She and Commissioner Prescott Muir said they would prefer to see an uncovered pedestrian bridge. De Lay said because of the view from an uncovered bridge, "People would want to get married there."

But Loch said an uncovered bridge would defeat the purpose of making it convenient for shoppers in all weather. He said the proposed covered bridge would be "very transparent" to avoid blocking the street-level view.

A photograph manipulated digitally to include an example of a glass-enclosed sky bridge showed the bridge framing Ensign Peak when viewed from the south, the way Eagle Gate frames the Capitol.

Loch said the design process included alternatives such as closing Main Street to traffic, using an underground tunnel rather than an aboveground sky bridge or placing the bulk of retail on just one block. But none of those options worked with the preferred model, he said.

Loch also gave the commission some hints about the architecture the new center would use. The architecture is still being designed, but Loch said it would be inspired by the rest of downtown: "classic proportion, beautifully proportioned and, the thing that really struck us, very high quality."

He said the buildings would make use of high-quality materials and a lot of natural light.

"It's going to be a must-see on anyone's trip to Salt Lake," he said.

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E-mail: dsmeath@desnews.com