City Creek Center

Frequently Asked Questions

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Project Scope

Project Scope and Overview

Why is the Church taking on this huge project?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is committed to the development of downtown Salt Lake City as the home of the international headquarters of the Church. It is in the unique position to act as a major contributor, along with many others, to a vibrant, high quality regional destination.

What is the cost of the project? Are city or public funds paying for it?

The project is a private development which will not require any public funding, and no tithing dollars will be used from the Church. Some costs of the project will be recouped from the sale of residential units and revenues will be generated from leasing retail and office space.

Does the Church have other partners in the project?

In addition to Taubman Center's Inc., Property Reserve, Inc. (PRI) the property development arm of the Church will be working with two additional partners at this time: Cowboy Partners, a Utah based residential development and management company, and Harmons Grocery Stores, another Utah company which will own and operate the grocery store on Social Hall Avenue.

When will the project be completed?

The initial phase, demolition and excavation of the underground parking facilities, will begin in the north west corner of the development and is expected to take about a year. Additional milestones and time frames will be announced at that time. Projected completion in mid 2011.

What is the name of the new shopping center?

City Creek Center is the working name for the entire redevelopment project.

Why can't we see what the finished development will look like?

Simply put, we are not sure what the final project will look like. What we have is a very good idea of where everything is going to be located. The initial concept phases must be completed before architectural planning and final design can take place.

There was a lot of early discussion about Utah Woolen Mills. What is happening to them?

Utah Woolen Mills, a family-owned, Utah business that has been a part of downtown Salt Lake City for a very long time, will be staying at their current location.

Will the Inn at Temple Square be replaced with a new hotel?

When the Inn was remodeled some ten years ago, it was never anticipated that it would remain in operation as long as it has. Major renovation would be required to keep it open. It will be torn down for a new residential building. Management is working with the employees of the Inn to place them in other hotel operations in the city.

Why has it taken so long to get the project going?

More than 240 lease agreements had to be individually negotiated. These, along with the complex nature of a mixed-use development and the constraints of existing buildings on the two blocks, have made it necessary to proceed very carefully in the planning process.

Does the project have the backing of the Mayor and the Salt Lake City Council?

We have listened carefully to the comments of the Mayor and City Council and will continue to work closely with them throughout the construction period to see that the project meets as many of the needs expressed by the city as possible in a privately funded, mixed-use development such as this. We feel the project has been much improved by the considerable public input we have been receiving.

How does this plan differ from the old one?

Physically it will be more open to the street and the city, with attractive landscaping and water features in expanded open spaces. Construction will be completed with a high grade of finishes. Both blocks will be integrated as a whole -- above grade and below grade. The merchandise mix will be unique to the market.

When can we look for additional announcements?

Demolition followed by excavation of the underground parking will take approximately one year to complete. At that time, we hope to provide additional architectural details and a construction timeline. Future announcements will be made available on the Downtown Rising web site and to the media as they become available.

How will construction affect travel and parking in downtown Salt Lake City?

PRI is working with the current office tenants to provide alternate parking for office workers and clients during construction Information on traffic and public parking will be provided by the project managers and by W.A. Knowles Company, construction impact mitigator hired by Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake Chamber.

How do we anticipate that the project will affect the rest of downtown SLC and the Gateway project?

We are confident in the future of downtown Salt Lake City, and in the future of the State of Utah. We expect that the projects in the city will work to the benefit of each other and to the people of our state.

How much parking will it have versus the current offering? Will there be a cost?

There will be more parking spaces--over 5600 spaces in total. Market rates will be charged for parking as determined at time of opening.

Will the project be LEED certified?

At this time, we anticipate that the project will utilize environmentally sensitive sustainable design concepts. We will certainly follow LEED principles in design, construction and operation of the project. However, no decision has been made on applying for LEED certification.

Early on, AEW was used as a consultant on the project. What will be their future role?

For three years, AEW has served as a strategic advisor to the project. This role will continue for the foreseeable future.

Have bids been called for on the demolition and construction?

Bids have already been let for the initial demolition phase which we expect to begin the first of November. Local architects and contractors will be used on the project.

Is the proposed route of City Creek an historical one?

Some historical descriptions of what was called the South Fork of City Creek indicate it may have run through the blocks occupied by the project. However, the water features proposed for the project are only representations.

Can the public make comments on the proposed project?

The public is welcome to make comments on the project concepts, the working name of the project: City Creek Center, or any other aspect by using the e-mail facility found on the Downtown Rising Website.How do I contact those responsible for retail, residential and office space sales and leasing?

Please see the City Creek Center contact page on the Downtown Rising website for information on contacting the project team.

Retail

Who will be the retail anchors?

Nordstrom and Macy's, a third anchor may be named later.

