South Downtown, deadened by vacant buildings and car lots for decades, seems to be at a turning point.
Four major construction projects are underway in just a two-block area, with several smaller projects in the works. And that doesn’t count the Sears Block proposal, currently in design review at the city.
Below we take a look at the following projects, four of them currently under construction:
•The Charli, 90 for-sale units at 55 W 800 S by CW Urban.
•650 S Main, a 10-story, 320,000-square-foot office project by the Patrinely Group.
•6th and Main, 170-unit luxury rental project by Lowe Property Group.
•Fife Brewing, constructing a new brewpub and eatery building at 61 E 700 S, by the Lotus Company.
Trax making a turn onto Main Street at 700 South. PEG Development’s Seven02 Main, center. Photo by Luke GarrottPEG’s Seven02 Main seen from the west, Sears Block center-right, 650 S. Main far left, 6th and Main above it, left-center. Photo by Luke Garrott.Seven02 S Main from the east. Parking garage, left. Photo by Luke Garrott.The Charli, at 55 W 800 S, is adding 90 for-sale units, 26 in the old Taffy Town factory in front, and 64 in the new building in back. Photo by Luke Garrott.The Charli, center. Photo by Luke Garrott.CW Urban’s partners on the Charli project. Photo by Luke Garrott.South Downtown’s challenges to walkable urban design are manifest, here at 800 S and W. Temple. The Charli, center. Photo by Luke Garrott.At 600 South and Main Street, two long-anticipated projects having just recently broken ground. The 7-story residential mixed-use 6th and Main will rise on the SE corner, and the 10-story office building 650 S Main on the SW. Photo by Luke Garrott.6th and Main construction site from the SW. Grand America Hotel, left. Photo by Luke Garrott.Rendering of 6th and Main, by Lowe Property Group and MVE + Partners, from the NW. The $40M project will have 170 luxury residential units from 576 to 1,351 square feet with a mix of 79% one-bedroom and 21% two-bedroom flatsand just over 10,000 Sf of retail on the ground floor. Image courtesy MVE + Partners.Across the street to the west, 650 S Main has landed an anchor tenant and is in full leasing mode, 320,000 sf of office space to fill. Photo by Luke Garrott.This used to be a parking lot. 650 S Main site. Photo by Luke Garrott.650 S Main site, center. 6th and Main, right center. Photo by Luke Garrott.650 S Main and 6th and Main, bottom, Downtown, center. Photo by Luke Garrott.61 E 700 S, site of a new food + beverage project by the Lotus Company, Fife Brewery. Originally, MJSA Architects proposed to use the existing building, but were dissuaded by utility upgrades required by the city. Their 5,000 sf new building will be two levels with a rooftop bar. The brewmaster is Patrick Bourque, former head brewer for Uinta. Photo by Luke Garrott.The Ace Auto building to the west, at 47 E 700 S, has a permit for “Cleaning up the yard and inside the warehouse. Leaving the building as a shell for future tenant.” Photo by Luke Garrott.
Luke Garrott, PhD, has published in The Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News, and written features for the Salt Lake City Weekly City Guide and The West View. A former two-term councilman in Salt Lake City's District 4, he lives in Downtown Salt Lake City and grew up in the Chicago area.
