SALT LAKE CITY — The city council is considering allowing buildings on the Salt Palace property to be “unlimited height” in order to accommodate a convention center hotel.
Currently, buildings in that part of downtown Salt Lake City are restricted to 75-feet or less. In other parts of downtown, city ordinance limits buildings to 375-feet (or about 34 stories). Council briefing packets said there remains a concern to limit building height so as not to spoil the view of the mountains, which dominates Salt Lake City’s skyline.
Salt Lake County has been trying to lure a hotelier to build a massive convention center hotel. The county has been taking bids for the project ever since it rejected a single bid by Omni Hotels last year. The height restriction change would apply to the Salt Palace property itself.
The council took up the idea at its Tuesday meeting, with a final vote scheduled for June 7. Public comment was mixed, with nearby residents complaining it would interfere with their views. Salt Lake City would still have oversight over just how far up any potential convention center hotel would be.
