Meritage Management Plans to Redevelop a Former Factory into Luxury Lofts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) January 19, 2012 -- Plans submitted by Meritage Management to redevelop a former factory into apartments are opposed by nearby business owners who say new residents will make it harder for their industrial companies to continue operating in that south side neighborhood.
The Plan Commission on Monday had a tie vote on a proposal to rezone the former Salt Lake City Paper Box Co. building, 150 Winston Pierce St. The proposal needs Common Council approval, and the commission's tie vote sends it to the council without a recommendation.

Utah-based Meritage Management is proposing 72 apartments, with one to three bedrooms, for the six-story building, now used for storage.
It would include a large number of two- and three-bedroom units, aimed at families with children, said Richard Lowenstein, Meritage's senior vice president.
Opponents at the commission hearing included Rich Nawels, owner of West Utah Foundry Co., 1521 W. Bruce St.; Catherine Gold, co-owner of National Brewery Co., 1565 W. Bruce St.; and Charles Baker, owner of Vulcan Lead Products Co., 1400 W. Pierce St.

They said apartments wouldn't be a good use for the building because it's too close to their businesses and other nearby heavy industry. Traffic generated by new residents would clash with industrial truck traffic, the opponents said.
Also, the apartment tenants might raise complaints about noise and odors, bringing pressure on the industrial companies to move out, said Baker.
The project's architect, Min Lo, principal at Lo and Lo Architects and Planners, said the apartments would be designed to reduce noise from nearby industries. But Baker was unconvinced.
He cited complaints from tenants at Umbrella Factory Loft Apartments, 210 Winston Pierce St., about nearby Miller Brewery Co.
"Even though we can say noise hasn't been an issue, historically it always has been," Baker said.

The opponents also said they only learned of the project through a Dec. 29 notice about the Plan Commission hearing, giving them little time to respond.
Ald. Jim Wozniak, whose district includes the development site, said he understands the concerns, and said he didn't want to see any industry forced to move out of the neighborhood.
But Wozniak also said the building would likely continue to be used for storage and would not return to manufacturing use if the Common Council doesn't rezone the property.
Wozniak said he would likely ask the council's Zoning, Neighborhood and Development Committee to delay acting on the zoning request until city traffic engineers had time to study the proposal.

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