Your version of Salt Lake City, Utah

[ctobsl]

Just another version of what Salt Lake City would look like with taller skyscrapers.

Original Photo without all the skyscrapers taken by Comrade Reynolds

[SLC Projects]

Hell yea. Now that's a skyline. I wounder how long it would take salt lake city to get to that point?

[ctobsl]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

Hell yea. Now that's a skyline. I wounder how long it would take salt lake city to get to that point?

It would probably take 20 years or more, look how long it has taken us to get to this piont. Hopefully soon we will get something to start it on it's way. The CCC is a good start but, the buildings are all about the same size as the rest of the city. So really nothing has changed except for we will have a few more buildings, but nothing of height.

[delts145]

Well, at least Tower 1 has more height than so many of the existing towers. But, I'm definately getting impatient for something in the 600 ft. range.

[ctobsl]

Originally Posted by delts145

Well, at least Tower 1 has more height than so many of the existing towers. But, I'm definately getting impatient for something in the 600 ft. range.

Yes that is true, and it will have an impact on that part of the city. I am too, getting impatient for something in the 600 ft. range. I will probably be dead by the time that happens. I keep hoping that one day we will get at least a 40 story high rise soon.

[IdahoMountainBoy]

I think I see SLC somewhere in that illustration...

[NYC Rick]

You must be totally delusional. Do not take it personal. I would say that your vision of a skyline is indeed impressive but it is a dream.

Dubai can get away with it even with very small populace. Money is a hobby there. Build it even if people do not have the money to live in it.

SLC's skyline will indeed grow.

What you have provided is the skyline for a city that:
a) is approximately 8-20 million people and that is not going to happen.
b) one that is an absolute business hub for the entire world. Even then that would not happen for a long time.

20 years? You must either be 20 years old or have not lived long enough to really see that 20 years provides change but it does not provide a total transformation.

I will be amazed if SLC has the skyline of the downtown rising watercolor in 30 years.

I am definitely not against the concept as when I grew up there I dreamed of your drawing.

Even here in NYC, new building and I mean big buildings take their time.

Do you even imagine how many business' it would take to fill those buildings...I mean mega business groups.

Too many.

[ctobsl]

Originally Posted by NYC Rick

You must be totally delusional. Do not take it personal. I would say that your vision of a skyline is indeed impressive but it is a dream.

Dubai can get away with it even with very small populace. Money is a hobby there. Build it even if people do not have the money to live in it.

SLC's skyline will indeed grow.

What you have provided is the skyline for a city that:
a) is approximately 8-20 million people and that is not going to happen.
b) one that is an absolute business hub for the entire world. Even then that would not happen for a long time.

20 years? You must either be 20 years old or have not lived long enough to really see that 20 years provides change but it does not provide a total transformation.

I will be amazed if SLC has the skyline of the downtown rising watercolor in 30 years.

I am definitely not against the concept as when I grew up there I dreamed of your drawing.

Even here in NYC, new building and I mean big buildings take their time.

Do you even imagine how many business' it would take to fill those buildings...I mean mega business groups.

Too many.

Hi There,

Yes I see what you are saying, but how can I not take it personal, and just like you said, "it is a dream".

It is just a fantasy for me and a way just to visualize what Salt Lake City could look like if we had tall buildings.
I know Salt Lake will not look like that in 20 years, but then again who knows?
It would be nice if it did.

This link was just for Highrise Junkies (like me) to post their own home made photos, manipulated photos or what ever you want to call them, of what they would like to see in the city skyline.

So, what part of New York do you live in?
I lived in Manhatten for 2 years, then the Bronx for 8 and the other 37 years here in Salt Lake, West Jordan and Ogden areas.
So as you can see I am not 20 years old and I have lived long enough to see that 20 years can provide a transformation of a city and make a differance in the ski line. 20 years ago Salt Lake did not look the way it does now neither did Denver and a few other cities.

Anyway, have a nice day.
Anthony

[delts145]

Calgary Skyline


Calgary, CSA - 1,080,000

Salt Lake City CSA - 2,200,000

Originally Posted by delts145

SALT LAKE CITY IN MIDST OF OFFICE SPACE EXPLOSION !!

Office space boom/Salt Lake County needs to add one million new square feet of office space annually, just to keep up (Note: does not account for Weber,Davis,Utah Valley metro sections)

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1...215837,00.html


Salt Lake skyscrapers tower over a rendering of a new 22-story office building in august. The valley is in the midst of an office space explosion. (Deseret Morning News Graphic)


...Firms are lining up to fill class A commercial space as quickly as the facility's are completed....

