City Creek Center
Encyclopedia
The City Creek Center is a 20 acres (8.1 ha) development with a shopping center, office and residential buildings, and fountain and stream under construction near Temple Square
in downtown
Salt Lake City, Utah
. It is an undertaking by Property Reserve, Inc. (the commercial real estate division of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and Taubman Centers, Inc.
Plans for the center call for shopping and residential elements, with foliage-lined walkways and streams covering three blocks in the heart of downtown Salt Lake. The City Creek Center is scheduled to open to the general public March 22, 2012. This shopping, office and residential center will encompass nearly 20 acres (8.1 ha) of downtown Salt Lake City. The City Creek Center is an estimated $2 billion sustainable design project to revitalize a downtown center in the heart of Salt Lake City.
. Both malls (known unofficially as the “Main Street Malls”) had been constructed in the 1970s and had begun to drop in sales figures by the late 1990s as a result of competition from rival centers in Salt Lake City’s suburbs. In 2001, the Boyer Company completed its new open-air Gateway Mall
a scant four blocks to the west of Crossroads and ZCMI, drawing even more business away from Main Street. Soon after, the Nordstrom
store at Crossroads announced its intentions to leave the mall and open a new store at Gateway. When the owners of the mall proved unable and unwilling to persuade the store to stay on Main Street, the LDS Church decided in 2003 to purchase the mall and redevelop the area in an effort to revitalize downtown Salt Lake City and keep the properties surrounding the church’s world headquarters at Temple Square economically vibrant. The church enlisted the help of nationally renowned mall developer Taubman Centers, Inc. to help it redesign the malls into a single project and recruit retailers to fill it. In October 2006, the concept design of City Creek Center was announced.
is planned to link the two city blocks across Main Street. The site will continue to be serviced by the City Center station of the TRAX
light rail
system, and large underground parking structures will enable access by car.
. Nordstrom will have a two-story, 124000 sq ft (11,520 m²) store located on West Temple Street, across from the The Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center
and Macy’s will occupy a three-story store of 150000 sq ft (13,935.5 m²), located on east block among the Main Street. In the original plan, a third anchor, Dillard's
, was planned for the mall as well. After public outcry about the alignment of the restored, historic Regent Street in the project, however, and after a subsequent realignment left insufficient space for the proposed 150000 square feet (13,935.5 m²) store, plans for a Dillard's at the Center were canceled. In its place will be a yet-to-be-announced "mid-sized anchor," more room for specialty retailers, and an additional condominium tower. There will also be approximately 300000 sq ft (27,870.9 m²). of additional retail space for specialty stores. Excavation for the new Harmons
grocery store was started on the east most (3rd) block, located on corner of 100 South and 200 East Streets. The northeast area containing the Key Bank Tower and adjoining Eagle Gate Tower is completed with June 2009 open date. It contains the Food Court with a view of the ongoing construction to the west. Several eateries are open: McCafe (McDonald's), Chang Chung, Sbarro's, Red Iguana, Bocata with more announced and yet to be announced eateries on way. The valet-assisted underground parking located under the Key Bank Tower is open. Deseret Book's flagship store opened March 2010 on northeast corner of the Richards Street, in the east building of the Richards Court, directly across from the Temple Square. Mall developers recently announced some of the first tenants of the new mall; Macy’s, Nordstrom, Yankee Candle Co., 77kids by American Eagle, Michael Kors, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Brooks Brothers / Brooks Brothers Women, Cotton On, Love Culture, Bose, Coach, The Limited, L’OCCITANE, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, N3L Optics, Tiffany & Co, Swarovski, Pandora, Papyrus, TUMI, Porsche Design, Texas de Brazil Churrascaria and Cheesecake Factory.
Tower, however, has been demolished, and its tenants have been relocated to the Beneficial Financial Group
Tower nearby, which has been renamed the Key Bank Tower. That building’s chief tenant relocated to the Gateway Tower West, which has been renamed as the new Beneficial Financial Group Tower. Residents and media challenged the decision to demolish the old First Security Bank Building. The challenge was upheld, the building will be renovated.
