City Creek named best mall in the Americas

By Jasen Lee | Posted - Jan. 15, 2013 at 10:26 a.m.

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City's newest shopping mecca is receiving international acclaim. City Creek Center has been named Best Retail Development by the International Property Awards for 2012.

City Creek Center, owned and managed by Michigan-based Taubman and co-developed with Utah-based City Creek Reserve Inc., won in the Americas region, which includes the U.S., Canada, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. The center also placed in the top three in the World's Best Retail Development category.

"City Creek Center broke new ground, from sustainable design and community collaboration to breathtaking features and amenities," said Ron Loch, vice president of planning and design for Taubman. "It's exciting to be recognized by this esteemed group as the best retail project in the Americas region in 2012."

Opened in March, City Creek is the centerpiece of Salt Lake City's mixed-use downtown redevelopment project undertaken privately by City Creek Reserve Inc. — a real estate arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Anchored by Macy's and Nordstrom, the shopping center includes more than 100 stores and restaurants in a casual, walkable environment. The development is on track to attract 16.2 million visitors in its first year of operation.

"City Creek's unique retail center has enlivened the surrounding blocks,” said Bill Williams, lead architect for City Creek Reserve Inc. “It is attracting new residents and drawing locals and tourists downtown again."

Constructed for an estimated cost of more than $1 billion, the center anchors a sustainably designed urban community that features a 700,000-square-foot shopping center with a retractable roof, a creek, a pedestrian skybridge and choreographed fountains.

“City Creek Center is a world-class experience in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City," said general manager Linda Wardell. "People have recognized this, and downtown Salt Lake City is more vibrant than ever."

Established 18 years ago, the International Property Awards recognize achievement in residential and commercial property development worldwide, including Africa, Europe, Arabia, Asia Pacific, the United Kingdom and the Americas.

Judging is carried out by a panel of more than 80 experts covering every aspect of the property business. The competition included more than 2,000 entries from 89 countries in categories such as retail, residential, office and mixed-use properties, among others.