Salt Lake MSA Development Thread

[urbanboy]

West Valley City mall getting face-lift
Valley Fair » Site undergoes expansion; businesses move in.
By Lesley Mitchell
The Salt Lake Tribune


Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City is adding an... (Paul Fraughton/ The Salt Lake Tribune)

In some of the most difficult times for malls and other retail developments, Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City is expanding -- and in the process, reinventing itself.
In-N-Out Burger has purchased a site for a new location at the mall, and by fall the center is set to have a Farr's Fresh Ice Cream, Famous Footwear and Ross Dress for Less, among other new retailers.
The aging mall could have died a slow death, just as any number of other suburban malls built in the 1960s to 1980s experienced. In fact, many 1980s-era malls are long gone, including Crossroads Plaza and ZCMI Center in downtown Salt Lake City, which were razed to make way for the new City Creek development being built in its place.
Instead of fading away, the 40-year old West Valley mall, just off Interstate 215 and 3500 South, is getting a facelift and nearly doubling in size.
There's the 100,000 square feet of additional retail space in the main mall and periphery, as well as a plaza and a park area. When the redevelopment is complete, the mall property will encompass nearly 1 million square feet.
Valley Fair isn't a tony shopping destination, and the renovation isn't likely to change that fact. But its days of decline appear to be over.
The new retailers will join such businesses as Costco, a Smashburger restaurant and a TGI Friday's. It's quite a step up for a mall that for decades had only a Red Robin restaurant and dollar theater.
"It was an undervalued, underappreciated real estate," said Gary Hall, leasing director. "It was in the second-largest city, but everyone was going everywhere else to shop."
Valley Fair's location near the highly traveled 3500 South corridor and right off I-215, however, makes it an attractive piece of real estate for commercial development.
Things began to change for Valley Fair after it was purchased by Utah-based real estate developer Satterfield Helm in 2005, with New York-based Coventry Real Estate Advisors joining as a financial partner in 2008. Today Coventry III/Satterfield Helm Valley Fair LLC and an affiliate, Satterfield Helm Management, are handling its redevelopment and management.
The Costco store, which opened two years ago, helped turn fortunes around for the mall, along with the addition of the restaurants, said Chris Monson, a retail and investment specialist with commercial brokerage Mountain West Retail and Investment in Salt Lake City.
Certainly, the city's desire to have a viable -- and vibrant -- mall property played a role in the fact that development has moved forward even in difficult times. As part of redevelopment, West Valley City allowed in 2006 the old Granger Elementary School to be torn down to make room for the Costco. A new school was built nearby.
In the past year, anchor JC Penney has been revamped inside and out. And now, the main mall building is being refurbished and the front part of the structure is being torn down and rebuilt to make room for the new tenants.
Valley Fair still has its challenges, like so many malls do these days. Mall managers still are trying to fill the large anchor space vacated by Mervyn's, which shuttered locations nationwide a couple of years ago. And as the mall is improved, owners must strike a balance between sought-after national tenants and the scores of smaller local tenants that settled in the mall years ago when rents were cheap and the property wasn't doing as well as it is today.
Chad Moore, a retail specialist with Mountain West Retail and Investment, thinks the mall's owners are handling the redevelopment well. He said the emphasis on value-oriented retailers, such as Costco and now Ross, will serve the mall well in coming years, given the economic downturn and the fact that consumers are very value-conscious.
"They have the right idea," he said of mall managers. "I think it will be successful project."
lesley@sltrib.com

http://www.sltrib.com/valleywest/ci_14322434

[urbanboy]

Corroon to Herbert: Give back the coal money
Campaign » Herbert refuses, maintains $10K donation was proper.

