SALT LAKE CITY – A number of large apartment buildings have been built in or near downtown Salt Lake City in recent years.
Now, a developer behind some of these projects wants to build a six- or seven-story home in an area that has never been a unit of this size, along 900 South near 700 West.
High Boys Ventures calls the project “The West End”.
The owner of High Boy Ventures, Maximilian Coreth, is excited about the potential of the new project.
“I am very happy about our plan to reactivate the two existing buildings with tons of roof by creating a public space in between, which will also serve as a gate / entrance to the later multi-family development,” he wrote in an email to FOX 13 “My goal is to not only make this a destination for the local neighborhood by bringing businesses to these commercial buildings, but also to attract people from other areas of SLC, to explore the Jordan River Trail and some of the other gems on the west side to discover.”
In addition to the planned multi-family house, two existing brick buildings are already being renovated at the site, which are to be converted into retail space.
However, before a home is built, Salt Lake City Council must approve a zoning change requested by the developer.
The owners of the adjoining property at 707 Genesee Avenue are less than thrilled.
“When we found out, we were very concerned,” said Su Menu, president of Summum, a religion headquartered on a small campus that includes a greenhouse, rectory, offices, and a 27-foot pyramid where services and meditation take place .
“This is sacred ground,” said Ron Temu, a longtime member.
Summum was started in the 1970s by a man named Corky Ra who believed, among other things, that human and animal mummifications provide spiritual benefits.
As he gained more followers, Ra envisioned building a pyramid in a neighborhood on the east side where churches of other denominations blend into the suburban landscape. Due to the need to make Summum’s own sacramental wine, Ra searched for land permitted by Utah law and settled on Genesee Avenue.
For decades, Summum members have carefully tended the property, transforming it into a green oasis in the middle of an area of industrial decay.
But now the building boom in Salt Lake is expanding into this area.
A zoning change that would allow a 75-foot-tall apartment building could be approved as early as next week.
Summum fears that such a building could enclose their property on both the south and west sides and block sunlight from their property, which they say would interfere with meditations and growing vegetables and herbs with members to be shared
“That’s what we call our ‘spiritual plants,'” said Bernie Aua, a summum officer, when he showed Fox 13 a greenhouse the greenhouse.
“It’s like the Jewish tradition. Food is kosher. You are blessed, ”said Ouch.
Coreth believes that they can get to a happy medium during the design process.
“In speaking with Sumum, we pledged to keep in touch with our neighbors during the design process to address their concerns,” he wrote in the email.
Menu says she met with High Boy Ventures once, long after her planning began, and it didn’t allay her concerns.
Choosing another property is difficult for High Boy Ventures as each project is tailored to the community.
“All of our projects are very location-specific and it would not be appropriate to describe any other property as comparable,” Coreth replied in an email. “Given the unique conditions of the existing barrel roof buildings to the west and the highway to the east of In this case, we will develop a design that is best suited to these unique site conditions while also taking into account the needs of the community. “
If Summum’s “spiritual plants” aren’t growing in the shade of a tall building, they’ll be considering legal action, but for now they hope the developer, councilor, and mayor will take them on a tour of their property to better resolve their concerns to understand.
“Nobody bothered to tour here and it might be helpful,” said Menu.
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