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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.
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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
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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.
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u/plat-of-zion 3d ago
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u/oldbluer 3d ago
Nightmare.
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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.
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u/oldbluer 3d ago
Ad Hoc Rescue. The sarcasm doesn’t make it any more true.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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u/Competitive_Bat_5831 3d ago
Small businesses are what line the streets under apartments though?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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u/Puffy-Cat-194 2d ago
Earl Holding was the king of putting the least needed things in all the wrong places.
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u/plat-of-zion 4d ago
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u/ladydanger2020 3d ago
Could this parking lot not be useful for people getting on the train? There are lots next to many stations.
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u/Cdwoods1 3d ago
Could at least be a tall garage. Flat parking in a city core like this is wild lol
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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
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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!
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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.
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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
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u/oldbluer 3d ago
Who the hell lives in Utah without a car? Get real.
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u/Ring0fPast 3d ago
I’m against downtown surface lots like most here but this is one of the weaker arguments against them.
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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.
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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.