What will happen to Nordstrom and Macy's during demolition and construction?

Both stores are expected to close after the 2006 holiday season. Nordstrom and Macy's will work with employees of their downtown locations to assist them in transferring to other company stores in Utah or in finding new employment.

What will be the mix of the retail stores? Will it be moderate or upscale?

It will feature unique (Taubman typically strives for 30 - 40%) point of difference retailers, in the upper moderate to better range, covering all categories of merchandise, focusing on apparel and lifestyle concepts.

How many stores will there be in the retail portion? How big will the retail portion be?

Over 100 stores, in addition to the three anchors and food court, are anticipated. The retail store space, in addition to the three anchors, will be approximately 300,000 square feet.

What will the new grocery store include?

The store will include a full-service delicatessen, large meat counter with fresh seafood and ready-to-cook entries, a bakery, pharmacy, and a Healthy Living section. Owned and constructed by Harmons Grocery Stores, it will be located on the south side of Social Hall Avenue, east of State Street.

Will there be fine dining restaurants?

Yes.

Will any of the stores closed during the renovation be back for the mall opening?

Yes, but exactly which stores is still being determined. We will encourage stores compatible with the new retail format to re-join the project.

How long are anchor store leases?

Leasing terms are proprietary.

Will there be certain stores that won't be pursued due to the Church owning a portion of the Center? (i.e. Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, etc.).

Taubman will be pursuing prospective tenants that are consistent with the ones that make Taubman projects the hallmarks they are.

What will happen to the food court in the ZCMI Center?

A new food court will be housed on the ground floor of the Eagle Gate Tower and on the lower level of the Key Bank Tower.

Will there be a pedestrian bridge between the two blocks? Is it an essential element of the project?

The initial concept design calls for a pedestrian bridge, which, if it is retained, will need to be considered through the normal city approval process.

The retail developer and the department stores will not go forward as planned without the bridge. It is critical to the retail success of the property that the pedestrian bridge create continuity on the upper and lower levels. The design of the bridge will be sensitive to the esthetics of downtown and the surrounding environment.

Because this is an LDS Church project, will the open space and pedestrian thoroughfares operate under the same rules as the Main Street Plaza?

The standards of the Main Street Plaza are specific to the Church, by contrast, open areas in the new project will confirm to privately owned commercial open space standards.

Will the retail portions of the project be closed on Sundays?

Yes. Sunday closing has been the policy at the ZCMI Center since it was constructed. Contractual agreements at Crossroads Plaza have allowed some stores there to remain open on Sundays. In the new development, all retail stores will be open six days a week.

Will alcohol be available at any location in the project?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has consistently made plain that in matters of public policy it is not opposed to responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages by informed adults.

Current state laws in Utah balance responsible consumption with measures to discourage alcohol abuse and underage drinking.

In the downtown redevelopment project currently being planned by the Church, a limited number of high-quality restaurant tenants who will operate on land not owned by the Church may apply for licenses to serve alcoholic beverages in accordance with existing state regulations.

Will the historic ZCMI facade be left in place?

It will be necessary to temporarily remove the facade which has been remodeled on a number of occasions in the past. However, plans are to put the facade back into the same place.

Why was the retail component reduced in size?

The retail has been sized to allow the addition of residential use and to create a high-quality environment with a modified selection of stores in a setting that is unique to the market.

Will there be any cultural or entertainment attractions built into City Creek Center?

We will work with local artists for some of the permanent artwork. There will not be any theaters or live entertainment venues included in the retail project.

Office

What businesses and office buildings will remain during the construction process?

All of the office buildings, except for the current Key Bank Tower and the Deseret Building on the corner of Main Street and 100 South will remain open during construction.

The Deseret Building is home to the First Security branch of Wells Fargo Bank and the offices of the Eccles Foundation. Both will be temporarily relocated and then reopen at the same site when the new building is complete.

The Key Bank Tower is being demolished. Will Key Bank be part of the new development?

Key Bank will be moving in the spring of 2007 to what is now the Beneficial Financial Group Building, which will be renamed the Key Bank Tower. The Beneficial Financial Group will move to the current Gateway West Building on the corner of South Temple and Main Street - this building will be renamed the Beneficial Financial Group Tower.

Residential

How much will the residential units cost? Will they be condominiums or just apartments for lease? When can we get more information about them?

This information has not been determined, but will be announced soon. Contact information for the residential properties is available on the Down Town Rising website.

Can you tell me why the number of residential units announced was less than what was mentioned several years ago?

Initially approximately 300 units will be available, with the possibility that more may be constructed in the future, based on market demand.

What can you tell us about the new residential units to be constructed by Cowboy Partners?

This Utah-based residential developer will build up to 100 condominium units located on the south side of Social Hall Avenue, east of State Street.