If we were to take even just a portion of the Wasatch Metro's booming Class A office construction over the past six or so years and stack it up in downtown Salt Lake, what do you think our skyline would look like?

[ctobsl]

It would look like the photo you posted and it would look like the photo I posted! Yeah, it would! Thanks...

[delts145]

There are many reasons that we should never say never about our growing skyline ctobsl. Even to say, "Well, it's not going to happen for another thirty or fifty years, or in our lifetime." There are just 14 new towers you have placed in the the first photo. Big freakin deal!!! Salt Lake City is finally entering a MINDSET of density for its downtown. We will now start to see taller additions, and they're not 30-50 years off. I am convinced that with our new urban-planning Mayor, major light and heavy commuter rail continuing it's buildup in downtown, changing demographics and lifestyle patterns, and a host of other reasons, "we will increasingly begin to see a broad range of people choose to live downtown." More and more, and within shorter intervals, "we will see the announcements of taller towers."

[RC14]

Hopefuly the new towers will be built before companys give up on SLC and move to the suburbs.

[SLCforme]

yeah Delts, I was going to make the point of Calgary's skyline looking as impressive as the above illustration that was derided, and with a smaller population. SLC's metro doesn't need more people for more office towers, it needs more companies wanting to be downtown instead of in the burbs. More people will help with highrise residential, but more business focus downtown will bring more office buildings. Though I agree with NYC Rick that there is a VERY small probability that SLC could fill that much office space in 20 years.

[RC14]

I think what we need is a Mayor and City Councle who knows how to entice businesses to move downtown. I don't know much about Mayor Becker, he seems to want to make Salt Lake a major U.S. city. Hopefuly he knows what he's doing and can make downtown a more attractive area to do business.

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by delts145

There are many reasons that we should never say never about our growing skyline ctobsl. Even to say, "Well, it's not going to happen for another thirty or fifty years, or in our lifetime." There are just 14 new towers you have placed in the the first photo. Big freakin deal!!! Salt Lake City is finally entering a MINDSET of density for its downtown. We will now start to see taller additions, and they're not 30-50 years off. I am convinced that with our new urban-planning Mayor, major light and heavy commuter rail continuing it's buildup in downtown, changing demographics and lifestyle patterns, and a host of other reasons, "we will increasingly begin to see a broad range of people choose to live downtown." More and more, and within shorter intervals, "we will see the announcements of taller towers."

While I definitely love this type of enthusiasm, 14 towers IS a pretty big deal, especially if we're looking at a 20 year window.

In the past 20 years, Salt Lake's only seen the construction of 4 skyline changing towers: One Utah Center (1991), American Stores Tower (1998), Gateway Tower West (1998) and the Grand America Hotel (2001).

You go back 20 years prior to that, to 1968, and you definitely see a larger growth spurt, but it still isn't nearly that dramatic. From 1968-1988, the following skyline defining towers were constructed:

1. LDS Office Building (1972)
2. Beneficial Life Tower (1976)
3. American Towers North (1982)
4. American Towers South (1982)
5. Eagle Gate Plaza (1986)

So in 40 years, downtown Salt Lake has seen 9 towers rise that had an impact on the skyline. I'm not talking smaller towers like Broadway Centre, Wyndham Hotel or the JC Penney Building, which obviously would make that number bigger.

Now if you look at it, Salt Lake's market actually seems to be cyclic. From the 1940s until the early 1960s, there was not much growth in downtown Salt Lake. Then in the late 60s, you saw the construction of the University Club Building and the Zions Bank Tower. In the 70s, only two towers were constructed and only 3 were constructed in the 1980s, the same number as we saw in the 1990s. That seems to be the trend, 2-3 towers a decade for Salt Lake. And, if you look at the proposals today, we will see only 3 towers either get built this decade or get underway this decade (Grand America in 2001, HP Tower and CC Residential tower this year).

Now obviously Wasatch could begin construction of its tower in the next two years, but I'm going to guess that isn't likely. So, if all goes to plan, for the 5th consecutive decade, we will have, on average, 3 towers developed downtown (60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and now the 00s).

Nothing suggests to me this trend will dramatically shift. So if we base future development on past trends, we should see 3 towers developed next decade and about 3 more developed in the decade after that. Obviously 2 or 3 more towers could be added to that, but even then we're still looking at about only 9 new towers in the next 20 years and probably none at the height shown in the rendering. And that's if the cycle goes from 3 to 4 towers or more a decade.

