that the community would have been better served locating top tier world class icons like that downtown.
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  #5993  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2019, 3:23 PM
stayinginformed stayinginformed is offline
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Just saw this in a planning meeting agenda email. This is on an open lot just south of Valter's Osteria on 200 West.

Edison House Conditional Use at 335 South 200 West - A request by Bubba Holdings, LLC, applicant, to construct a 3-story structure at 335 South 200 West that would house a membership-based social club. The club would include amenities like a restaurant, event space, indoor gym, a stage for live performances, a sports bar and lounge, and rooftop pool with an outdoor bar. In the D-3 Downtown Warehouse/Residential District, a Conditional Use review is required if a structure is 3 or more stories in height and contains commercial uses but no residential uses. Indoor and Outdoor Bar Establishments are also subject to a Conditional Use review in this zone.
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  #5994  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2019, 6:57 PM
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Originally Posted by SLCLvr View Post
Skanska must have an appetite for risk not found in our local developers. At a former employer we leased some really nice space in a spec building Skanska constructed in Wroclaw, Poland.
Well, Skanska is the 5th largest construction firm in the world.
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  #5995  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2019, 7:07 PM
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Originally Posted by stayinginformed View Post
Just saw this in a planning meeting agenda email. This is on an open lot just south of Valter's Osteria on 200 West.

Edison House Conditional Use at 335 South 200 West - A request by Bubba Holdings, LLC, applicant, to construct a 3-story structure at 335 South 200 West that would house a membership-based social club. The club would include amenities like a restaurant, event space, indoor gym, a stage for live performances, a sports bar and lounge, and rooftop pool with an outdoor bar. In the D-3 Downtown Warehouse/Residential District, a Conditional Use review is required if a structure is 3 or more stories in height and contains commercial uses but no residential uses. Indoor and Outdoor Bar Establishments are also subject to a Conditional Use review in this zone.
I'm 100% on board for this. Hope it can make it through all the red tape.
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  #5996  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2019, 7:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Utah_Dave View Post
I can’t help but think the city should partner/incentivize some nice public amenities down town. I might be in the minority on this but downtown needs more of a draw downtown with some sort of attraction like a regional recreation center. Maybe one that incorporates indoor and outdoor activities. The blocks west of the temple could be a good spot. Maybe a large water feature or lake. Add in some fishing maybe too? I don’t know. I just feel like SLC is a little bit handicapped since it doesn’t have an ocean, lake or river front that is a natural magnet for people hang out and enjoy the area and create a community buzz and feel. There has got to be some good examples out there that other cities have been involved with. Help me out with this thought. I can’t put my finger on it.
Seven Canyons Trust is making an effort to daylight the different creeks that are buried under the city.
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  #5997  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2019, 7:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Utah_Dave View Post
I can’t help but think the city should partner/incentivize some nice public amenities down town. I might be in the minority on this but downtown needs more of a draw downtown with some sort of attraction like a regional recreation center. Maybe one that incorporates indoor and outdoor activities. The blocks west of the temple could be a good spot. Maybe a large water feature or lake. Add in some fishing maybe too? I don’t know. I just feel like SLC is a little bit handicapped since it doesn’t have an ocean, lake or river front that is a natural magnet for people hang out and enjoy the area and create a community buzz and feel. There has got to be some good examples out there that other cities have been involved with. Help me out with this thought. I can’t put my finger on it.
There was a plan a few years back to create a recreation center/park on the 4th South & Main Street parking lot block, but I don't know what the status of that is.

I think one of the best ways the city can help make itself more of a draw (strictly from an urban design standpoint) is to continue to create some great mid-block passageways, and to take back some of those awful wide streets, and make them more pleasant. They've already done that on 3rd South and 5th West. They are doing the mid-block passages with City Creek Center to Gallivan Plaza through Regent Street. The new Hines tower proposal would be even better if they created a mid-block passage through their mid-block park.

Problems present great solutions, and I think this is the biggest negative thing holding back SLC from an urban design standpoint. West Temple and State Street are awful and need some road diet urban design beautification.

Also, the gigantic gateway off-ramp from I-15 to downtown is a huge eyesore. There's blight, terrible sidewalks, and landscaping. That road needs to take a road diet too, and much more large trees or something lining both sides of the road. It's a terrible first impression of downtown.

Besides urban design, SLC needs charismatic people to sell the vision of downtown and its adjacent surroundings. They need to sell the vision of better urbanism to all those tech giants, and conservative developers in Utah to break away from the typical stand-alone office surrounded by parking with little to no pedestrian connectivity. I know one ion particular that has actually presented to Silicon Slopes, but we need more. We just need one major tech company to set up shop in the Granary District, to be the catalyst for more to come. They don't understand that a vibrant metro center is critical to the whole region, and they are currently diluting that.

Last edited by Orlando; Sep 27, 2019 at 8:09 PM.
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  #5998  
Old Posted Sep 28, 2019, 12:44 PM
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Also, the gigantic gateway off-ramp from I-15 to downtown is a huge eyesore. There's blight, terrible sidewalks, and landscaping. That road needs to take a road diet too, and much more large trees or something lining both sides of the road. It's a terrible first impression of downtown.

Where are they with the beautification of the downtown southern portion of State Street? Is that underway yet? I know we are all very impatient for so many things to be accomplished downtown, I certainly am. In perspective though, downtown is changing very quickly right before our eyes. It feels as if just in these next two years as much will be accomplished as what seemed to take twenty years in decades past.
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  #5999  
Old Posted Sep 29, 2019, 1:08 AM
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I do recall that they are doing something for State Street south of 6th south, but I am more concerned about how it is currently in the CBD.

Regarding the 5th & 6th south off and on-ramp boulevards. Check out pages 112-114 (particularly page 114) on their plans for that area. They are planning on burying all the power lines, removing all billboards, and splitting up the road into sections of tree lined landscaping. This should be priority #1, in my opinion. This is the first impression of entering the city from the freeway.
http://www.slcdocs.com/Planning/Mast...s/Downtown.pdf
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  #6000  
Old Posted Sep 29, 2019, 4:34 AM
bob rulz bob rulz is offline
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Doesn't state law make relocating or removing billboards very difficult? Reagan Advertising is very powerful in this state.
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