There's clearly a bias against SLC in the state among many residents/legislators. It may actually be a really cool research project to really dig into the sources and distill the reasons and motivations behind it. There are probably some elements to it that we share in common with other cities: white flight, car dependency, Republican vs. Democrat attitudes, etc.
More interestingly, I wonder how the unique Mormon vs. gentile dynamic plays into this. SLC proper has not been controlled by an LDS majority for probably a century and I think this could have had an effect on annexation and development patterns. For example, LDS-majority communities like Murray probably didn't want to be part of SLC when the opportunity came. And it's not all bad: what other mid-size metro in the US has a public transit system like SLC's? You have to think that the cultural dynamics have something to do with that.
One thing I notice in places like Denver and Kansas City is that people have a lot of pride in the city and its downtown. In SLC, I don't typically feel that. A lot of people in SLC seem to resent it or think it's "not a real city." (laughable) People in the burbs just don't like SLC and many never actually go downtown. Some think its dirty and blighted, some think it's controlled by the Church, others think "the Libs" have ruined it. None of that is true.
One thing I loved about Bury the Rails is that it showed me that there are a lot of other people out there who want to see SLC succeed and continue to be the alpha-city of Utah.
Great post. I had no idea about this one. That parcel is ripe for redevelopment and would be a fantastic spot for a 500+ footer. One proposal you didn't mention was the skyscraper that was proposed at the site of the One Utah Center in the 80s. Here's a
composite image I made from a Youtube video that mentioned it.
I know our skyline has a "tabletop" look right now but I think the extra density of 300-400 ft towers will make it look great when some bigger ones come along. What is more important is that all of the infill is really starting to make a big impact on street level. The urban fabric is recovering and more people are going to and living in downtown. When I walked around downtown last week on a weekday, there were people everywhere on the streets. It was good to see.
I just wish we could get some condo developments built instead of all apartments.