If I had to predict, I'd say downtown Salt Lake in 20 years has a new tallest at about 550 feet. Along with 3 or 4 400+ foot new towers and maybe 1 more tower breaking 500 feet. That's about 8 new towers from now to 2028 and that includes the two that are under construction right now.

Just my estimate. Take it for what it's worth.

[NYC Rick]

"So, what part of New York do you live in?
I lived in Manhattan for 2 years, then the Bronx for 8 and the other 37 years here in Salt Lake, West Jordan and Ogden areas.
So as you can see I am not 20 years old and I have lived long enough to see that 20 years can provide a transformation of a city and make a difference in the ski line. 20 years ago Salt Lake did not look the way it does now neither did Denver and a few other cities."

I have a writing studio between Central Park West (CPW) and Columbus on 86th Street. That is where I work and stay sometimes.

I have a home in Tappan, New York. About 12 miles north on the Hudson River.

I used to live full time on 314 East 84th Street.

I grew up in SLC but moved out here at the first possible moment. 25 years ago, SLC was an oppressive city to live in and was almost totally a dead end in music...especially if you wanted to make a living at it. I really like how it is growing in tolerance and as an important city.

I could see myself living there again but man...I love NYC and the entire area.



Anyway, have a nice day.
Anthony[/QUOTE]

[DENrising]

Originally Posted by ctobsl

It would look like the photo you posted and it would look like the photo I posted! Yeah, it would! Thanks...

I am new to the forums here, but also share these same dreams.

However, not to be a pessimist(sp?) but has anyone considered the current state of the US economy spilling over into SLC soon? I know, I know the economy, housing, etc., has been booming lately, which, ultimately has led to some new projects (222 S Main) as an example. I look forward to it continuing, building new high/mid rise condos, office towers, retail and transportation improvements.

But you know, Utah is almost the last place in the country to react to economic conditions elsewhere, I just wonder, if the eco does bust here, how many projects will be canceled? I hate to see it, I really do, just thinking about the possibilities.

[ctobsl]

delete

[DENrising]

Originally Posted by ctobsl

Just another version of what Salt Lake City would look like with taller skyscrapers.

Original Photo without all the skyscrapers taken by Comrade Reynolds

If we could put one of these high rises in each vacant lot or surface parking lot downtown that would be great!

[RFPCME]

Comrade Reynolds, NYC Rick, and Delts: Love the discussion.

Comrade, I've learned to count on you to ground the discussion with facts, which brings to mind one of my favorite quotes: "In God we trust; everyone else bring data."

NYC Rick, you're obviously a man of the world, with experience that extends beyond the Wasatch Front, which is a view we need.

Delts, per usual, your are optimistic and the glass is at least half-full.

What intrigues me is that I think all of you are right!

First, I think Comrade's point that development in SLC is cyclical is historically bang on. I think, for a variety of reasons, SLC's development has been, by and large, internal, with little influx of out-of-the-area capital. I believe, like Delts, that is about to change.

Second, I think NYC Rick's point that major development requires major capital is also bang on, far beyond the existing resources in the region. For example, we all would like to see the Holding family do something with their property in downtown, but the Holdings are small change among world energy barons. Even with the Holdings' large resources, the amount of money necessary to develop the block between 4th and 5th S., Main and West Temple on the scale we are all dreaming about probably exceeds what the family is capable of.

Third, I thought the comparison of the Calgary skyline with the SLC skyline was amazingly ironic. Where did the Calgary skyline come from, most of it in the last 25 years? One place...the development of unconventional energy resources...in this case, tar sands...although different, remarkably similar to the energy laying underneath the Green River Basin with reserves far exceeding what is in Canada.

The point is that Comrade is right: Without a major influx of outside capital, high-rise development in SLC will probably continue as it has done in the past. NYC Rick is also right: the amount of capital to achieve our dreams only exists in a few places in the world, most of it in energy related zones. And Delts is right, the SLC development paradigm is about to be broken, but not because of an enlightened governor or the remarkable talents and energies of the local populace (which are just icing on the cake) but because we are sitting on energy resources that have the potential to alter the world economic structure, thus bursting the development cycle in SLC.

I just spent a couple of hours trying to detail the issues facing oil shale development in the Mtn. West over on the Western Energy thread. The more I wrote about the issues, complex and vexing, the more I realized that they will be solved because so much is at stake.