Originally Posted by Scraperdude801
I also agree, especially because the the Salt Palace was built over Salt Lake's little China Town (now there is finally some ghetto version being built in South Salt Lake, but it just isn't the same). Even though I think Earl Holding was wrong for the way in which he tried to persuade the city to build a new convention center on his land (the parking lot block just south of the new courthouse,) I secretly hoped the city would take the bait so the Salt Palace could be relocated, torn down, and the DT could grow organically between the Gateway and CCC, expanding our skyline westward, and upward, instead of destroying our limited stock of irreplaceable vibrant historical buildings every time someone decided they wanted to build a new skyscraper. Additionally, the Holding block, the parcels to the W of the Matheson courthouse (4oo S - 500 S on Main) and the 400 S block from W Temple to 200 W would have been a more ideal setting because:
1. The 400 - 500 S corridor are already home to very large, entire block, civic structures such as: City County Building, Library, Grand America Hotel, Little America Hotel, Frank E. Moss Courthouse & Expansion, the new Public Safety building, south side of Pioneer Park, Rice Eccles stadium (albeit up the road) and thus: the scale of a convention center would have been more natural in this neighborhood.
2. The 400 - 500 S corridor (especially 500 S) has developed as thoroughfares, and future Grand Boulevards, that never really experience lots of pedestrians on a daily basis.
3. The buildings listen in point #1 receive their influx of people for large events such as: fairs, protests, and celebrations -- a convention center would fit right into the theme of the neighborhood.
4. It's better for the Gateway, CCC, Pioneer Park, Broadway arts district, and all the independent retailers mixed between for their to be ample room for a large DT neighborhood to grow in their midst.
It seems like this will never be the case though. I wish that instead of expanding the Salt Palace westward, they would build vertically, and eventually place a green roof/ urban park/ statue garden / zen garden atop the building with food carts and benches so it would be a more aesthetically appropriate view for those wishing to live in our current, and future condo/apartment towers DT. People could walk, or ride an escalator up the eastern portion of the building, walk through the park setting, and then walk down the other side of the building and be in the Gateway/Arena neighborhood. Imagine the views as well! Salt Lake already has the Library, and Conference Center which allow people to walk up to the roof -- this could be a defining theme for Salt Lake architecture. As it stands, the Salt Palace is underutilized, and its design is hurting DT growth as much as the conventions it brings in helps the city, what with being such a large structure, segregating the city, and only being of use a couple times a year -- an accessible park roof could make it useful by connecting the city, and drawing people to it even when there are no conventions in town.
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