Church re-evaluating uses of First Security building

The First Security building has another chance to remain standing.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had initially planned to demolish the historic building, also known as the Deseret building, as part of its revamping of the downtown Salt Lake City malls. But the church is now "re-evaluating its possible uses," the Salt Lake City Council learned Thursday.

"We are not at this point proposing its demolition," Mark Gibbons, president of the church's Property Reserve Inc., said at a joint meeting of the council, the Planning Commission and the Transportation Advisory Board. "We are re-evaluating its possible uses and will come at a future date to present a plan for that location."

That and a number of other details came forward Thursday as PRI, the church's real-estate development arm, updated its plans to create City Creek Center, a mixed-use project that will include retail, office and residential units.

Gibbons told city officials that while the development is being considered an indoor-outdoor project, some of the outdoor pedestrian walkways will be covered by glass for weather protection. That covering is "a hybrid" of indoor-outdoor uses currently used at other developments, and Gibbons said its final form is still being studied.

The decision regarding the First Security Building came after criticism from historic preservationists and other residents about losing the 1919 building. The Utah Heritage Foundation last week called on residents to make their opposition to the demolition known. A church spokesman responded that the building cannot be saved and listed a handful of reasons, including the building's outdated design.

"Architects, engineers and planners on our redevelopment team have spent 24 months carefully evaluating all options for this building," a statement from church spokesman Dale Bills at the time said. "Even after a seismic retrofit costing tens of millions of dollars, the building still could not adequately accommodate office or residential tenants in a competitive downtown marketplace. The high costs of restoration could not be recouped."

On Thursday, Gibbons said the change came as a result of public input. He declined to say when the church would reach a final decision regarding the building.

"We're listened to public comment and want to make sure every rock has been overturned," he said.

He would not comment on what alternative uses are being considered. Kirk Huffaker of the Utah Heritage Foundation has suggested it could be altered from its current office use to residential use.