The City Creek Center project may also eventually include the Global Exchange Place. This building will offer exciting opportunities for Salt Lake City, as a region that is globally aware and engaged. Salt Lake City will benefit by creating a central location to showcase Utah's international abilities and strength into a "Global Exchange Place." A World Trade Center Utah will consolidate the now-scattered government and nonprofit economic development agencies and private sector international service providers as a single premier downtown Salt Lake City location. A conflict resolution and peace studies center will build upon Salt Lake City's Olympic legacy of friendship and goodwill to create a university-associated conflict resolution, mediation and` peace studies center. An International Institute will house an international university
campus downtown. This "park-like" campus could include a foreign language institute, international student housing, conference center and central commons area. This project is only a proposal.
Approximately 300 housing units, consisting of condos and apartments, will be built into the new City Creek Center. They will be located in at least five residential towers, one of which is planned to be 30-35 stories tall
not named yet, located on 100 South Street. Promontory on South Temple is a large tower which has replaced the demolished Inn at Temple Square on the northwest corner of the west block, South Temple and West Temple Streets. Richards Court located on South Temple Street, direct across from the Temple Square, topped early February 2009 with more than 45 percent sold. Construction started on foundation for the 20-floor Regent condominium tower located on south side of east block (100 South Street) with all penthouses located on 17th and 18th floors already sold out. They will principally be built along 100 South Street, with some constructed along South Temple Street as well.
Most of the City Creek Center is scheduled to be complete by the year 2011, though final completion isn't expected until the following year. Upon completion in 2012, City Creek Center will encompass nearly 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) across three blocks in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City as a revitalization effort to restore the city's downtown into a vibrant economic and cultural center.
Demolition
of the site’s old structures commenced in November 2006. By February 2007, the Inn at Temple Square had been completely demolished and work was underway to demolish the old parking structure for the Crossroads Plaza Mall
. The destruction proceeded across the site from west to east, with several businesses remaining open until a short time before their scheduled demolition. Macy’s and Nordstrom
had both closed by early February 2007. On August 18, 2007 the twenty-story Key Bank Tower was imploded and was one of the final steps to demolition completion. Demolition was completed by the end of 2007, and was followed by another six months of excavation and site preparation. By July 2008, most of the below-surface structures of the Crossroads block located to the southeast of the Main Street
and South Temple Street intersection were complete. The parking structure beneath the future Nordstrom
site was complete on the southwestern corner of the block. The central core of the thirty-two story condo tower as well as the base-work for three additional residential structures located along the northern edge of the block had begun initial construction by mid-2008.
Building Envelope consultant, Morrison Hershfield
provided services on issues from schematic through construction phases of the City Creek Center project. This included two underground parking garages, five residential/office buildings, multiple retail stores, one building rehabilitation, and areas around and beneath the man-made stream and fountain areas.The design of the air barrier
system was developed based on a continuous air barrier membrane for all opaque wall areas tied in with the glazing and roofing/waterproofing systems.
Rebar
was set into place to the south of the newly-relocated Key Bank
Tower located on the eastern edge of the ZCMI block to the east of the Crossroads block by the end of July 2008. The remainder of the ZCMI block had just completed initial site preparation by this time with demolition of the remaining portion of the ZCMI Mall completed by January 2009.
The Food Court section, located between Key Bank Tower and Eagle Gate Tower opened on June 10, 2009 after a 2-day delay. There are at least 10 food establishment spaces expected, with 7 already opened.
The first condominiums, Richard's Court, were finished during the spring of 2010. The first tenant, a Deseret Book
Flagship store, opened on the first floor of Richard's Court in April 2010.
In addition, many Salt Lake residents criticized the project for not introducing new anchors that currently do not operate in Utah. Many hope for upscale retailers such as Neiman Marcus
or Saks Fifth Avenue
, but the same anchors that anchored the previous malls are being favored, which also anchor many of Utah's malls.
The LDS church states that no tithing money is being used for construction of the complex; the entire project is being financed through the church's commercial real-estate arm, Property Reserve, Inc. Critics point to the definition of a non-profit religious organization and note that regardless of whether the church claims the project is funded directly by member contributions or indirectly by the proceeds of investing these contributions into other businesses, that the ultimate source of the funding is still member contributions.