By Jeremiah Stettler
The Salt Lake Tribune

Gov. Gary Herbert should return a $10,000 donation from a Utah coal company -- whether or not that campaign cash influenced decisions to expedite the mine's permit process.
So says gubernatorial challenger Peter Corroon, who called on the governor Thursday to put to rest perceptions of a "pay to play" policy in state government and order an independent inquiry into how the regulatory process was conducted.
"Public trust matters and the appearance of impropriety matters," the Democratic Salt Lake County mayor wrote in a statement. "The public needs to have confidence that their elected officials and government make decisions in an open, honest and transparent fashion."
The governor's chief of staff, Jason Perry, rebuked Corroon for what he described as an "unjustified and inaccurate attack for the sole purpose of political posturing."
"It is deeply offensive," he said.
The controversy lies in a campaign contribution the Republican governor received last fall from Alton Coal Development.
On Sept. 17, the same day that Herbert's campaign cashed a $10,000 check from the company, Alton officials met with the governor to complain that regulators were taking too long to issue a strip-mining permit.
As a "result" of that meeting, according to a memo from the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, regulators sped up the process. The permit was to be completed on Oct. 15, three months earlier than required by law.
But the Governor's Office insists the target date was set before Herbert ever met with Alton Coal -- a position corroborated by John Baza, director of the mining division, who said he relayed information about the governor's meeting to his staff to ensure the deadline was met.
The governor had no knowledge of Alton's contribution, Perry says, and the campaign's decision to cash the company's check on the day of the meeting was an "unfortunate" coincidence.
So does Herbert plan to give back the money?
"The answer is no," Perry said. "The governor has no intention of returning the check because nothing improper happened before, during or after that meeting."
That's the wrong decision, according to Corroon.
"The perception is that you have to pay to play," he wrote. "Utahns deserve a leader who will get rid of those perceptions."
jstettler@sltrib.com

http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_14335859

[delts145]

Military project might include retailers

Bill would allow Air Force to cooperate with private landowners to build a hotel in the Park City area

http://www.parkrecord.com/ci_14343036

[delts145]

Treasure reckoning could come in April
City Hall panel seems to be leaning toward rejecting disputed development

http://www.parkrecord.com/ci_14391862

The Park City Planning Commission indicated on Wednesday it could cast what would be a landmark vote in April on the Sweeney family's idea to build Treasure, a fast-approaching reckoning date for a project with a history that dates to the 1980s...


Tom Eddington, City Hall's Planning chief, gets eye level with a model of Treasure during a Wednesday Planning Commission meeting. From left, panel members Charlie Wintzer, Richard Luskin, Adam Strachan and Brooke Hontz also see the model for the first time. Grayson West/Park Record

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[scrapernerd]

So years ago St. Marks was going to build a hospital in Draper due to money they have put it on hold except I just drove by a 3 story building on state street north about 120000 South Its going to be a stand alone emergency department with like 17 rooms MRI and CT. I was wondering if anyone has seen anything else on the future build out of this new hospital!
It suppose to be called Lone Peak hospital throught the Mountain star company
PS as a ED Nurse I would suggest if you think you need surgery you might want to go somewhere else they will have no OR's or inpatient rooms

[urbanboy]

Teams form to make bid on building $1B 'spy center'
Contractors looking for right small-business subcontractors to round out bid proposals.

By Mike Gorrell
The Salt Lake Tribune

It is team-building time for companies interested in constructing a $1 billion data center for the National Security Agency at Camp Williams.
Some of Utah's biggest general contractors have teamed up with national counterparts to go after the lucrative primary contract to build the 1 million-square-foot center for the nation's intelligence community.
At least two of them -- Big-D Construction and Okland Construction -- have conducted open houses in the past month to find partners in the small-business community.
That's essential to getting the contract. Federal guidelines mandate that small businesses represent 70 percent of the project's subcontractors. Of that, portions must be allocated to businesses owned by women, people from disadvantaged groups, veterans and disabled veterans.
"It's a great goal," said Rob Moore, president and chief operating officer of Big-D, a Salt Lake City contractor that has forged an alliance with Balfour Beatty Construction (out of Dallas) and DPR Construction Inc. (Redwood City, Calif.).
"One of our big points is to keep this project in the hands of in-state workers," he added, especially because Data Center work will begin as the City Creek Center project wraps up in downtown Salt Lake City. "There are 14,000 unemployed construction workers in Utah... Everyone thinks Utah is doing real well [compared to other places], but in construction that's not the case. We have to push to keep this local." His thoughts were echoed by officials from Okland and its joint-venture partner...

http://www.sltrib.com/Business/ci_14384331

[SLC Projects]

I'm not sure if this has been posted yet, but here is a layout of what the "Spy Center" campus could look like. At least this shows us where the buildings will go.

