Temperatures are not the only thing rising in downtown this summer. With a slew of new projects on the horizon, downtown Salt Lake’s skyline continues to rise with these high profile buildings.
Convention Center Hotel
One of downtown’s most highly anticipated projects, the Convention Center Hotel (200 S. West Temple), is slated to break ground later this year and will add to the city skyline when it opens in 2022. “The 27-story hotel will feature over 700 rooms, approximately 62,000 square feet of meeting space, a restaurant, lobby bar and lounge, fitness and pool deck with event terrace,” according to Salt Lake County Deputy Mayor Erin Litvack. A hotel operator will be announced later this year.
With a direct connection from the hotel lobby to the Salt Palace Convention Center pre-function and exhibit hall spaces, the combination of the hotel and the Salt Palace public spaces will create an opportunity for synergistic relationships. This new activated shared space at the ground level is intended to be an extension of the urban environment and a place to meet and interact. “A hotel at the convention center has been something the area has needed for a long time,” said Litvack. “We believe and know from our convention and meeting planners that we’ve been marketing to for years that this has been one of the missing pieces of the puzzle for them to choose our destination for their convention.”
The hotel will be a boon to local businesses, bars, restaurants and contribute to the overall vibrancy of our city. With the addition of this hotel and other planned full-service hotels in the vicinity, downtown is poised to attract more high-spend meetings and convention visitors. “This project strengthens the Salt Lake product offering for meetings, conventions and tourism,” says Downtown Alliance Executive Director Dee Brewer. “The hotel investment will continue to ripple through the city encouraging additional investment in hospitality and other businesses that are an amenity to all and that will enhance the local property and sales tax base.”
Salt Lake County officials are working with Atlanta based Portman Holdings (portmanholdings.com) to design and develop the hotel in partnership with St. George based development firm DDRM (ddrmcompanies.com). The proposed site is located at the southeast plaza corner of the Salt Palace Convention Center.
95 State at City Creek
Downtown’s next office tower, 95 State at City Creek (95 S State St) is gearing up to be the third-tallest building in Utah. Towering at 393 feet, 95 State will occupy the northeast corner of the intersection of 100 S. and State Street, directly west of Harmons grocery store.
City Creek Reserve Inc., the downtown Salt Lake City real estate arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is responsible for several of Salt Lake’s largest real estate projects, including this new 25-story, high-rise tower. 95 State has been part of the plans for the three city blocks that make up the City Creek redevelopment project since it was still in the design phase. “It has been anticipated since day one of the master plan,” says Matt Baldwin, Director of Real Estate Development for City Creek Reserve, Inc. “It was just about finding the right building at the right time.”
The sweeping, curved and glassy design for 95 State has its roots in another City Creek Reserve building: 111 Main, which was designed by the same architectural firm, Skidmore Owings & Merrill (www.som.com). “Looking to differentiate from the mostly rectangular downtown skyline, 95 State has an organic shape, with rounded corners and slightly curved curtain walls,” adds Baldwin. “We are able to do this without compromising the efficiency of space for tenants.”
The project will use existing parking built previously in anticipation of the tower but will add an additional two levels of subgrade parking under the building. An airy, open lobby at ground level will greet guests with a 92-foot-long media wall, displaying Utah scenery and artwork. The fifth level houses an outdoor deck on the north side of the building where building occupants can eat lunch, hold meetings and enjoy some downtime. Large conference rooms supported by a catering kitchen and audio and video technology will provide tenants with a convenient space to meet when their own conference rooms are not large enough to handle meetings. A full fitness center rounds out the level-five floorplan.
“More and more office buildings, domestic and international, are being built with amenities similar to luxury multi-family housing,” says Baldwin. “The market is demanding that we take it to the next level at 95 State.”
In addition to the tower construction, a 39,000-square-foot meeting house will be built on the north side of the building and will be independently operated and accessed. A new pavilion will replace the current Social Hall Avenue entry to the existing east-west tunnel under State St that connects to City Creek. The tunnel will be redone as well, with an innovative design that will include a restaurant along with specialty retail stores. “3,500 people will be utilizing the tower, so we need resources to support them,” Baldwin explains. With businesses anticipating the new building, we have commitments to deliver the project by the fall of 2021.”
Liberty Sky
Liberty Sky (151 S. State St) a high-rise luxury rental lifestyle, is making its debut in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. Located steps from shopping at City Creek Center and an easy walk to Harmons grocery store, the Eccles Theater and all of the best of downtown, Liberty Sky provides the views and the lifestyle of an amenity-rich high-rise with the convenience and flexibility of a luxury rental.
“This is an irreplaceable location to build Salt Lake’s first high-rise rental product,” said Dan Lofgren, president and CEO of Cowboy Partners (cowboyproperties.com) which has partnered with The Boyer Company (boyercompany.com) to develop this first-in-class community. With its soaring roof-line and bold and modern glass-and-concrete architecture, Liberty Sky will be 21 stories with 272 residential units, ranging from studios to large and open two-bedroom apartments. Each apartment offers a full menu of smart home features, open floor plans, modern kitchens, luxury baths and breathtaking 10-foot-tall floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Amenities offered at Liberty Sky are as expansive as the views. The ground floor will include an impressive lobby, conference room, Wi-Fi café and guest hosting areas. Roof-top amenities include a swimming pool, hot tub, high-end fitness center, barbecue stations, viewing decks, entertainment room and E-gaming studio. Pet-friendly and bicycle-friendly amenities are part of the offerings, as well as on-site dry cleaning drop off and pick up and controlled building access. In every sense, Liberty Sky is establishing a whole new level of living in downtown Salt Lake City.
Upward Momentum:
Check out these developments that are on track to join downtown Salt Lake City’s skyline.
Union Station Hotel
400 W. South Temple
4-star Lifestyle Boutique Hotel
8 stories
Developer: The Athens Group (athensdevco.com)
Block 67
100 S. 300 West
Mixed-Use Residential/Hotel
Two 11-story buildings
Developer: The Ritchie Group (theritchiegroup.com)
255 S. State
Address: 255 S. State Street
Mixed-Use Residential
14 stories
Developer: Brinshore Development (brinshore.com)
