Planning Commission grants master site‑plan approval for Murray Tower Plaza with conditions

The Planning Commission approved master site‑plan and design‑review for the Murray Tower Plaza mixed‑use development on properties at 5025 South State Street and 147 East Myrtle Avenue, awarding master approval with 11 conditions after staff and applicant presentations and extended public comment.

Zach (staff) summarized the Triumph Group proposal: a 5.98‑acre development with about 204,000 square feet of commercial space and up to 99 residential units (78 shown on current plans), a three‑phase build program, a three‑story parking garage, two medical office buildings, restaurant space facing a new plaza and townhome and stacked‑flat residential components. Zach said the plan provides roughly 840 parking spaces against a minimum requirement of 491 and noted the project currently falls short of a locally increased 25% landscape/open‑space requirement (staff recommended rooftop gardens or additional landscaping to meet the approximately 16,000 sq ft shortfall).

Applicant Jim Allred of Triumph Design Build described the design goals: a pedestrian‑oriented plaza framed by restaurants and a landmark tower, three tiers of structured parking to accommodate grade changes, and efforts to screen parking with townhomes. Allred said the project team is working with potential medical tenants (including Utah Cancer), is open to exploring shared parking or theater access arrangements with the city, and intends to meet staff conditions on setbacks, functional State Street entrances and the open‑space requirement.

Public commenters generally welcomed downtown activation but urged more street‑facing activation along State Street, expressed concern about traffic on Myrtle and State Street intersections, and asked that the project consider adaptive uses that allow small storefronts over time. Commissioners and staff noted the project's traffic impact study has been reviewed by the city engineer and that some recommended mitigations will require UDOT coordination. Several commissioners stressed that detailed traffic and curb‑management measures specified as conditions must be implemented during permit review.

Commissioner Rogers moved to grant master site‑plan and design approval subject to the 11 staff conditions; the motion was seconded and passed by roll call with all commissioners voting yes. The approval preserves several conditions for later stages, including landscape/open‑space adjustments, required pedestrian entrances on State Street, final curb‑management plans, and coordination with the city engineer and UDOT where necessary.