Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 5

[Blah_Amazing]

https://citizenportal.slcgov.com/Cit...howInspection=

A 70 unit townhouse project has filed their initial plat map

Location: 1750 W 1700 S (Somewhat strange location, dominated by warehouses)

Located behind the Carl's Jr. and Maverik (to the west)

[Blah_Amazing]

https://citizenportal.slcgov.com/Cit...howInspection=

Commercial Demolition Permits filed to demolish the Overniter Motel located at 1500 W North Temple.

This is the site of the planned SPARK! development.







Project Details: http://ktgy.com/work/spark/

Client: Brinshore Development, LLC
Density: 86 du/ac
Unit Plan Sizes: 500 - 1,200 sq. ft.
Number of Units: 200 du
Site Area: 2.3 ac
Retail: 14,000 sq. ft.
Number of Stories: 6
Parking: 136 spaces (0.5 sp./unit)
Construction Type: III

[Blah_Amazing]

Originally Posted by delts145

^That would be the best-case scenario Old&New. I actually like the cladding on the COB. Mostly because it's one of the better examples of that era. At least better than the dozen or more we have here in L.A. It's just that north stairwell that bugs me. Maybe though they are going to reclad it like they did the old Zions Tower. The rumor was that the current cladding is not as secure as they would like.

I think they were planning to eventually tie the Office Annex into the Capitol design.

For me, I hope they choose to fully reclad the the structure. I have never liked the tower in the skyline, and I have always found it to be one of the ugliest and least inviting structures at ground level (talk about horrid street engagement).

Those narrow windows must also make the interior of the building relatively dark in comparison to more glass dominated towers in the city.

Has anyone been inside to say how updated the interior of the building is as well?



With the LDS Church spending significant amounts of time and money remodeling all the grounds around the tower as part of the Temple Square renovation project, I am hoping they will redo the actual tower also.

[goldcntry]

Originally Posted by Blah_Amazing

Those narrow windows must also make the interior of the building relatively dark in comparison to more glass dominated towers in the city.

Has anyone been inside to say how updated the interior of the building is as well?

I normally work in the Riverton Office Building (ROB) but do go downtown occasionally and work on the 20th floor. They have been renovating the inside floor-by-floor over the last few years. The new sports center/gym/medical clinic is really nice. Surprisingly, the facade does not darken the floors; it feels brighter and allows more natural light than my normal office in Riverton.

[Makid]

Originally Posted by Blah_Amazing

For me, I hope they choose to fully reclad the the structure. I have never liked the tower in the skyline, and I have always found it to be one of the ugliest and least inviting structures at ground level (talk about horrid street engagement).

Those narrow windows must also make the interior of the building relatively dark in comparison to more glass dominated towers in the city.

Has anyone been inside to say how updated the interior of the building is as well?

I have been inside multiple times. The building is actually fairly bright inside, which is a bit surprising.

The issue with a full reclad to possibly be closer in look to the all glass towers is the window washing setup. The building doesn't have any external systems to support washing the windows. They windows in the tower all rotate to allow for someone inside to wash both the inside and outside of the windows.

There have been continued discussions regarding a reclad of the building but it wouldn't change much. As many have pointed out, the primary sections discussed are the Center North stairwells and the lower wings (east/west). The wings, if reclad would include additional windows.

There hasn't been any other details moved on the possible reclad over the last 10+ years. This could be because of the limited space to move employees around during the reclad process.

[Reeder113]

Originally Posted by Blah_Amazing

For me, I hope they choose to fully reclad the the structure. I have never liked the tower in the skyline, and I have always found it to be one of the ugliest and least inviting structures at ground level (talk about horrid street engagement).

I agree 100%.

[Atlas]

So awhile back I asked about the very prominent empty lot at the SW corner of 600S and 400W, across from the Post District. I did a search on the current property owner (from the SL County assessor) and found this 7-story Embassy Suites project which was approved by the planning commission in 2017. I wasn't active on the forum back then and I'm wondering if there's been any news or discussion on this since then. I don't like the big parking lot but the building itself isn't bad and, if built, would nicely compliment the Post District at this gateway to the city.

Maybe this project didn't happen because they decided to build an Embassy Suites in WVC instead?

[ucsbgaucho]

Originally Posted by Blah_Amazing

For me, I hope they choose to fully reclad the the structure. I have never liked the tower in the skyline, and I have always found it to be one of the ugliest and least inviting structures at ground level (talk about horrid street engagement).

Reminds me so much of this building... just happens to be the "Twin Towers" Los Angeles jail complex.

[Marvland]

I'll say it: I actually love the COB as a part of the larger skyline of SLC. I just don't like it as our second tallest tower and it exaggerated height on lower Capital Hill. Its location also makes a large unfillable gap when approaching downtown from the west. To fill that gap on the east you'd have to have a tower on the north side of South Temple, not doable. That's why the western parking lots (the "Jazz game" parking lots) are so critical to downtowns development. Not sure why the church is sitting on those lots. CHOP CHOP CHURCH! Also love to see them redevelop the Triad Center as it's really long in the tooth.

[Orlando]

I think there are plans in the works to do something about the hotel on the block west of Temple Square.

[Atlas]

Not only does the COB look taller because of its elevation, there's also the fact that the Wells Fargo roofline is actually right at 400 ft. The little cylinder on top is what pushes it another 22 ft higher. So it is technically taller than the COB but it really doesn't look taller, even if the buildings were at the same elevation. The SSP diagram actually gets these details slightly wrong and makes the WF Center look taller than it is.

I'm looking forward to the day that the Kensington Tower makes these ambiguities irrelevant.

[nushiof]

Originally Posted by Orlando

I think there are plans in the works to do something about the hotel on the block west of Temple Square.

Do tell. Like a re-model? Or a tear/down and building something new?

