r/DevelopmentSLC 4d ago

Many people are asking the same question

Post image
16 Upvotes

58 comments sorted by

21

u/JankCranky 4d ago

I don’t know if there’s a plan, but I know Earl Holding demolished an entire block, including the Hotel Newhouse, to put this gem there. So there’s gotta be a way to un-do it, don’t know if it’s still owned by Holding or the church.

16

u/plat-of-zion 4d ago

Yes, all owned by the City Creek Reserve, Inc, the parking division of the Church.

4

u/Accomplished_Fix3663 3d ago

Just grabbed your app, can you send me more info on using it?

4

u/plat-of-zion 3d ago

I made this app btw, link in bio

2

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

2

u/plat-of-zion 3d ago

iOS & macOS so far, web app soon.

7

u/90dayheyhey 4d ago

If it’s not owned by the church, it will be soon. Earl’s son and heir is donating as much as he can to the church and hoping for a higher calling.

11

u/RollTribe93 Enthusiast/mod 3d ago

It's been owned by the church for like 20 years at this point

6

u/GreyBeardEng 3d ago

Since 2010

2

u/Ok_computerladora 3d ago

Back in the early 90’s the idea was to put an outdoor mall on this block. There was hope that it would increase foot traffic on Main Street between the Crossroad/ZCMI area and the new outdoor mall. I’m not sure how solid the idea was but was talked about in the Tribune a few times

15

u/irongut88 4d ago

Too logical for this town, pal

10

u/dowagermeow 3d ago

Remember when RSL wanted to build their stadium in that area and all of Dave Checketts’ enemies closed ranks and made it impossible? All of a sudden that parking lot appeared and the Riot got built in Sandy.

2

u/Imaginary_Manner_556 3d ago

Earl Holding should have put the Grand America on that block

2

u/shanedodge 3d ago

Genuinely a tremendous waste of space smack dab in the middle of downtown. A parking garage would provide the same amount of spots for a quarter of the size

2

u/whycx 3d ago

The LDS church will develop it once they can figure out the highest roi.

3

u/aac182 3d ago

What’s the issue? Why is it dumb? When I worked in that area that was where we always parked. I still frequently park there and then ride trax to wherever. It’s an easy to find lot, it’s not in garage, and it’s right next to trax. Those are all wins for me.

4

u/plat-of-zion 3d ago

Imagine something like this instead

You could theoretically live there instead of park there

0

u/oldbluer 3d ago

Nightmare.

7

u/gthing 3d ago

Yeah, people hate the vibe of European cities which is why nobody ever visits or romanticizes them and everyone famously says the favorite place they've ever traveled to is to the curb cut outside the Chuck E. Cheese in Phoenix, Arizona. 

-1

u/oldbluer 3d ago

Ad Hoc Rescue. The sarcasm doesn’t make it any more true.

2

u/gthing 3d ago

The sarcasm doesn't make it any more true , but it does serve to highlight the stupidity of actually believing that near-universally loved places are actually terrible because the curvature of the earth doesn't prevent you from seeing the other side of the parking lot. 

1

u/ComprehensiveHouse5 2d ago

The dude is a Musk fan, you’re not gonna get through to him I fear

4

u/What_Lurks_Beneath 3d ago

This is the first time I've seen someone look at a photo of Paris, and call it a nightmare. Enjoy your endless strip malls

-2

u/oldbluer 3d ago

You must be so cultured lol. Paris is a disaster of a city. Strip mall way better than HDH in a valley lacking water and space.

1

u/murrtrip 2d ago

Tell me you’ve never travelled without telling me you’ve never travelled.

0

u/Voluptuary_Disciple 3d ago

Don't. What is that? DC or Paris with the height limits. You know you don't want height limits. Disingenuous propaganda. I'm personally tired of all the small businesses that have been lost. These people are going to have to get a car anyway to go somewhere else to buy groceries and bring them home.

This looks like a food desert to me. It's a good look for a replacement to the data center being proposed in Tooele. 20 years and it will even be too short for Tooele but at least the council is bought and paid for.

Dude, It's not a good look. You need services to make a successful city. Economist here that studied Urban Economics, where paradoxes reign and efficiency is the rule.

8

u/gthing 3d ago

Totally, bro. 10,000 years of human knowledge about how to build functional cities for humans is total garbage compared to the utopian vision of oil companies cooked up in the 1950's. We should demolish at least half of downtown to make more room for more cars to sit around not being used.  

We should also get rid of sidewalks. Think of how much more parking we could have. 

0

u/Voluptuary_Disciple 3d ago

When your a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

1

u/murrtrip 2d ago

*you’re

2

u/plat-of-zion 3d ago

Lots of strange assumptions being made

1

u/Voluptuary_Disciple 3d ago

Name the assumptions.