From Sltrib newspaper.

[SLC Projects]

Snowbird a part of Sandy? Bill could help make it a reality
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=9713127

SANDY -- There's a move afoot that would allow Sandy to annex Snowbird Ski Resort.
A Utah senator introduced a bill Tuesday that would allow the resort to be annexed. Both Snowbird and Sandy like the idea, but Salt Lake County isn't so thrilled.
"We were a little surprised to start with, but yes, we were very interested," Mayor Tom Dolan says. "I think this will be a great compliment to the city."
Dolan says Snowbird's president approached the city about three weeks ago. Administrators jumped on board as soon as they heard Snowbird's assessed value: $154 million, plus hotel and sales taxes.
Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan says annexing Snowbird Ski Resort would be a positive thing for his city.
"I think Sandy residents would be excited to have it part of the city. I know that many of our residents use Snowbird and love to go up there," Dolan said.
Snowbird's general manager says he's been thinking about this for the last couple years. His resort has grown dissatisfied with Salt Lake County's services.
"We've just seen some changes where things aren't quite as efficient, things aren't quite as effective, and of course there have been some tax increases along the way," general manager Bob Bonar said.
Worries about tax increases come as Salt Lake County starts charging unincorporated areas for policing, but the county doesn't see how Snowbird could function without them.
"If Sandy annexed Snowbird, what would happen with public safety in the canyons -- fire, policing, search and rescue issues that we face on a daily basis?" Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon said.
Sandy says it's capable of handling public safety; if not, they'd just contract out to Salt Lake County.
Coroon says he's also concerned about how Sandy can annex a resort that's not contiguous to the city. However, the language in Senate Bill 244 takes care of that.
The bill states: "A resort area is contiguous to an annexing municipality if the annexing municipality and the resort area are separated only by land controlled or owned by the federal government." A Forest Service map shows that is true.
"It's a very positive thing for our community," Dolan said.
According to Dolan, Solitute Ski Resort, which is located in Big Cottonwood Canyon, also approached Sandy City wanting to be annexed. He said he directed them to talk with Cottonwood Heights because that city is a closer neighbor to the resort.
Meanwhile, both Sandy and Snowbird say if SB 244 passes, they'll conduct studies and hold public meetings for input. No word on when the Legislature will hear the bill next.

[delts145]

Simon Property offers $10B to buy rival General Growth

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...al-Growth.html

LOS ANGELES — Simon Property Group Inc., the nation's largest shopping mall owner, made a $10 billion hostile bid Tuesday to acquire ailing rival General Growth Properties.

The acquisition would allow General Growth, the No. 2 owner of shopping centers, to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. General Growth filed for bankruptcy last year after buckling under the weight of billions in debt it racked up during a massive expansion effort fueled by cheap credit.

In Utah, General Growth Properties owns the Cache Valley Mall in Logan, Newgate Mall in Ogden, Cottonwood Mall in Holladay, Fashion Place in Murray, the Provo Towne Centre and the Red Cliffs Mall in St. George. Simon has no mall properties in Utah...

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[delts145]

Salt Lake Tribune

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14413436?source=rv

Sandy to land Snowbird?
Resort might want out of the county and its pending police fee.

Sandy could take Snowbird under its wing.

Sen. Curtis Bramble, R-Provo, has introduced a bill that would allow the Little Cottonwood Canyon ski resort to bolt from unincorporated Salt Lake County and become part of Sandy.

Although Snowbird is miles away from Sandy and doesn't touch a common boundary, SB244 would allow the resort to annex into its not-so-near neighbor since their borders are separated only by federal lands...



Utah Legislature: Plan may put Snowbird in Sandy

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...-in-Sandy.html

SALT LAKE CITY — Skiers in search of "The Greatest Snow on Earth" might be seeking that fine product of Utah's vaunted "lake effect" in a familiar place with an unlikely new address: Snowbird in Sandy...

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[urbanboy]

hopefully Salt Lake County can give snowbird a better deal... or

Originally Posted by delts145

Although Snowbird is miles away from Sandy and doesn't touch a common boundary, SB244 would allow the resort to annex into its not-so-near neighbor since their borders are separated only by federal lands...[/I][/B]

Wouldn't this mean Salt Lake City could annex Snowbird too?

