Demolition underway for new mixed-use development
Demolition is nearly complete of two former commercial structures at the southwest corner of the 500 East and 1300 South intersection. Jolley & Jube Investments, have demolished the two buildings to make way for construction of the proposed Wells Mixed-use Development.
The proposed mixed-use project will replace the two commercial buildings on 0.39 acres with two, two-story buildings with 12 residential units and 14 commercial units. In March, the Salt Lake City Planning Commission approved the developers request for reduced front and side yard setbacks to allow the project to build up to the sidewalk level on both 1300 South and 500 East.
Both buildings will be mixed-use and will be separated by two walkways, surface parking and landscaping. The north building will front both 1300 South and 500 East and will have two restaurant and four retail spaces on the ground floor. The second floor will have four one-bedroom apartments. Each apartment will have one and one-half baths and a balcony. The building will have a significant amount of glazing on both floors with floor to ceiling windows that will increase the building’s transparency at the street level.
With the approved setback reductions the developers hope to activate the street level and have applied for an outdoor dining permit for the restaurant spaces.
The south building will consist of eight residential, five commercial office and three retail units and will front the surface parking lot and 500 East. The first floor will include the four residential units, an office and the three retail units. The second floor will have four office units and four residential units. Each residential unit will be a one-bedroom apartment. The second-floor units will have a balcony.
Additionally, both the north and south buildings will have a landscaped rooftop deck that overlooks Liberty Park.
In their application to the planning division, the developers argued that the setbacks were necessary to accommodate the needed parking and that the reduced setbacks “allow the building to be closer to the corner streets which promotes more walking traffic and entices shoppers to enter the building/restaurant” and that building up to the intersection will help the project better engage with Liberty Park patrons.
There may be a brief lull in construction activity after demolition is fully complete. The developers are still waiting for the city to approve their new construction building permits.
The proposed Liberty Park development is one of the several recent developments for the 1300 South block of 500 East. In 2016, the Liberty Park Place development, a six-unit live/work condominium project, and the Amour Cafe opened directly across the street on 500 East.
*This is an updated version of an earlier post.