In 2008, the Sierra Club
praised the church for being "good stewards" of the environment in its City Creek Center development.
Temple Square
Temple Square is a ten acre complex located in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In recent years, the usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities immediately adjacent to Temple Square...
in downtown
Downtown Salt Lake City
Downtown is the oldest district in Salt Lake City. The grid from which the entire city is laid out originates at Temple Square, the location of the Salt Lake Temple.-Location:...
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. It is an undertaking by Property Reserve, Inc. (the commercial real estate division of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and Taubman Centers, Inc.
Taubman Centers
Taubman Centers is an owner of United States upscale regional malls and has headquarters in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The Taubman Asia subsidiary is headquartered in Hong Kong. It has the highest selling portfolio of malls in any mall company in the United States.Taubman was founded in 1950 by...
Plans for the center call for shopping and residential elements, with foliage-lined walkways and streams covering three blocks in the heart of downtown Salt Lake. The City Creek Center is scheduled to open to the general public March 22, 2012. This shopping, office and residential center will encompass nearly 20 acres (8.1 ha) of downtown Salt Lake City. The City Creek Center is an estimated $2 billion sustainable design project to revitalize a downtown center in the heart of Salt Lake City.
History
The City Creek Center began to develop in 2003, when a for-profit company owned by the LDS Church purchased the Crossroads Plaza Mall, a shopping center on the west side of Main Street from the ZCMI Center MallZCMI Center Mall
The ZCMI Center Mall was a shopping center near Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah that was owned by Zions Securities Corporation, which opened in 1975 and closed in 2007. At the time of its opening, it was the largest downtown mall in the country...
. Both malls (known unofficially as the “Main Street Malls”) had been constructed in the 1970s and had begun to drop in sales figures by the late 1990s as a result of competition from rival centers in Salt Lake City’s suburbs. In 2001, the Boyer Company completed its new open-air Gateway Mall
Gateway District
The Gateway District is a large open air retail, residential and office complex in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The complex is centered around the historic Union Pacific Depot in downtown Salt Lake City...
a scant four blocks to the west of Crossroads and ZCMI, drawing even more business away from Main Street. Soon after, the Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
store at Crossroads announced its intentions to leave the mall and open a new store at Gateway. When the owners of the mall proved unable and unwilling to persuade the store to stay on Main Street, the LDS Church decided in 2003 to purchase the mall and redevelop the area in an effort to revitalize downtown Salt Lake City and keep the properties surrounding the church’s world headquarters at Temple Square economically vibrant. The church enlisted the help of nationally renowned mall developer Taubman Centers, Inc. to help it redesign the malls into a single project and recruit retailers to fill it. In October 2006, the concept design of City Creek Center was announced.
Overall Design and Transportation
The City Creek Center will feature an open-air design, similar to the competing Gateway Mall. The mall is intended to cater predominantly to pedestrian traffic. Multi-level sidewalks will feature six total acres of green space, fountains, and a stream. A pedestrian skywaySkyway
In an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, sky bridge, or skywalk is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces...
is planned to link the two city blocks across Main Street. The site will continue to be serviced by the City Center station of the TRAX
UTA TRAX
TRAX is a three-line light rail system in Utah's Salt Lake Valley, serving Salt Lake City and several of its suburbs throughout Salt Lake County. The system is operated by the Utah Transit Authority ....
light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system, and large underground parking structures will enable access by car.
Retail
The City Creek Center will be anchored by two national department stores: Nordstrom and Macy'sMacy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
. Nordstrom will have a two-story, 124000 sq ft (11,520 m²) store located on West Temple Street, across from the The Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center
Salt Palace
This article describes a large building in Utah. A one-story building made of locally mined salt blocks in Grand Saline, Texas is also called the "Salt Palace"....
