Salt Lake City is about to get another weather beacon.

Salt Lake City is about to get another weather beacon.

True Salt Lakers know the weather forecast by reading the beacon on top of the Walker Center, but soon they’ll know air quality conditions through another downtown building.

Astra Tower, located about a block east of the Walker Center, is slated to feature a first-of-its-kind air quality forecast lighting system, according to the Utah Clean Air Partnership, commonly known as UCAIR.

“We are proud to partner with Kensington Investment Company and Astra Tower. Improving air quality requires all of us to act, and this lighting system is a striking visual tool that highlights the importance of our collective efforts to help clear the air,” said Lindsie Smith, the partnerships’s director, in a statement on Friday.

A formal ceremony is planned for Feb. 20, which is when air quality forecast will begin.

Its system will run differently from the Walker Center’s weather tower. The center’s lights are typically blue when conditions are forecast to be clear; blinking blue when it’ll be cloudy; red when it’s supposed to rain; and blinking red when it’ll snow. It’s also lit in different colors for holidays and other special occasions, which is a feature added when owners switched the sign to LED lights three years ago.

The LED lights on top of the 451-foot Astra Tower, on the other hand, are connected to air quality sensors. Ideally, it’ll remain white, which signals good air quality. However, it’ll turn orange, red and purple as air quality index levels rise to unhealthy levels during inversions, wildfire smoke events or anything else that pollutes the air.

As Utah Clean Air Partnership was locking down its plans for the tower last month, Smith told KSL-TV that the goal of the beacon is to raise awareness about things people can do to reduce air pollution.

“I have not seen anything like this elsewhere,” Smith said at the time. “It’s an incredibly visual reminder. Roughly, 70% of the emissions that are problematic in the Salt Lake Valley come from our cars and our homes and our businesses.”

Astra Tower opened last year as the tallest building in the state, soaring over the rest of the downtown towers. Residents began moving into the high-rise in August, while some of the building’s final features were being completed.

Officials from Kensington Investment Company, the building’s developer, said the building was designed with environmental standards in mind when construction began in 2022. In a statement on Friday, Ed Lewis, the company’s CEO, said that he believes the building’s new lighting feature will take those efforts a step further.

“We are taking meaningful steps to improve air quality and promote healthier living in Salt Lake City,” he said. “Our commitment to sustainability ensures that the buildings we develop contribute positively to the community, setting a new standard for environmental stewardship in urban living.”

By
Carter Williams
Source
KSL.com

Latest News

This is some text inside of a div block.

Heading

This is some text inside of a div block.
Read more
This is some text inside of a div block.

Heading

This is some text inside of a div block.
Learn more
This is some text inside of a div block.

Heading

This is some text inside of a div block.
Read more
Astra Tower Achieves LEED Gold Certification in Salt Lake City
Real Estate

Astra Tower Achieves LEED Gold Certification in Salt Lake City

Learn more
KIC, Speak for the Trees, and Boston Parks Department Partner for Tree Planting in Roxbury
Company

KIC, Speak for the Trees, and Boston Parks Department Partner for Tree Planting in Roxbury

Learn more
Kensington Investment Advances Sustainable Redevelopment in Roxbury
Company

Kensington Investment Advances Sustainable Redevelopment in Roxbury

Learn more
The Kensington Rated Boston's #1 Property Six Years in a Row
Real Estate

The Kensington Rated Boston's #1 Property Six Years in a Row

KIC continues to support a small group of organisations aligned with its people-first values and long-term commitment to community involvement.
Learn more
Alnoba First Gathering Space in Northeast Awarded Passive House Certification
Real Estate

Alnoba First Gathering Space in Northeast Awarded Passive House Certification

KIC continues to support a small group of organisations aligned with its people-first values and long-term commitment to community involvement.
Learn more
Food Now Initiative in Dudley and Grove Hall
Impact

Food Now Initiative in Dudley and Grove Hall

KIC continues to support a small group of organisations aligned with its people-first values and long-term commitment to community involvement.
Learn more
Alnoba Wins AIA New Hampshire Award
Real Estate

