Salt Lake City planners push back on Intermountain hospital design over pedestrian access

Discussed by: Salt Lake City planning staff and Intermountain Health design team, as reported by The Salt Lake Tribune

The two sides revise the hospital's street-level plan to add pedestrian entrances and public-facing space, with bollards, setbacks or other security measures built into the retail frontage. The project moves to formal design review.

Discussed by: Intermountain Health design team, as reported by The Salt Lake Tribune

Designers conclude that street-level retail creates too much vulnerability and replace it with lobbies, landscaping or controlled entrances. The city's pedestrian goals are partly met, but the street edge becomes less active.

Discussed by: The Salt Lake Tribune report on the design dispute

City reviewers and the hospital cannot agree on how to reconcile pedestrian access with security, and the design review is delayed. The hospital's construction timeline slips while a new plan is drafted.

Discussed by: Salt Lake City senior planner Amanda Roman, as reported by The Salt Lake Tribune

Roman said the ground-floor terms Intermountain Health agreed to may need to be renegotiated, which would send the 2024 development agreement back to the City Council. That step would come before any construction schedule is settled.