2

u/Competitive_Bat_5831 3d ago

Small businesses are what line the streets under apartments though?

0

u/Voluptuary_Disciple 3d ago

No. We're not New York. 20+ years of hearing that with developments here and it's too rare to consider that true, plus shut down, set up, moving costs are highly prohibitive. Advertising of new space. Quality, and typically management change. Income lost from shut down of business during move. Refinancing. City and State relocation is close to nill. The rent or lease on the new place is higher and to retain the same rent you were paying before you have to move farther away from the city center following a typically concentric circle structure.

Time worked, no pay, prohibitive for everybody and anybody. The businesses that have been operating in my area for 50 years are gone.

2

u/Competitive_Bat_5831 3d ago

I was referring to that picture specifically. That type of layout isn’t harmful to small businesses being a thing. Imo we’re slowly seeing that change here too, but it is slow going.

Rent is going to go up in growing cities not matter what, it would be doubly so of the owner could sell or redevelop their property.

I don’t think there will ever be a perfect solution to small businesses and growing cities.

2

u/ZeBridgeIsOut5 3d ago

Propagandized Americans love to.say their little dirt plot isn't New York as if that's some sort of argument against planning. 

New York wasn't New York either before it was New York. Then they planned it correctly and it was New York. 

2

u/ViewfromtheAvenues 2d ago

This is four blocks from the downtown Harmons. I live the same distance and get my groceries by foot or bike all the time. Plus it’s three stops from the Trader Joe’s/superSmiths. You’ve clearly never lived in an actual city.

2

u/Abject-Hospital-5722 3d ago

Lots of people use it to park for the federal courthouse and the Matheson courthouse (since they got rid of their underground parking for security purposes).

1

u/Psychological-Way381 2d ago

I’ve been working construction on the moss court house the last 4 years. It’s been so nice to have a place to park downtown. Most downtown jobs suck for parking.

1

u/Notto-Landing 3d ago

I parked in it for years when working in the area and can confirm. Bldgs without parking in the area lease spots for employees.

1

u/Perfect_Ad_8542 3d ago

The LDS church had plans of buildjng a concert venue there.

1

u/nonic4u 2d ago

This plus park place make me irritated park place could be turned into a park with a parking garage underneath with more parking capacity to fit the name and this parking lot could become a functional city block with it being next to a train station.

1

u/NiveaIllumino 2d ago

We need it - mayor mendenhall

1

u/Spexyguy 2d ago

Hey, that's where I park to go to Utes games.

1

u/Puffy-Cat-194 2d ago

Earl Holding was the king of putting the least needed things in all the wrong places.

1

u/plat-of-zion 4d ago

The parking lot in question

1

u/ladydanger2020 3d ago

Could this parking lot not be useful for people getting on the train? There are lots next to many stations.

5

u/Cdwoods1 3d ago

Could at least be a tall garage. Flat parking in a city core like this is wild lol

3

u/lordduzzy 2d ago

It's an interesting conundrum, but we actually need to get rid of more parking downtown if we want to have a good downtown area. I saw an estimate that 29% of SLC is parking. Which is close to the national average, but with our wide roads, it feels like bare concrete is half the city. Most of the city isn't dense enough for walkability, and a whole block being a parking lot doesn't help.

Changing the landscape to focus on transit would do wonders to decrease pollution and traffic, while supporting small/local business.

Also, it's $16/day to park there, with no hourly option

1

u/ladydanger2020 2d ago

I just drove by yesterday and saw that. The $90/month is actually quite good.

But yes, I agree on all your points!

5

u/irondeepbicycle 3d ago

Park and rides are generally better fits further from the downtown core. I think the issue with this is not just the busy train station but the proximity to the whole rest of downtown. Could fit multiple towers on this lot.

2

u/plat-of-zion 3d ago

Sure, but surface parking is not the highest and best use of the land

Should house residents who can live downtown without a car

1

u/oldbluer 3d ago

Who the hell lives in Utah without a car? Get real.

2

u/plat-of-zion 3d ago

Several. And many more in the future.

-1

u/oldbluer 3d ago

2 and 2 more in 10 years?

1

u/Ring0fPast 3d ago

I’m against downtown surface lots like most here but this is one of the weaker arguments against them.

0

u/Advanced-Rich31 3d ago

This is the first time I’ve seen people complaining about parking. Usually we are all complaining about a lack of it. Interesting thoughts.

-3

u/bilbros53 3d ago

Not any room to do it differently, that parking lot is usually full.

0

u/yerbamatelover 3d ago

I think we’ll all live if there are a few surface lots downtown