The developer looking to bring a Major League Baseball stadium to Salt Lake City’s west side is also hoping the city will allow buildings that are among the tallest in the city, according to a new request filed late last week.
The Larry H. Miller Companies formally started the process of rezoning nearly 100 acres of land west of Interstate 15 in an effort to effectively clear the way for a master planned development on land owned by a range of public and private entities.
As part of the request, the developer has asked Salt Lake City to create a new zone that would remake the city’s approach to density by allowing far taller buildings west of I-15. It sets up a test of the city’s willingness to cater to the requests of billionaires who are seeking to bring major league sports teams into Utah’s capital city.
“The Property’s redevelopment is envisioned to include a Major League Baseball stadium, an innovative mix of commercial, residential and office uses, trails, green spaces, public spaces and entertainment venues,” the company wrote in its application to the city late last week.
LHM said it would agree to a development agreement with the city to ensure the inclusion of public benefits.
To accomplish what it hopes to build, LHM is proposing a new zone within the city called the Jordan River Fairpark District. It would consolidate a group of existing zones for mixed-use, manufacturing and multifamily into one new JRF zone.
The company hasn’t yet created or released a site plan for the proposed district, though it has previously shown conceptual renderings showing a mixed-use district surrounding a newly constructed MLB stadium near 1201 W. North Temple.
Those renderings are almost certainly out of date now, as they show buildings that appear to conform more closely with the existing transit station area (TSA) zoning, rather than what is envisioned by the new JRF proposal.
“The JRF District is intended to provide an area in the city that will generate economic development and increase employment opportunities in the city, region and state of Utah.”
The rezone includes land owned by Salt Lake City that runs alongside the Jordan River, at 1217 W. North Temple.
It doesn’t include land owned by the state of Utah, which isn’t required to follow city zoning ordinances and could potentially move to dispose of its land holdings in the area in the future.
According to a description of the new proposed zone, there would be no minimum lot sizes or widths and no setback and open space requirements within the JRF zone.
The maximum building height could stretch to 400 feet. Any building above 200 feet would be required to step back from the street. That change would allow for buildings that are much taller than those that have been lining up near the North Temple Corridor. Existing zoning limits buildings to around five to eight stories.
LHM wouldn’t be required to follow any of the master plans or general plans for the city and neighborhood.
The proposed zone would include a long list of permitted uses, including stadiums.
One tree would be required for every 30 feet of public right of way. Mechanical equipment would be screened from public view. LHM would undertake efforts to minimize the number of curb cuts, which create conflict points between people driving cars and people outside them.
Blank walls couldn’t exceed 25 feet along North Temple or Redwood Road.
More context
The Larry H. Miller Companies catapulted into the spotlight on the city’s west side in April 2023, when it abruptly announced it was launching a bid to bring an MLB expansion or relocation team to Salt Lake City.
That announcement came on the heels of the company’s announcement that it would relocate its existing minor league baseball team out of Salt Lake City’s Ballpark neighborhood to a new stadium in Daybreak, a master planned community LHM also owns.
Soon after launching its bid, LHM began quietly scooping up properties next to the site where it hoped to build the major league stadium.
All of the action was made possible because Rocky Mountain Power, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, was underway with master planning its nearly 100 acres of land on the city’s west side.
After making moves to partner with developers on that work, Rocky Mountain Power shifted its focus and partnered with LHM.
The new effort got a major boost from the Utah Legislature, which set aside $900 million in taxpayer money to help the Millers build the stadium.
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