LDS Hospital relocation plan faces scrutiny over ground-level design

Intermountain Health plans to build a 221-foot primary medical facility on a nine-acre site near 754 S. State. The proposed 10-story tower would contain 280 hospital beds, a helipad, and a seven-story office wing. This massive development has drawn sharp criticism from the Salt Lake City Planning Commission regarding how the building will interact with the surrounding downtown streetscape.

The commission met on Wednesday to review the proposal before voting on the conditional use permit and design review application. Tensions rose over conflicting interpretations of the development agreement signed with the city in 2024. The agreement requires active ground-floor uses, such as cafes or retail, to abut public right-of-way. Intermountain Health argues that hospital safety protocols require a secure zone with limited entrances, which conflicts with those transparency requirements.

Eric Meub, vice president and design principal for HDR Architects, explained that the water table at the site made below-ground features unfeasible. This constraint necessitated a seven-story offsite parking structure connected to the office building by a skybridge over Main Street. The plan includes more than 1,100 total parking stalls between the on-site and off-site structures. Meub stated that the hospital design relies on fewer, secured entrances to prevent security incidents, a stance that prioritized safety over multiple retail access points.

Amanda Roman, an urban designer for Salt Lake City, presented the plan while noting that Intermountain Health is requesting a modification to the city's blank wall standards. The current standards limit uninterrupted blank walls to 20 feet. The hospital argued that patient and caregiver privacy necessitates larger opaque sections. In response to city requests, the design team agreed to use changes in plane, materials, or texture to visually break up the building's facade.

Commissioners expressed concern that the current design lacks the active ground-floor spaces intended to activate the downtown area. Richard Leverett, a planning commissioner, worried the structure could resemble a correctional facility due to its secure perimeter. He noted that the design prioritizes the hospital over its function as a community asset. Leverett said the city would continue to push for a balance between security and public access.

Landon Kracsek, another commissioner, suggested a compromise where retail spaces exist next to the hospital with minimal interior attachment. He described this approach as a way to eliminate dead space on Main Street while maintaining the secure zone. Kracsek stated he was unsure if the board or City Council would approve the plan in its current form. He emphasized the need to get the design right, given that the project will define that block for decades.

Heather Wall, president of LDS Hospital, said the project aims to bring life to an area that needs it. Intermountain Health officials hope to break ground by the end of 2026 and complete construction within three to five years. The project also requires City Council approval for an amendment to the Downtown Plan to allow the skybridge and for changes to building material standards.

One point of contention involves the use of exterior insulation and finish system, or EIFS, in the construction. Planning Commissioner Aimee Burrows raised concerns about the material's track record in the city. She indicated that if there was not flexibility on this issue, she would likely oppose the plan. Intermountain Health said it is willing to share safety incident studies and continue discussions to reach final approval.