However, the chamber hopes that, as with the 1963 "Second Century" plan that inspired it — and which Beattie argued foresaw the Salt Palace, Abravanel Hall, the Main Street Plaza, the courts complex and TRAX, among other things — the 2006 plan will be a forward-looking, valuable tool.

"We're trying to be able to get people talking about what (Salt Lake City) should be," Beattie said. "What are its strengths? What are its amenities? What does it offer, and what does it need?"

What the chamber's plan offers, according to Dennis Haslam, president and chief operating officer of Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment, is greater efficiency and practicality. Because the measure will be business-led, he said, it can be done quickly and without bureaucratic red tape.

"Business has a tendency to evaluate, to develop a plan, to implement and take action," Haslam said. "We believe that business can drag the rest of the community along, to see that we get something done.

"Hopefully, we'll end up with something that's short and sweet, something that we can test governmental action against once this vision is down on paper."

So far, Beattie said the measure is getting the support of politicos, including — at least initially — Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson.

"He's the mayor of the city," Beattie said. "We are very, very pleased that he is very supportive of this plan, this 'visioning' process. We honestly thought it might be difficult, for the very reasons you'd anticipate, because of what he envisions. I think we've moved beyond that, . . . and I certainly hope that with the people we have involved, which is a very broad-based group of people, that the vision will be one of shared visions."

---

E-mail: jnii@desnews.com