Oka said the city offered SLCC a loan just over $2 million to get into the building a few years ago. The city also offered $20,000 loans to smaller businesses a block down on Main Street.

SLCC wanted the center to provide the downtown area with access to education and envisioned downtown workers taking a class on their lunch hour or before or after work, Bioteau said. It estimated annual center enrollment to hit 3,800 students.

But last year — its best, enrollment-wise — the facility had 1,500 students. While business workers do take classes through the college, they typically do so via the Internet and other means, Bioteau said.

Still, the center is viewed as a "good-faith effort" for the college to serve the downtown area, but in too big of a building, both Kendell and Bioteau said.

"My approach to growing the campus is to grow consistently and carefully as programs grow," Bioteau said. She said the center was oversized for this stage of development.

The college has a partnership in which the Women's Business Center, part of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, can use the Main Street center, SLCC spokesman Joy Tlou said. "We will have a conversation with them about the future."

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Contributing: Kersten Swinyard

E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com