SALT LAKE CITY — John Potter remembers checking into the Extended Stay America hotel less than a block west of Sugar House Park when he first moved to Utah.
Now, about two decades later, he's the CEO of Magnus Hotel Management. And he wants to build an "upscale" boutique-brand hotel with over 100 rooms and unique rooftop spaces directly adjacent to one of the city's most popular parks.
"I'm hopeful to come closer to full circle," he said, presenting his vision to the Sugar House Community Council Wednesday night. "I'm excited to hopefully help provide a great product, services and a number of amenities … to the neighborhood."
Potter made it clear that project details are subject to change, but his company would develop and manage at hotel at the corner of 2100 South and 1300 East. It would be affiliated with a "major reservation system" hotel brand with Marriott currently in mind.
However, he also insists that the project would come with local flare. His team shared details of a seven-floor building with 141 hotel rooms of various sizes, as well as ground-floor retail or restaurant space. Other proposed amenities include a rooftop banquet room, restaurant, bar or library overlooking Sugar House Park and the Wasatch Mountains.
"It's not a cookie-cutter project," Potter said, adding that his goal is to make it an "informal gateway" from the Sugar House business district to the park.
While he doesn't have exact numbers, he estimates it could create about 250 jobs based on its size and planned amenities.
Magnus Hotel Management already owns seven other hotels in Utah, including a pair by the Salt Lake City International Airport. This would be its first in Sugar House.
The project would "basically fill the entire site" of the lot, creating a "nice interface" between the city and 110-acre park, said Jackson Ferguson, principal architect at FFKR. He explained that traffic would be configured to ensure people don't need to use the park for parking, while 171 stalls would be located within two underground parking levels.
Ferguson said there could be art with a "local feel to it" between the hotel and park, too, while the ground-floor level would blend in with the streetscape and sidewalks in the neighborhood. It could also include space for retail or a cafe, owned by small local business owners, plus an area for people to rent out bikes or sports equipment for activities at the park.
The building would be about the same size as others in the heart of Sugar House.
"We really wanted the building to fit in with the city, so we kept it about the same size as the surrounding buildings," Ferguson said. "(It gives) us an opportunity to fit in but also a chance to view the park."
Residents applauded after the lengthy presentation but not before asking many questions. Most revolved around building details and parking, but one resident also asked about the land's unique ownership situation and how that factors into everything.
The site was once home to a Sizzler restaurant before it closed down a few years ago. It's still owned by Romney Farr Properties and under a lease agreement with Maverik, tied to a failed attempt to build a gas station on the lot.
The convenience store company Kum & Go attempted to turn the space into a gas station in 2022 as it expanded out to Utah. However, that plan generated backlash from many residents, and the city blocked the measure over concerns about its proximity to the Sugar House Park pond. That decision ultimately led to a new ordinance over gas station locations and water approved earlier this year.
Maverik also acquired Kum & Go while everything unfolded, which included control of the lot lease. Potter said his company has received the "right to assume" the Maverik lease while it embarks on a potential lengthy rezoning process.
Project leaders plan to file a request to rezone the lot to MU-8, one of the city's new mixed-use zones. That would launch a public process eventually ending in the Salt Lake City Council after it's reviewed by the city's planning commission. The company also expects to have regular meetings with the Sugar House Park Authority over its plan.
There's no timetable for everything to unfold, which Potter says gives time to finalize planning details. He added that what he presented Wednesday could be amended depending on how the rezoning request plays out.
“It’s early in the process,” he said. “There’s a lot of questions to be answered.”