Salt Lake MSA Development Thread

[Future Mayor]

While I normally like Garbett Homes and what they do with Solar and Geo thermal to make their homes more energy efficient, I am greatly disappointed that 130 new homes in place of the school is the best option they could come up with.

I had always hoped someone would use the Westech example in Cleveland, for the Granite High building and turn at least a part of the school into apartments. Combine that with some new homes, maybe a mix of single family and town homes along the south and east side of the school.

Garbett is being very limited in their scope on this project and it's really irritating. So few local developers are attempting to reuse existing buildings, because they seem to be afraid to branch out and try something different. This is one reason I applaud Clearwater and what they are doing with their Paragon Station project downtown.

[Future Mayor]

More apartments coming to Meadowbrook station.

[slc801]

I just wrote an email to Garbett home. If anyone wants to copy it, feel free to use it. Here it is:

To Whom It May Concern:

I was recently informed regarding Garbett's proposal regarding the former Granite High School property in South Salt Lake City. While I have been impressed with previous designs by Garbett, I am extremely disappointed with the Granite High proposal as it currently stands. I think that any proposal that includes the complete demolition of Granite High School lacks foresight and design. Granite High School stands as a tribute to history of South Salt Lake and any demolition of the building is a destruction of history and pioneering spirit of the community. While I understand that a complete preservation of the building may be economically unfeasible, any design should include the ingenuity of at least a partial reuse of the old Granite High School.

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by slc801

I just wrote an email to Garbett home. If anyone wants to copy it, feel free to use it. Here it is:

To Whom It May Concern:

I was recently informed regarding Garbett's proposal regarding the former Granite High School property in South Salt Lake City. ...

I do think that's a good idea; Garbett has seemed more reasonable than other developers, more progressive. There may be something they can do. Hopefully if they move forward with their 130 home plan, they'll be thoughtfully designed at least.

As a Granite School District employee, I agree with Sean about the other potential educational uses for the school, although I don't necessarily agree that becoming part of GSD Failed This City. That's been a struggling community (aging at one end, refugee central at the other)(not a bad thing, but makes education in particular difficult) for several decades now. Lincoln
Elementary, the one closest to the site, does use more of the charter school models, more outside-the-box approaches than any other. They also have twice the number of teacher aides, and some of our best teachers are in there trying to make a difference. I can say the same for Granite Park Jr High, which is a few blocks away from Granite.

I do think it's a shame that the school was closed instead of repurposed, becoming a magnet or charter school that could have been an asset instead of a liability. I know the teachers and administration who were at Granite tried multiple angles of approach with the Then-School Board and Superintendent, and that all got nowhere. (new supe, partially new school board since then, but they're not going to un-mothball a school)

Stepping off of the education soapbox:

Keep in mind that it's the residents of South Salt Lake who have voted down some of these proposals. Not approving the bond measure that would have made it into a community center and open space. Sean's criticism that SSL needs focus and a center is correct. I work there now, and in my current job I'm in those schools and community a lot. There are some great pockets, some sweet neighborhoods, some new development side-by-side with older housing similar to what's in the Sugarhouse and Liberty Park area.

So in addition to emailing Garbett (a great idea), also email the South Salt Lake city council, the mayor and the city planner. They're the ones who have the final say over what Garbett does with the land they're buying--have the city hold them accountable.

(or you know, have SLC annex SSL. And Millcreek. And all the everything else and make the county one city. But that just pisses people off who want to maintain their non-identity as Just Another Suburb)

[jmonkey]

South Salt Lake seems like it is such a black hole to new development. Has anything started along the Streetcar line yet? We hear rumors of new projects, for instance at the bowling alley site, and then nothing happens. Wasn't the Boyer Co rumored to be finally taking control over all that cleared space between State and Main? And months later, still nothing. What is the problem in South Salt Lake?

[UTPlanner]

At the Granite High School site, a consortium between Garbett Homes and Wasatch Development approached the city about building some high density housing along with low density and adding commercial elements along 3300 South. The plan included keeping some of the open space. The City Council, in their grand wisdom, told them absolutely no. They only wanted single family residential on the site.

[jtrent77]

$20 million remodel coming to South Towne Center
SANDY — Starting next month, one of the south valley’s largest shopping centers will undergo a major renovation.

Managers of South Towne Center announced a $20 million, 18-month redesign project scheduled to get underway in a few weeks.

Beginning in August, the 1.3 million-square-foot shopping center will go through a significant overhaul that will include improvements to landscaping, lighting and the parking lot to accommodate a new off-ramp from northbound I-15 that will exit directly onto mall property, among other upgrades.

