Bennion Jewelers' relocation looms

The finish-work is in its final stages, and Bennion Jewelers is eagerly awaiting the go-ahead to move to its new retail location, the former Old Navy building on Main Street and 100 South.

Other prospective tenants, however, continue to wait.

Bennion Jewelers, the building's primary ground-floor tenant, is expected to close its longtime retail home at 59 S. Main in two weeks and reopen at its new location on March 22, manager Michael Lawrence said. An official grand reopening is scheduled for the week of April 11, Lawrence said, and will feature special sales, promotions and events.

The building is owned by Property Reserve Inc., the real estate investment arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. PRI closed on the purchase of the building in 2004.

As of Wednesday, Lawrence said cabinetry was still being installed at the new store, along with rock finishing on an interior pillar. But the lighting is in place, he said, along with the walls and wall cases.

"We're excited," Lawrence said. "It will be a beautiful store. We've been able to do things the way we want them, things that will make it much more customer-friendly and easy. With the exposure on the corner, looking down 100 South and Main Street, we think it'll be wonderful. And for our customers, it's just down the block, so we don't think it will be an inconvenience."

The new store will be bigger — with almost double the total square footage of Bennion's current location — and new and, best of all, according to Lawrence, out of the way of two major projects announced on Main Street: significant demolition and reconstruction in connection with the LDS Church's downtown mixed-use project, and the 21-story Hamilton Partners/Wasatch Real Estate Partners office tower announced at 222 S. Main.

"I think that with the way things are going, and with what's being planned, down the street and up the street from us, we think (the Old Navy location) will be home," Lawrence said. "This will keep us close to everything, but out of the demolition zone."

Meanwhile, the building's other previously announced tenant, Deseret Book, as of Wednesday had no information to provide. The retailer had been slated to move its 150 corporate employees, currently working at the ZCMI Center, to the upper three floors of the Old Navy building in the spring of this year.

Also Wednesday, a church spokesman did not have further information regarding other possible tenants in the Old Navy building.

Deseret Book and the Deseret Morning News are owned by Deseret Management Corp., the holding company for businesses owned by the LDS Church.

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E-mail: jnii@desnews.com