With gantry cranes sprouting like spring dandelions, it’s hard to miss: There’s a lot of construction going on downtown. An estimated $3.5 billion in downtown construction projects are now under construction or in design.
Many of these new buildings are tall by local standards. At least four new buildings over 20 stories are being planned. And, thanks to the Wasatch Front’s rapidly growing population, this trend will continue and intensify. Like a teenager’s downy mustache, downtown’s increasing density is a sign of approaching maturity.
This trend is healthy and inevitable. Like sharks, cities must move forward or suffocate.