Construction begins on East Liberty Park mixed-use project
A vacant lot in the East Liberty Park neighborhood will soon become a mixed-use development. Construction began earlier this month on the Kingfisher development near the intersection of 1100 East and 1300 South directly north of Liberty Fresh, a local specialty foods store.
The Salt Lake Planning Commission approved variances for the Kingfisher building in November 2014.
The project will be two-stories and consist of nearly 9,000 square feet. According to the developer, the main tenant will most likely be a two-story restaurant fronting 1100 East. The building’s west side will be reserved for retail or office space. The developers plan to include 22, off-street surface parking spaces directly north of the building.
In planning documents, Rob White, principal at SugarHouse Architects, stated that the restaurant portion will have outdoor dining fronting 1100 East with large, glass garage-door style windows that will allow the restaurant to open to the sidewalk when weather permits. The restaurant portion will also include rooftop patio space, providing an alternative outdoor dining experience for patrons. The building will have a brick exterior with large bay windows and an urban style exterior staircase connecting to the second floor.
The project replaces what a lot that was overrun with weeds and makeshift surface parking. The development also adds more dining options to an increasingly prominent commercial node in the East Liberty Park neighborhood. Earlier in the year, the owners of Finca and Pago opened Hub & Spoke diner in the building that Finca restaurant originally occupied before moving downtown. While kitty-corner to Hub & Spoke is the Kyoto Japanese Restaurant.
The developers also plan to connect the McClelland Trail to 1100 East. The project is adjacent to a city owned property to the north.
The original parcel had a triangular design with the largest section fronting the trail instead of 1100 East. To accommodate the project and ensure access to McClelland Trail, the city swapped a section of the city owned property for the section owned by the developer that separated the city owned land from the trail. The developer has agreed to take over landscaping responsibilities to connect the trail to the street.
The project should increase the walkability of the neighborhood by offering amenities unique to the immediate vicinity, including outdoor dining area that will engage at the street level with minimal setback and the connection to the McClelland trail. The Kingfisher building will have minimal setbacks from both the sidewalk and the adjacent Liberty Fresh market.
