Planning Commission approves design review and plan development for Silo Park Building 2 with conditions

The Salt Lake City Planning Commission on March 12 approved the design review and plan development applications for Building 2 of the Silo Park block (about 553 South and 500 West), a mixed-use building whose lower floors are largely a parking structure supporting the larger block redevelopment.

Planner Katie Lynn introduced the item, saying, "This is for a design review and plan development of Silos Building 2. The request is a design review." She and applicant representatives described the project as the central parking "workhorse" for an entire block redevelopment that also reuses the historic Miller and Casket buildings and creates Silo Park.

Why it matters: commissioners and the applicant framed the proposal as a trade-off between a large, multi-level parking structure and preservation and activation of adjacent historic buildings. The applicant said concentrating parking in Building 2 preserves storefront space in the Miller Building, allows outdoor dining along 500 West, and keeps the silos and other historic fabric on the block while providing the hundreds of parking stalls needed by code for the whole block.

Key facts and design changes: planner and applicant officials said Building 2 requests relief from active ground-floor use requirements, ground- and upper-floor glass requirements and stepback/overhead cover standards along 500 West because much of the ground floor is parking. Katie Lynn said Building 2 "is a mixed use building. The Ground Floor is 100% active" for the overall block program, noting active uses will be provided in the Miller Building and elsewhere on the block. The applicant said Building 2 alone requires about 284 parking stalls and that the proposed parking structure will provide about 421 stalls to meet the block’s needs.

Commission debate and conditions: commissioners repeatedly asked for clarity about how Miller and Casket buildings would be preserved and activated, and how mid‑block walkways would operate. Commissioner Sherrard warned the Building 2 lobby and elevator capacity must accommodate concentrated pedestrian flows from the garage and suggested additional circulation and lobby space; applicant representatives said additional pedestrian exits and stairways from the garage were part of the design. Several commissioners pushed to make the preservation and active-use commitments for the Miller and Casket buildings explicit conditions of approval.

Motion and outcome: Commissioner Berry moved to approve the design review and plan development as recommended by staff with several modifications. The motion (seconded by Commissioner Mike Christiansen) added conditions that the applicant record a development agreement establishing the mid-block walkway connection and delegate final approval of lighting/hardscape/pedestrian elements to planning staff; it also required that any modification to the activation of the Miller Building be returned to the Planning Commission for review. Commissioner Shear successfully amended the motion to require that "major" changes to the Miller Building’s exterior return to the commission. The motion passed on the design review 6–1 (Yes: Mike Christiansen, Krasick, Berry, Leverett, Scheer, Burrows; No: Scott). The separate plan development approval for the same package passed unanimously.

What was not decided: commissioners voted to continue other approvals and to require that any major exterior modifications to Miller return for review, but they did not adopt a quantitative requirement tying specific tenant types or schedule milestones to Building 2 permits; staff said changes to Miller would require an amendment to the development approval if proposed later.

Next steps and implementation: staff will verify compliance with the plan-development conditions prior to permit issuance, and final design details for the mid-block walkway and pedestrian elements will be cleared administratively by planning staff. Applicant representatives said construction is already underway on other parts of Silo Park; Building 2 work will proceed under the approved conditions.

Ending: The commission approved the plan development application separately and unanimously. The project will proceed to permitting with the conditions recorded in the planning commission approval.