Luke Garrott, the first-year councilman representing District 4, which includes downtown, said he "highly doubts" that the financial viability of the project depends on the skybridge.

"I think there are a lot of other factors that go into the success and failure of a project," Garrott said.

That said, the City Council members are forced take at face value developers' claims that second-level retail must have a pedestrian connector and that shoppers won't tolerate anything other than a closed bridge, he said.

That causes Garrott some "disquietude," he said, because those "imperatives" are created and solely judged by the developers.

Other council members also have concerns about the skybridge that they say need to be resolved before deciding April 8 whether to sell or lease air rights above Main Street.

In April 2007, the City Council approved amendments to the city's master plan to allow for skybridges in certain circumstances.

In order to meet those requirements, the developer must show that all other reasonable alternatives for a street-level crossing were evaluated and found not to be feasible due to safety or other concerns; the proposed development must contribute to a vibrant streetscape; negative impact to view corridors must be minimized; and the project must enhance a primary pedestrian focus.

City Creek Reserve Inc., a development arm of the LDS Church, and other project partners will meet with the City Council in a work session today to address those lingering concerns. Loch said he believes the development now meets that criteria, in part due to a public process that helped shape the project.

"We've put every ounce of our energy into making this the very best project you could possibly build and develop in downtown Salt Lake City," he said. "We are very, very confident we'll get this approval."

Soren Simonsen, the lone member of the council to vote against amending the master plan a year ago, said he wants to make sure all alternatives to the skybridge were explored.

The developers have listed alternatives and the reasons they were dismissed, "but we haven't seen anything that demonstrated how thoroughly they've been evaluated," Simonsen said.

"Until I've seen evidence that satisfies they've really looked at it and addressed it, it would be difficult for me to be supportive," he said.

That's also one of Hill's complaints. "They haven't shown there is no other option," she said.

Hill has sent copies of her report to members of the City Council, along with a letter encouraging them to read it before making a decision. She's also planning to speak tonight at a public hearing on the skybridge.