and Macy’s will occupy a three-story store of 150000 sq ft (13,935.5 m²), located on east block among the Main Street. In the original plan, a third anchor, Dillard's
Dillard's
Dillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
, was planned for the mall as well. After public outcry about the alignment of the restored, historic Regent Street in the project, however, and after a subsequent realignment left insufficient space for the proposed 150000 square feet (13,935.5 m²) store, plans for a Dillard's at the Center were canceled. In its place will be a yet-to-be-announced "mid-sized anchor," more room for specialty retailers, and an additional condominium tower. There will also be approximately 300000 sq ft (27,870.9 m²). of additional retail space for specialty stores. Excavation for the new Harmons
Harmons
Harmons, is a supermarket chain located within the state of Utah in the United States. Harmons operates 14 stores - 1 each in Ogden, Roy, Orem, and St. George, with the other 10 located in Salt Lake County, with 2 more under construction...
grocery store was started on the east most (3rd) block, located on corner of 100 South and 200 East Streets. The northeast area containing the Key Bank Tower and adjoining Eagle Gate Tower is completed with June 2009 open date. It contains the Food Court with a view of the ongoing construction to the west. Several eateries are open: McCafe (McDonald's), Chang Chung, Sbarro's, Red Iguana, Bocata with more announced and yet to be announced eateries on way. The valet-assisted underground parking located under the Key Bank Tower is open. Deseret Book's flagship store opened March 2010 on northeast corner of the Richards Street, in the east building of the Richards Court, directly across from the Temple Square. Mall developers recently announced some of the first tenants of the new mall; Macy’s, Nordstrom, Yankee Candle Co., 77kids by American Eagle, Michael Kors, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Brooks Brothers / Brooks Brothers Women, Cotton On, Love Culture, Bose, Coach, The Limited, L’OCCITANE, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, N3L Optics, Tiffany & Co, Swarovski, Pandora, Papyrus, TUMI, Porsche Design, Texas de Brazil Churrascaria and Cheesecake Factory.
Office
Several existing office buildings in the area will maintain their positions in the City Creek Center development. The Key BankKey Bank
KeyBank is a regional bank headquartered in Key Tower within Cleveland, Ohio's Public Square. , it is the 19th largest bank in the United States based on total deposits...
Tower, however, has been demolished, and its tenants have been relocated to the Beneficial Financial Group
Beneficial Financial Group
Beneficial Financial Group is an insurance and financial services company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, which is in turn owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
Tower nearby, which has been renamed the Key Bank Tower. That building’s chief tenant relocated to the Gateway Tower West, which has been renamed as the new Beneficial Financial Group Tower. Residents and media challenged the decision to demolish the old First Security Bank Building. The challenge was upheld, the building will be renovated.
The City Creek Center project may also eventually include the Global Exchange Place. This building will offer exciting opportunities for Salt Lake City, as a region that is globally aware and engaged. Salt Lake City will benefit by creating a central location to showcase Utah's international abilities and strength into a "Global Exchange Place." A World Trade Center Utah will consolidate the now-scattered government and nonprofit economic development agencies and private sector international service providers as a single premier downtown Salt Lake City location. A conflict resolution and peace studies center will build upon Salt Lake City's Olympic legacy of friendship and goodwill to create a university-associated conflict resolution, mediation and` peace studies center. An International Institute will house an international university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
campus downtown. This "park-like" campus could include a foreign language institute, international student housing, conference center and central commons area. This project is only a proposal.
Residential
Approximately 300 housing units, consisting of condos and apartments, will be built into the new City Creek Center. They will be located in at least five residential towers, one of which is planned to be 30-35 stories tall
City Creek condominium tower
The City Creek condominium tower is a planned residential-building to be erected in the City Creek development in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Current plans call for the building to stand at tall and contain 30 to 35 levels. Construction is projected to begin when and if other City Creek...
not named yet, located on 100 South Street. Promontory on South Temple is a large tower which has replaced the demolished Inn at Temple Square on the northwest corner of the west block, South Temple and West Temple Streets. Richards Court located on South Temple Street, direct across from the Temple Square, topped early February 2009 with more than 45 percent sold. Construction started on foundation for the 20-floor Regent condominium tower located on south side of east block (100 South Street) with all penthouses located on 17th and 18th floors already sold out. They will principally be built along 100 South Street, with some constructed along South Temple Street as well.