[brankrom]

When I was at Southtowne a month or so ago it seemed very dead. Many of the stores on the second floor were shuttered and there were several of the Generic Asian Gift knives/sword/candle/junk stores. I almost wanted to call it Gateway South.

Not sure throwing money into updates will save the mall. Its only 5 miles from Fashion Place. I don't know that the SL Valley can support 4 regional shopping centers especially since the trend is going away from enclosed malls.

[Future Mayor]

I tend to agree with you, I still think eventually it is going to have to be torn down and converted into more of a lifestyle center, an extension of downtown Sandy.

[airhero]

I'm not sure I've seen this posted here, but the eastern face of the copper mine is about to go through a five year 100 million dollar revegetation/reclamation project.

http://m.deseretnews.com/article/865...-facelift.html

[delts145]

FANTASTIC NEWS!
For me, This is the best piece of news to come along in quite a while as far as real estate development goes. I think this is even more exciting than a new tallest. Not only a major visual improvement, but also a major improvement in future air quality. Obviously, the valley real estate of this section of the metro is becoming to valuable to allow the open wound to remain so in the face of future growth.

Kennecott Utah Copper officials conduct a tour Monday, June 22, 2015, showing areas of the dump sites that are going to be reclaimed with vegetation over the next several years. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

[jedikermit]

Cool.

Major medical complex coming to heart of West Valley City’s renewal project

The West Valley City-backed renewal project known as Fairbourne Station near City Hall is getting a booster shot from a major medical employer.

Granger Medical Clinic will announce Wednesday that it plans to construct a $25 million, four-story office building at Fairbourne, covering 4 acres at 3500 S. Holmberg St. (2970 West).

Full article with 4 renderings here:

http://www.sltrib.com/news/2803160-1...oming-to-heart

[jedikermit]

Also, in much smaller news, I heard yesterday that Salt Lake County will be rebuilding the 51 year old Kearns Library on its current site. Tiny news, but it's a location that's used as a community center for a community that doesn't have much going for it. I appreciate it.

Aaaand in It's About Frigging Time news, SL County is rolling out glass recycling for the first time. Starting it in Millcreek and Canyon Rim, then expanding to other townships or whatever they're called.

[StevenF]

Originally Posted by jedikermit

Cool.

Major medical complex coming to heart of West Valley City’s renewal project

The West Valley City-backed renewal project known as Fairbourne Station near City Hall is getting a booster shot from a major medical employer.

Granger Medical Clinic will announce Wednesday that it plans to construct a $25 million, four-story office building at Fairbourne, covering 4 acres at 3500 S. Holmberg St. (2970 West).

Full article with 4 renderings here:

http://www.sltrib.com/news/2803160-1...oming-to-heart

Is this replacing the location on 41st and Bangerter?

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by StevenF

Is this replacing the location on 41st and Bangerter?

I was wondering that too. It's about 4x the size, same name, but not sure if it's the same people or not. The current building is generic enough it could be reused as office space (I'm sitting in a renovated hospital right now), but it could also sit vacant for a decade.

[JMK]

At the groundbreaking yesterday, representatives said that Granger Medical has doubled in the past 18 months and expects to double again in the next couple of years. It also sounds like they have several small offices around the valley that would move into this new building once it's complete.

[goldcntry]

Originally Posted by StevenF

Is this replacing the location on 41st and Bangerter?

My friend who's a doc there says no... The new building is simply a new HQ clinic. Who knows? The guy borrowed my miter saw and hasn't given it back in two years... he could be wrong!

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by goldcntry

The guy borrowed my miter saw and hasn't given it back in two years...

He may also be my friend. That dick.

[delts145]

Originally Posted by jedikermit

Cool.

Major medical complex coming to heart of West Valley City’s renewal project

The West Valley City-backed renewal project known as Fairbourne Station near City Hall is getting a booster shot from a major medical employer.

Granger Medical Clinic will announce Wednesday that it plans to construct a $25 million, four-story office building at Fairbourne, covering 4 acres at 3500 S. Holmberg St. (2970 West).

Full article with 4 renderings here:

http://www.sltrib.com/news/2803160-1...oming-to-heart

Good lookin building!

[Wasatch Wasteland]

It looks as if Miller Motorsport Park was purchased by our good old friends the Chinese.

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=36035020&nid...er-motorsports

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. This is the the Chinese we are talking about, so something is going to happen development-wise to the park and the land surrounding it. Whether or not it will be good or bad, I don't know.