Developer joins mall overhaul

One of the largest retail developers in the U.S. — Taubman Centers Inc. — is buying into downtown Salt Lake City, it was announced Tuesday.

That news about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' downtown mall redevelopment plan came with another revelation — that the church now plans to include about 900 housing units as part of the mixed-use redevelopment of the Crossroads Plaza and ZCMI Center malls.

The 900 units are substantially more than originally contemplated. That pleased Mayor Rocky Anderson, who has encouraged the church to include a substantial housing component in the development.

"It's absolutely fantastic," Anderson said Tuesday from Washington, D.C.

LDS Church leaders told the Salt Lake City Council on Tuesday that Taubman Centers has signed a "letter of intent" to purchase partial ownership in the retail portions of the church's downtown mall project.

"Together we will own the project," Taubman executive vice president William S. Taubman said.

The Michigan-based retail developer said the company has researched downtown Salt Lake City and believes the area can work for retail.

"This will be the centerpiece of the retail area for the overall downtown environment," Taubman said.

Taubman and LDS Church Presiding Bishop H. David Burton would not say whether the retail components of the new development would be open on Sunday or whether restaurants on the properties would sell alcohol. The LDS Church discourages its members from consuming alcohol and from shopping or working on Sundays.

Nordstrom, which will anchor the retail development, has already said it would close on Sundays. But Taubman said it is too early to say whether all retail would follow the Seattle-based retailer's lead.

There were few new details released about the project, and both Burton and Taubman declined to say when construction would start.

"It will take some time," Taubman said. "This will be a major project. This is not something that will be accomplished quickly."

Burton reiterated his commitment that the new project will have less retail than the 1.2 million square feet of retail space that currently exists in the two malls.

That retail space will be "replaced with other kinds of usage," which Burton explained would be housing and office spaces. Those housing units would be filled over time, he said.

City Council members encouraged the redevelopment partners to be as open as possible about their plans and to keep the public informed of progress.