The new City Creek project is an attempt to salvage 3 blocks of the downtown Salt Lake area from the woes I've already outlined. The details of this project are excellent. The most exciting part?! Well it includes a freakin grocery store...what an idea! Duh people who live downtown need to eat too...oh wait they just eat fast food. It is also a mixed use development so they are combining lots of activities to really energize the area. They are introducing lots of open/green space and water features in the design which is usually forgotten about. The water is an interesting element. The City Creek used to run through those blocks so that's where the name comes from and historically that are trying to bring back the splendor. This will make the emotional quality of this area so much higher. The historic integrity of this project is impressive. They have removed the ZCMI facade and will reassemble it when the project is complete.
And of course what downtown needs more parking. Not really but at least it will be underground....more expensive but really saves us from looking at a bunch of cars and will open a lot of open space on the ground level. But maybe you wont even care to drive your car because it will be easily accessible by public transportation (that means trax, frontrunner, and buses for those of you that are unfamiliar with modes of transportation that help keep our air clean). The area will boast one of the most impressive retail developments in the country. Over 100 stores are anticipated. The residential area will house 700 units and many of those residents will have no need to drive or own a car because they will have their own little village.
This projects has been in the works for many years. Architects and planners have really done a great job in designing something that will revitalize the area. We have had the opportunity at school to tour the project several times and the amount of work is staggering. Thank you to the LDS church for taking care of this community even though its not really their responsibility. Hopefully this new concept plan will spur some great changes which I think it already has. All government buildings in Utah are now required to be silver certified. There is hope after all I cant wait to work on some projects like this!
1 comment:
That was a wonderful post... about a year ago I was at a breakfast meeting with a keynote from the President of PRI (LDS Church's real estate arm) and he spoke in depth about this fantastic project, you are right... they are salvaging an area that was bastardized from years of commercial/retail gluttony. I work on the block next to the project... I can't wait until there is a grocery store that I can grab dinner from on the way home.
How do you feel about sky bridges?
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