SALT LAKE CITY – Preliminary plans have been submitted by City Creek Reserve, a real estate arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to add a new skyscraper, but some have concerns that the change could bring growing pains.
Right now you will find a small grassy area on the corner of 100 South and State Street in downtown Salt Lake City, but pretty soon you could be cranking your neck to look up at the city’s third tallest skyscraper.
“The building is beautiful, it’s spectacular, the curved lines of the building,” said Dee Brewer the Executive Director of the Downtown Alliance, in reference to a newly proposed skyscraper.
A few artist renderings submitted by contractors City Creek Reserve to the Salt Lake Planning Division show a first look at what could be the new 95 South State Street.
“The economy in Salt Lake City is strong and with this new office space, it just is another ripple of that,” said Brewer.
A 28-story skyscraper could transform the otherwise empty area into 440,000 square feet of high-quality office space.
“When you look at the trajectory of economic growth in Utah, we need more Class-A office space,” Brewer said.
But transforming the space could be a lengthy process, the city said seeing this building come to fruition could take at least five years.
Among the challenges IS a zoning restriction which currently caps the height for buildings at 375 feet, the proposed building would sit at 395 feet.
“What we know is this is the urban center for a very large geographic area across the west. Density is happening and with density comes some challenges, but also comes some very positive things in the urban core,” said Brewer.
As to be expected, alongside a big change, comes concerns.
“It’s going to change transportation and it’s going to change parking downtown,” Brewer said. “We’re going to have some growing pains, but where it’s taking us is a very positive place."
The Downtown Alliance said that “positive place” includes bolstering business in the surrounding area.
“Those folks who are working there [in the new building] need dry cleaning and lunch and all kinds of services,” said Brewer.
They believe the economic growth goes hand in hand with something they say, we can never have too much of.
“We are adding more great jobs downtown. Class A office space [is] Class A jobs,” Brewer said. “We need that in Salt Lake City and we need that in Utah.”
Blueprints have been submitted to the city’s planning division. A public hearing could be held as early as January, but as of now a meeting is not in place.
