Construction should soon commence on Alta Gateway apartments
It has been almost a year since the Salt Lake planning commission approved plans for the Alta Gateway apartments. But construction crews should being to emerge in the area just west of the Gateway as the developers, Wood Partners, have applied for building permits to begin construction of first phase of the project.
Alta Gateway will include 264 residential units in a four-story building that wraps around a parking structure with 459 stalls and an amenity courtyard on a 3.2 acre parcel. The first phase of the development will be at the southwest corner of the intersection at 500 West and 100 South.
The parking structure will be accessed from 500 West, with a smaller lot accessible from 100 South. As is standard for new development in the area, Alta Gateway will be built right up to the sidewalk.
The first phase of the project replaces what is currently a vacant lot and two warehouses. The developers plan to eventually redevelop more of the block in future phases.
A mid-block pedestrian walkway will be added on the west side of the first phase to help break up the block when future phases are built. The pedestrian walkway will also link the development to the Old Greek Town TRAX station on 200 South.
The development is designed to have a strong presence at the 100 South and 500 West intersection. With the parking structure enclosed by the residential portion, the building will engage well at the street level and complement the walkable nature of the adjacent Gateway Shopping Center. The developers will also bury the obtrusive power lines along 100 South.
The design of the first phase will have a modern look with a combination of metal, brick, glass and cement board siding on the exterior. The modern industrial look should provide needed architectural diversity for an area that is dominated by the Gateway’s abundance of yellowish stucco.
According to developers, “Additional amenities include three residential courtyards that will include pools, landscaping and an area for residents to walk their dogs. A full interior club and work-out facility will be built adjacent to the main entry and leasing office while a roof-top deck area will also be placed above this area of the building.”
The area west of the Gateway has long been blighted and unwelcoming. Made up of a mix of entertainment venues, shelters and warehouses, the addition of more residential-units west of 500 West will create a 24/7 energy that could help the struggling Gateway find itself again.
