It might seem that the development of the Asher Adams Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City is a tale of preparing for the Olympics. But the redevelopment of the former Union Pacific Train Station into a luxury hotel is also a story of preserving the past, the ongoing energizing of an urban area to create a new future and, yes, the Olympic Games.
What had been a vital transportation hub in the early part of the 20th century eventually became obsolete and turned into an events venue. Now, The Athens Group is recreating the space into the Asher Adams, a 225-key hotel that will keep the integrity of the original building, including preserving the train station’s iconic French empire architecture, while creating a destination that will serve travelers and a thriving downtown residential and business area when it opens in the fourth quarter of this year.
“Salt Lake City is ready for a new upscale hotel,” said Eric Peterson, vice president of development and project executive at The Athens Group. “We are fortunate to be in the heart of downtown and to restore the historic train station as part of this development. This makes for a powerful combination to offer something the city has never seen before.”
It’s the latest chapter in a century-long saga. The Union Pacific Railroad opened the train station in 1908, and saw it flourish through the early part of the century. In the 1970s, however, when Amtrak took over passenger rail services, all trains were moved several blocks south. Some redevelopments were undertaken over the years, but the building largely was used for special events. Meanwhile, what had been the outskirts of the city became the core of downtown.
“I’ve visited that mall and Union Pacific building many times over the last 20 years, and that amazing train station has wanted to be a hotel for a long time,” Peterson said.
The station is often considered the front door to the Gateway retail complex that had been developed in time for the 2002 Olympics, surrounding the Salt Lake Olympic Plaza. Arizona-based development company Vestar acquired the property in 2016, and revitalized the Gateway retail, office and entertainment property, even as the downtown had grown into a 24/7 destination. The complex is the home for major celebrations including New Year’s Eve, and is within walking distance of the Delta Center, home of the Utah Jazz, and other arts facilities. But Vestar saw that the train station was being underutilized.
“The main hall was a beautiful icon that wasn’t fulfilling its purpose used for wedding receptions,” said Bryan Hill, general manager at Vestar. “We wanted to create a living room for the city.”
Vestar brought in The Athens Group, long known as a luxury hotel developer, to turn the existing station into 13 historic guest suites, as well as adding a new building to house 212 modern rooms, multiple food and beverage outlets. The team then waited as the pandemic paused development.
Meanwhile, the group made extensive plans to pre- serve the character of the existing building, even as it adds modern amenities. Its stained-glass windows were preserved, as was much of the original lighting, even as the acoustics were upgraded to align with ho- tel standards. All was done under the rigorous review of the Historic Landmark Commission.
“My favorite part of the development is the careful res- toration of the old building; to see things like the old brick, the windows, the decorative plaster come back to life,” Peterson said.
The redevelopment couldn’t have come at a better time. The 2002 Winter Olympic Games brought new attention to Salt Lake City — annual skier days rose 43% in the years following the games. It also revitalized interest in the city as a great place to live.
“The Olympics helped put Salt Lake City on the map,” Peterson said. “In the last 15 years, we’ve experienced a real building boom, and now the city has become a prime destination for leisure travel, operating a business and raising a family.”
Specifically, the downtown is booming with entertainment, apartment construction and hospitality and new developments. There is a burgeoning healthcare and life sciences industry moving in. In 2002, Vestar leased space at the Gateway to the BioHive Hub, which is now home to multiple science companies.
The Gateway has seen only minor inconveniences during the construction, Peterson observed.
And now the city is looking to repeat as a global sports home, named by the International Olympic Committee in April 2024 as the preferred host for the 2034 Summer Olympics. The result is an anticipated immense uptick in visitors, many of whom will want a luxury experience in the heart of the action.
The Adams Asher will boast two bars inspired by the train station: General Baggage, located in what once was part of the baggage storage area, and Little Nugget, named for a luxury lounge car. An upscale restaurant also is planned, with the goal of serving locals as well as visitors.
“Our restaurant is going to be a destination of its own, whether or not you’re staying at the hotel,” Peterson said. “And the restoration of the space in the train sta- tion will give everyone access to this tremendous his- tory that they will be able to experience in a new way — everything in the restaurant from the menus, the recipes and the service is being curated to comple- ment the design and restoration of the train station.”