Demolition and Construction
Demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
of the site’s old structures commenced in November 2006. By February 2007, the Inn at Temple Square had been completely demolished and work was underway to demolish the old parking structure for the Crossroads Plaza Mall
ZCMI Center Mall
The ZCMI Center Mall was a shopping center near Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah that was owned by Zions Securities Corporation, which opened in 1975 and closed in 2007. At the time of its opening, it was the largest downtown mall in the country...
. The destruction proceeded across the site from west to east, with several businesses remaining open until a short time before their scheduled demolition. Macy’s and Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
had both closed by early February 2007. On August 18, 2007 the twenty-story Key Bank Tower was imploded and was one of the final steps to demolition completion. Demolition was completed by the end of 2007, and was followed by another six months of excavation and site preparation. By July 2008, most of the below-surface structures of the Crossroads block located to the southeast of the Main Street
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
and South Temple Street intersection were complete. The parking structure beneath the future Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
site was complete on the southwestern corner of the block. The central core of the thirty-two story condo tower as well as the base-work for three additional residential structures located along the northern edge of the block had begun initial construction by mid-2008.
Building Envelope consultant, Morrison Hershfield
Morrison Hershfield
Morrison Hershfield is an employee-owned professional services firm providing engineering and management consulting services in the areas of energy and...
provided services on issues from schematic through construction phases of the City Creek Center project. This included two underground parking garages, five residential/office buildings, multiple retail stores, one building rehabilitation, and areas around and beneath the man-made stream and fountain areas.The design of the air barrier
Air barrier
Air barriers control air leakage into and out of the building envelope. Air barrier products may take several forms:*Mechanically-attached membranes, also known as housewraps, usually a polyethylene-fiber or spun-bonded polyolefin , such as Tyvek is a generally accepted moisture barrier and an air...
system was developed based on a continuous air barrier membrane for all opaque wall areas tied in with the glazing and roofing/waterproofing systems.
Rebar
Rebar
A rebar , also known as reinforcing steel, reinforcement steel, rerod, or a deformed bar, is a common steel bar, and is commonly used as a tensioning device in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures holding the concrete in compression...
was set into place to the south of the newly-relocated Key Bank
Key Bank
KeyBank is a regional bank headquartered in Key Tower within Cleveland, Ohio's Public Square. , it is the 19th largest bank in the United States based on total deposits...
Tower located on the eastern edge of the ZCMI block to the east of the Crossroads block by the end of July 2008. The remainder of the ZCMI block had just completed initial site preparation by this time with demolition of the remaining portion of the ZCMI Mall completed by January 2009.
The Food Court section, located between Key Bank Tower and Eagle Gate Tower opened on June 10, 2009 after a 2-day delay. There are at least 10 food establishment spaces expected, with 7 already opened.
The first condominiums, Richard's Court, were finished during the spring of 2010. The first tenant, a Deseret Book
Deseret Book
Deseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
Flagship store, opened on the first floor of Richard's Court in April 2010.
Criticism and praise
A number of critics opposed the sky-bridge, which is expected to funnel shoppers through the development. The critics include many South-end merchants who express concern that the sky-bridge will divert traffic from street-level stores adjacent to the development. They claim a similar result occurred thirty years ago after the construction of the two malls that City Creek replaced, during which longtime merchants such as Auerbachs, Paris Company, Wolfs, and Broadway Music all closed shop and either relocated or went out of business.In addition, many Salt Lake residents criticized the project for not introducing new anchors that currently do not operate in Utah. Many hope for upscale retailers such as Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus, formerly Neiman-Marcus, is a luxury specialty retail department store operated by the Neiman Marcus Group in the United States. The company is headquartered in the One Marcus Square building in Downtown Dallas, Texas, and competes with other department stores such as Saks Fifth...
or Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, i.e. 'the 3 B's' Bergdorf, Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor...
, but the same anchors that anchored the previous malls are being favored, which also anchor many of Utah's malls.
The LDS church states that no tithing money is being used for construction of the complex; the entire project is being financed through the church's commercial real-estate arm, Property Reserve, Inc. Critics point to the definition of a non-profit religious organization and note that regardless of whether the church claims the project is funded directly by member contributions or indirectly by the proceeds of investing these contributions into other businesses, that the ultimate source of the funding is still member contributions.
In 2008, the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
praised the church for being "good stewards" of the environment in its City Creek Center development.