[Future Mayor]

Sandy is the closest city to Snowbird, besides Alta, and the bill would allow them to annex, because the only land separating the two not allowing for a contiguous border, is federal land. Sorry UB, SLC can't annex Snowbird

[arkhitektor]

Isn't there pretty much a continuous strip of federally-owned national forests from Idaho to Arizona? If the only qualifier is that the only thing separating two places is federal land, Ogden could annex Snowbird.

[arkhitektor]

Say goodbye to "The Proscenium" and hello to "The Meridian"



The whizkids in Sandy have come up with another unrealistic scheme to remake their city, with an equally meaningless name as before:

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14414557?source=rss

[jedikermit]

I still don't like the look of it, but I like it more anchored with an aquarium than a theatre. And the towers are more Sandy-scaled, 20-26 stories instead of 40. I'm still not a fan, but this would work marginally better.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by arkhitektor

Isn't there pretty much a continuous strip of federally-owned national forests from Idaho to Arizona? If the only qualifier is that the only thing separating two places is federal land, Ogden could annex Snowbird.

In theory I guess you are correct, however Ogden can't simply go and say, we want you, you're in. There are still property owner signature requirements to meet, and obviously Snowbird considers itself part of Sandy. Annexations have to be within the county or contiguous county of the annexing municipality and the county in which the property is currently located (SL) must approve said annexation.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by arkhitektor

"It would still sprout Sandy's three tallest buildings, but those would not soar quite so high: 20 to 26 stories instead of 30 to 40. "


So it even says in the paper that the towers will drop from 40 to 20-26 stories. However they added a Fourth Tower. So is that really cutting back on office space and/or housing units?
I still like the overall idea of this project. I like it even more now that the Theater isn't a part of it. But overall alot of this is still the same.

"As a first phase of The Meridian, Platt wants to build a 12-story, office-and-condo tower on a half acre on the northeast corner.
Platt said he has potential buyers or tenants for 70 percent of the building. Construction could start in April or May, he said. "

I think that's a good way to start out. Start small by building a 12-story building and go from there. So if I read that right the 12-story building(s) are the two twin buildings on the Eastside of the project.

[UTvision]

Originally Posted by arkhitektor

The whizkids in Sandy have come up with another unrealistic scheme to remake their city, with an equally meaningless name as before:

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14414557?source=rss

Wow, just what I've always dreamed of: being able to walk to an aquarium from my condo, but having to drive everywhere else.

My favorite quotes from the article, "early, conceptual designs of The Meridian", so no concrete plans, and "Sandy is still looking into whether it is financially possible to build a permanent, 120,000-square-foot home for the Living Planet Aquarium".

Maybe Sandy will scrap this next year and announce plans for a quick loan place with an iconic design surrounded by a large parking lot, with a few 3-4 story office/condo "towers" of course.

[SLC Projects]

I will never understand people on here that bitch,bitch,bitch about a development plan that is more Urban and less sprawl just because it isn't downtown. However at the same time people bitch,bitch,bitch if there's another sprawling big box strip mall going in. You guys mock this development saying that it's unreal and that people are not going to live, work or shop there. I have to disagree with those comments. With all the growth that is going on right now on the south end of the valley there really needs to be a city center on the south end of the valley for people to gather other then driving ALL the way north to Salt Lake City. I'm not saying that people who live in Sandy, Draper, Riverton, ect can't go to Salt Lake. I'm just saying there needs to be something here on the South end also. And what better place to have a "City Center" then in Sandy. I like this 2rd plan alot more because it's more down to earth. Sandy City can't just go from having only one 10-story building as their tallest and then jump to having three 40-story towers. ( Not unless your city is Dubai ) But starting out slow by building a single 12-story building is the way to go. See how well those units sell out. I like the idea of Sandy developing a few mid to highrise towers. I like the idea of Sandy developing a more "Urban City Center" For those who think this is a stupid idea let me just ask you one thing. What do you want develop there instead?....Another single story strip mall?

[DMTower]

I'd like to see a grid built there for starters.