The developer who wants to put a hotel on one of Salt Lake City’s most scenic corners is asking policymakers to increase the allowed building height on the parcel.
John Potter, CEO of Magnus Hotel Management, wants to put a seven-story, 95-foot-tall hotel on the southeast corner of 2100 South and 1300 East, immediately adjacent to Sugar House Park. The site was once home to the Sizzler restaurant, which was demolished last year.
On June 18, Potter submitted an application to the city that would increase the maximum height allowed on the land from 30 feet to 125 feet.
Sofia Jeremias, spokesperson for Salt Lake City’s Department of Community and Neighborhoods, said the City Council has been working on a proposal to consolidate zoning in the area to the same classification Potter seeks.
“Our current zoning for our site just across the street is not up for that rezoning and that’s why we are asking for it,” Potter said. “So, we are asking to be of similar height to what is across the street.”
Before Potter sought to build a hotel on the site, a proposal to construct a Kum & Go gas station drew pushback from the community. Ultimately, the city rejected the plans.
Potter said he and his team have worked on the hotel proposal for the past year alongside Sugar House residents. One of the most frequently raised concerns was a typical Sugar House headache: parking. To alleviate those fears, Potter is proposing a two-floor underground garage.
Other plans call for including a coffee shop, a restaurant, a rental center for things like bikes and soccer balls, and meeting and events spaces that will be accessible to the community.
“We tried to design the project,” he said, “in a way that it could serve as a bridge between the city and the park.”
Sugar House Community Council Chair Landon Clark said his neighbors appreciate the hotel company addressing concerns and including residents’ feedback in the project, adding that he hasn’t heard much negativity about the proposal.
“This group is doing a good job of including community benefits,” he said, “that the community is excited about.”
The city’s planning commission will need to take up the zoning change request at a future meeting, then send its recommendation to the City Council for a final decision. It has not been decided when the commission will weigh the proposal.
Sarah Young, the council member who represents the area, said she is waiting for the panel’s recommendation before taking a final stance on the request.
“We really do rely on our planning commission to help inform the steps we take as council,” she said, “so I’m kind of in a holding pattern to see the outcomes there and to hear from the community before I would have a clear position.”
For his part, Potter said his company is committed to giving the community and city leaders all the answers they seek, and welcomes any feedback in the meantime.
“It’s a neighborhood that is valuable to me and the last thing I’d want to do is something that hurts the area,” he said. “All I’m trying to do is build a great amenity for the locals, amenity for visitors to be able to experience a great Salt Lake City neighborhood.”