[Orlando]

I'm not sure really. It's more speculation on my part. I'm sure the church must have some plans in the works for that block, and I'm guessing sooner than later.

[SLCPolitico]

Originally Posted by delts145

I think they were planning to eventually tie the Office Annex into the Capitol design.

The Legislature appropriated $110,000,000 toward this project in 2019, with the first $250,000 to be spent by the Capitol Preservation Board and others to create the plan for the site, as well as plans for the agencies currently housed there. I know that the Insurance Department is about to move to the old American Express building but haven’t heard anything about new plans for parking or the North Building up at the Capitol Complex. Anyone heard anything?

Edit: Just saw that $30,000,000 of that $110m was spent buying the old American Express building. https://www.deseret.com/2019/5/14/20...n-taylorsville

[Blah_Amazing]

Residential demolition permits have been filed for two single family houses in the Central Ninth district.
942 Washington Street
https://citizenportal.slcgov.com/Cit...howInspection=


and 950 Washington Street.
https://citizenportal.slcgov.com/Cit...howInspection=


Both with the description: "Residential home to be demolished to replace with an apartment building."

The project is listed as '942 Wash' which I haven't heard of (likely just a temporary name).

This would make it the sixth active housing project along this single block of Washington Street.

The other projects include:
Under Construction
Washington St. Condos
TAG 945
TAG Fayette

Planned
The Slate
TAG 962

and now '942 Wash.'

This block-long stretch of Washington Street has also seen the recent completion of several other projects as well, including the 'Central Ninth Place' townhouses and the 'Washington Street Townhomes' projects. This leaves only a couple single family houses left on this stretch of the street.

I wonder if we will see actual plans for the project relatively soon or not?

[Blah_Amazing]

KSL Investigates: Bill Aims To Combat Utah Housing Boom, Affordability
A Utah lawmaker has proposed a solution to speed up home building in Utah, but critics say it may ultimately hurt homebuyers.

• Video Link

Here is the full KSL article: https://ksltv.com/456293/bill-aims-t...affordability/

Here is the link to the legislation, House Bill 98:
https://le.utah.gov/~2021/bills/hbillint/HB0098S01.pdf

[palmloverking]

If the Church Office Building underwent a full reclad, the skyscraper page frequenters of the 2080's would be shaking their fists in angry resentment like many of the frequenters of this forum today in regards to the recent talk of the massive destruction of historical buildings in SLC that offered a superior street engagement in comparison to the "sterile" modern developments that replaced them as someone excellently stated. Those old pictures looked a lot like some of the old neighborhoods in New York or New Jersey, so much charm, such a shame they are no more.

Erasing such an iconic 60's highrise style from our skyline would be a brazen crime against the charm of Salt Lake City, and honestly enough to make me pack my bags and cross the Utah border and never look back. The narrow, white, quartzite pillar facade of the Church Office Building is the sexiest of all facades in the city in my opinion. Sophisticated, austere, highly textured, just a masterpiece.

I grew up in Tooele county and very often my parents would drive me with them to run errands in Salt Lake City, the COB was always the first building to appear while driving I-80 east. Looking out at the surreal and light blue expanse of the Great Salt Lake, suddenly that tall white structure would catch my eye straight ahead, and even from such a distance its striped facade would shake, wiggle, and dance in the sunlight.

Modernization of old architecture because it seems "dated" or "ugly" is how you kill the soul and charm of a city. Salt Lake City does not need anymore of that. As for reclading the back stairwell to match the front side of the building, I can not believe how incredibly awesome that looks and how much better photos looking south from behind the capitol building would look. I dream of that becoming a reality.

[bob rulz]

Pretending like mid-century International-style architecture has anywhere near the charm of early century buildings is a joke. The COB is a bland, ugly eyesore. When early century buildings are re-clad, they're made more bland and boring. When mid-century buildings are re-clad, they're usually made much more interesting.

I don't think there will be the same such appreciation for this architecture in 50 years as there is for early-century or 19th century architecture today.

[felixg]

Hello everybody I’ve frequented this page for over a year now and have decided it’s finally time to make an account!

I don’t mean to pontificate but I must side with palmloverking here— midcentury/international architecture absolutely has all the charm and beauty of deco or anything else preceding it, and especially as both those qualities are entirely subjective. Charm isn’t something that universally looks the same, it’s unique to interesting or good examples of architecture from any era. I too remember driving past the COB in awe as a little kid, I still do to this day, it reminds me of federal buildings in Los Angeles.

Part of this might have to do with age, I’m under 20 years old so naturally modernist styles have characterized and long preceded my own childhood. I was born about 40 years after this style really began to die, just as it seems many of its critics were born about 40 years after the neogothic, classical, and deco styles of the 1920s. I’m not meaning to assume how old you are bob rulz, I’m just offering a possible explanation for our differing views of the same style. I personally happen to dislike the weird postmodern architecture we see in the One Utah Center or Wells Fargo Building, this rationale would explain that also. But I don’t think postmodern buildings don’t have “charm”. I think they’re eclectic and feel that I don’t understand their intention, but I trust somebody else does and feel open to understanding what makes them unique

[Layrasm]

Originally Posted by bob rulz

Pretending like mid-century International-style architecture has anywhere near the charm of early century buildings is a joke. The COB is a bland, ugly eyesore. When early century buildings are re-clad, they're made more bland and boring. When mid-century buildings are re-clad, they're usually made much more interesting.

I don't think there will be the same such appreciation for this architecture in 50 years as there is for early-century or 19th century architecture today.

Discrediting somebody's opinion as a joke because it doesn't align with yours is the real joke. I see a lot of that on this board. Opinions are subjective, not factual. While I don't agree that the COB is a pretty building in any sense, let's have some respect.