Macy's is the latest retailer to join those who eagerly await the unveiling of final plans for the LDS Church's downtown mixed-use development.

But the store formerly known — in Utah — as Meier & Frank said Thursday it "certainly will have a very, very strong presence" in the $500 million project.

Macy's, which now operates eight stores in Utah, sent a team to Salt Lake City this week to meet with city and community leaders and customers. Store representatives also did a bit of reassuring, especially regarding its role in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' massive downtown redevelopment project.

"We are just now starting to get involved in discussions (with the LDS Church), now that we officially own those stores," Macy's spokeswoman Kimberly Reason said Thursday. "So yes, very certainly it's a very big discussion, a very important discussion. And we plan to have a very strong presence in that whole development.

"We don't know yet how the final plans will lay out, of course, but we very much see ourselves as a partner in those discussions and are very excited about the opportunity."

Federated Department Stores Inc., the parent company of Macy's, completed its purchase of Meier & Frank's parent company, The May Co., in August 2005.

Reason said Macy's has no new information on the progress of the project or how the retailer's ZCMI Center store — renovated just a few years ago, reportedly for upwards of $20 million — will fit into the project.

"What I can say is that we plan to have a presence in that development, period. So any concerns about us going away shouldn't be there at all," Reason said.

LDS Church spokesman Mark Tuttle declined Thursday to comment on the status of the project or on the role of Macy's.

For now, Reason said Macy's is focused on reaching out, and listening to, its customers. A Macy's Northwest team met with two focus groups Wednesday and two more on Thursday. The groups were made up of "regular shoppers" and Federated/May Co. card holders, who were asked about their likes and dislikes, preferences and expectations.

"This being a new market for us, we're very excited to hear exactly what our customers think," Reason said.

Customers can expect a better shopping experience than they had at Meier & Frank, Reason said. Displays will be crisper, stores will be cleaner and better organized, and the merchandise will be "a step or two above" what Meier & Frank offered.

"We know that there is a business out there in terms of moderate price points. What we're hearing our customers say is that modest is not the same as moderate," Reason said.

"Some of our customers are saying, 'We want you to be able to offer clothes that cater to a diversity of people. There are some people who like short sleeves and low-cuts. Other people want something more modest, and we're not seeing enough modest.' At the same time, we recognize and understand that everyone wants to be fashionable."

Federated has no immediate plans to divest any of its eight Utah stores or to change staffing levels or personnel. It will operate a regional office here, led by Brigham Young University alumnus Paul Oscarson.

And, Reason said, it will do a better job than Meier & Frank did of reaching out to the community, both in courting new customers and in charitable work. The company expects to complete its transition by early September, when it will hold a grand-reopening at its stores statewide.

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E-mail: jnii@desnews.com