Details may be near on Salt Lake mall project

An announcement about the LDS Church's much-anticipated downtown redevelopment project might come next week, if hints dropped by the Salt Lake Chamber president prove out.

"During the next five years, more than $2 billion will be invested in a 10-block area in downtown," Chamber President Lane Beattie said at the chamber's annual meeting Thursday. "This is more, in a shorter time, than in any previous period. ... And it's not my announcement to say that I hope all of you are going to be listening to the news media really closely next week. I guarantee you, you won't be disappointed."

Beattie declined further comment and would not elaborate on what he knew, what announcements are forthcoming or by whom. His tip came near the end of his remarks in a section devoted to the chamber's "Downtown Rising" initiative, a business-led regional envisioning effort launched in late August.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced in 2003 it had purchased Crossroads Plaza and had plans for a massive redevelopment project, including both it and the ZCMI Center mall, office buildings, housing and educational sites. Few details have emerged since then, and anticipation — and anxiety — regarding the project have grown.

LDS Church spokesman Dale Bills declined Thursday to speculate on or interpret Beattie's statement. However, he did say that Presiding Bishop H. David Burton, who oversees development for the church, "will be briefing the Salt Lake City Council regarding the church's downtown redevelopment project next Tuesday evening," on Oct. 3.

Beyond that, Bills declined comment. And a city permit official said he had no further information.

There are other downtown development projects planned, including a 21-story office tower at 222 S. Main, shepherded by Hamilton Partners, Wasatch Development Associates and Wasatch Real Estate Partners. Bruce Bingham, a partner at Hamilton Partners, attended the chamber meeting and heard Beattie's remarks but said he did not know specifically to what downtown project Beattie was referring.

Regardless, the chamber believes there is cause for much excitement in Utah, and much work to do.

"Our economy is strong, our member companies are profitable and business investment in our state is expanding," said Keith Rattie, chairman of the chamber's board of governors and chief executive officer of Questar Corp. "In turn, Utah workers and their families are sharing in the prosperity. We're creating jobs, unemployment is low and real income is rising."