Save First Security building?

The "essence" of what many know as the First Security building in downtown Salt Lake City is what should be saved, says a state history official — and that means the entire building, not just the facade, should remain intact as other buildings around it are demolished to make way for a new 20-acre development.

Officials with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this week announced plans for the church's massive City Creek Center project downtown, where several buildings are slated for demolition.

The First Security building is already attracting attention of those in favor of preserving it.

"The style is such that it represents a certain phase, a certain period in time, a certain architectural trend," said Philip F. Notarianni, director of the Division of State History. He thinks the whole building, with its ornate exterior, should be saved. However, the Utah Heritage Foundation wants more facts before it pushes the issues of saving the facade or the entire First Security building or the Inn at Temple Square, which some also see as having historical value and signific- ance.

The foundation's board of trustees met Wednesday and talked about what kind of power and influence they would have in the matter of preserving all or part of either building.

"We have our constituency," said Kirk Huffacker, interim executive director for the foundation.

The amount of public support for saving the facade or entire building at either location will be key to the board's resolve in both cases as it approaches the LDS Church and Salt Lake City officials with questions about the mall project, which overall received some praise from the board.

But board members want more answers on whether the LDS Church is following proper permitting procedures regarding the demolition of buildings for its project. They also want a cost comparison of making seismic upgrades to the existing First Security building versus tearing it down and starting new.

And the board, before its next scheduled meeting in December, may try to find partners in the fight if it becomes an issue of trying to save the bank building or at least its facade.

LDS Church officials have said this week they're looking into possibly saving the facade of the First Security building, which the church acquired in 2002. No one with the LDS Church, however, would comment Wednesday.

"That's not really saving the essence of the building — it's just a facade," Notarianni said.

Notarianni hopes the LDS Church will at least take another look at the building's link to the history of commercial development downtown as well as its architectural significance.