LDS Church to turn Triad into an education center

While the education component of the church's downtown plan leaped ahead, the retail and residential portion — including the renovation of the two Main Street malls — remains unchanged. Burton said Tuesday that he understands that "there is much anticipation in the community for what the church will do with the property that it owns and controls along South Temple and Main Street." But, he said, there is no new information available.

"The work continues aggressively on that part of the church's plan," Burton said. "We agree . . . that this whole downtown development is absolutely critical for the social and economic development of the city center. At a future date, we will be prepared to talk more about the retail and residential component.

"We don't feel we can rush this critical planning stage," he said. "Both the church and those charged with the task of overseeing and administering the city on behalf of all of its citizens must be convinced that we've found the right way to go forward."

Burton dismissed recent grumbling regarding the possible "Vaticanization" by the church in downtown Salt Lake — rumbles that increased following the church's purchase of Crossroads Plaza shopping center, the Old Navy building on 100 South and Main Street and its interest in the Triad Center.

"Salt Lake City is the world headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have a peculiar and long-standing history here," he said, calling the redevelopment project "a harmonious redevelopment of downtown that will benefit all of the citizenry, regardless of their faith."

The church doesn't expect to buy more property downtown in the near term, though Burton said that "from time to time there may be circumstances that would dictate that we protect the interests of the church or we assist in some way in the revitalization of the downtown community."

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson met with Burton on Tuesday and called the Triad Center deal "a very positive development."

"The Triad Center was about 25 percent vacant," Anderson said. "This will bring life and activity to the city. With an opening academic year of 2006, we're looking forward to a much more active use of that area of our city much sooner, including more people living in and near downtown."

As for the mall projects, Anderson said, "I think everyone, including those who have been working on behalf of the LDS Church, wish that we had more certainty and that things were moving along more rapidly."

When asked whether he was concerned about the church's property-buying activity of late, Anderson said he sees "only good things coming from the massive investment by the LDS Church" on the two malls.