Alnoba Wins AIA New Hampshire Award

KIC continues to support a small group of organisations aligned with its people-first values and long-term commitment to community involvement.
Learn more
Utah's new tallest skyscraper offers a feature no other SLC building has
Real Estate

Utah's new tallest skyscraper offers a feature no other SLC building has

KIC continues to support a small group of organisations aligned with its people-first values and long-term commitment to community involvement.
Learn more
Alnoba's "Astonishing" Art Collection Featured in the Boston Globe
Impact

Alnoba's "Astonishing" Art Collection Featured in the Boston Globe

KIC continues to support a small group of organisations aligned with its people-first values and long-term commitment to community involvement.
Learn more
The Kensington #1 for Boston in Elite 1% ORA™ Power Ranking for Eighth Year in a Row
Real Estate

The Kensington #1 for Boston in Elite 1% ORA™ Power Ranking for Eighth Year in a Row

KIC continues to support a small group of organisations aligned with its people-first values and long-term commitment to community involvement.
Learn more
The Kensington #1 for Boston in Elite 1% ORA™ Power Ranking for Seventh Year in a Row
Investments

The Kensington #1 for Boston in Elite 1% ORA™ Power Ranking for Seventh Year in a Row

KIC continues to support a small group of organisations aligned with its people-first values and long-term commitment to community involvement.
Learn more
Alnoba Leadership Honorees Featured in Boston Business Journal
Impact

Alnoba Leadership Honorees Featured in Boston Business Journal

KIC continues to support a small group of organisations aligned with its people-first values and long-term commitment to community involvement.
Learn more
'Salt Lake City is in ascension': Ground breaks on what will soon be Utah's tallest building
Real Estate

'Salt Lake City is in ascension': Ground breaks on what will soon be Utah's tallest building

KIC continues to support a small group of organisations aligned with its people-first values and long-term commitment to community involvement.
Learn more
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Supported by Alnoba LFF Unveiled on Boston Common
Impact

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Supported by Alnoba LFF Unveiled on Boston Common

KIC continues to support a small group of organisations aligned with its people-first values and long-term commitment to community involvement.
Learn more
Take a walk on top of Astra Tower on its way to becoming Utah's tallest building
Impact

Take a walk on top of Astra Tower on its way to becoming Utah's tallest building

KIC continues to support a small group of organisations aligned with its people-first values and long-term commitment to community involvement.
Learn more
Final beam placed atop the tallest building in Utah
Real Estate

Final beam placed atop the tallest building in Utah

Learn more
The Astra Tower takes over as Salt Lake City's tallest building
Real Estate

The Astra Tower takes over as Salt Lake City's tallest building

Learn more
Astra Tower received the 2025 Creator Award
Real Estate

Astra Tower received the 2025 Creator Award

Learn more
The Kensington Makes Elite 1% ORA Power Ranking for 10th Time and Tops Reputation X Boston Rankings

The Kensington Makes Elite 1% ORA Power Ranking for 10th Time and Tops Reputation X Boston Rankings

Learn more
Salt Lake City is about to get another weather beacon.
Real Estate

Salt Lake City is about to get another weather beacon.

Learn more
Final beam placed on Astra Tower, which will become Utah's tallest building
Company

Final beam placed on Astra Tower, which will become Utah's tallest building

Learn more
28 Exeter at Newbury: New High-End Amenities revealed
Real Estate

28 Exeter at Newbury: New High-End Amenities revealed

Learn more
Astra Tower, a crown for Salt Lake City's skyline, opens with celebratory ribbon cutting

Astra Tower, a crown for Salt Lake City's skyline, opens with celebratory ribbon cutting

Learn more
How Astra Tower unintentionally became Utah's tallest building with the state's largest mural
Real Estate

How Astra Tower unintentionally became Utah's tallest building with the state's largest mural

Learn more
Utah's New Tallest Tower Soars Over City, Tracking Air Quality in Real Time
Real Estate

Utah's New Tallest Tower Soars Over City, Tracking Air Quality in Real Time

Learn more
Astra Tower in downtown Salt Lake City finally opens as Utah's tallest building

Astra Tower in downtown Salt Lake City finally opens as Utah's tallest building

Learn more