Architectural renderings likely won't be released until autumn, but preliminary drawings of City Creek Center unveiled Thursday revealed more of developers' vision for the center, including Spanish steps, circular fountains and broad, tree-lined pedestrian walkways.

Mark Gibbons, president of Property Reserve Inc., the real estate arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, went into more detail about the church's plans for the downtown Salt Lake center during his keynote address at the International Council of Shopping Centers' 2007 Mountain West Idea Exchange.

"Over four years ago, we began an effort that has led us to the point where we are at today," Gibbons said Thursday at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center. "We are really, in downtown Salt Lake City, at a moment in time ... one can talk about stars aligning, and having the perfect storm."

Negotiating land buys; resolving lease agreements; assembling design, management and other teams; securing funding; gaining public support — all came together to allow the project to proceed, Gibbons said. It took years. But in November, work began with the demolition of the Inn at Temple Square.

On Thursday, Gibbons disclosed a slightly more detailed plan for "deconstruction." Next to fall will be the Crossroads Plaza parking structure, followed by the bulk of the mall itself and ending (on the Crossroads Plaza block) with the Key Bank tower. As of now, that tower is scheduled to fall in July.

On the ZCMI Center block, Gibbons said deconstruction work will begin around the base of the Beneficial Financial Group tower — so that work can begin on a new food court — and move to the buildings near the old First Security Bank building, which will be preserved and will continue to serve as an office building. That will be followed by the mall and end with the area that is currently the ZCMI Center food court. That food court will then move to the Beneficial building.

Gibbons did not provide a timeline for deconstruction on the ZCMI Center block. Excavation on both blocks will go down 50 feet, Gibbons said, below the foundations of four of the existing office towers.

When complete, City Creek Center will feature about 300,000 square feet less office space than currently exists, and a "marginal reduction of 25 percent" in retail space, to 900,000 square feet. There will be about 500 residential units, but no government subsidized housing. The total number of parking stalls will increase, and 100 percent of parking at the project will be below ground, Gibbons said.

The finished product, expected in autumn 2011, will "seamlessly connect to the surrounding city," Gibbons said, promising wide, pedestrian-friendly paths and plazas, a creek and fountains and open, street-level vendors.

"This center, this mixed-use development, is part of the fabric of a larger downtown, and a significant effort is required to make certain that those connections are maintained and improved and strengthened," he said. "This development, as measured by community contribution, will be a catalyst for future revitalization and development within the downtown Salt Lake City marketplace."

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