Church to unveil downtown plans today

After three years of anticipation, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is set to unveil its plans for a huge downtown redevelopment project today.

The church's plans for about 20 acres at the heart of downtown — centered on Main Street and 100 South — have been shrouded in secrecy since it was announced in 2003 that a redevelopment was coming. Presiding Bishop H. David Burton will brief the City Council on the plans at a work session meeting today.

"On a scale of one to 10, I'm about a 17 or 18," Councilman Eric Jergensen said of his level of excitement.

Jergensen and most other council members have already seen the plans — they were briefed at private meetings with church officials last week — and they aren't saying much about what the rest of us can expect.

Jergensen said the plan incorporates "some very exciting urban-design principles that are really, frankly, visionary."

Councilman Dave Buhler would only say that the plans have "huge implications for the future of downtown."

The church owns downtown malls Crossroads Plaza and the ZCMI Center and has said it will revamp them. The aim is to ensure a thriving economy in the city that houses the church's headquarters and avoid deterioration of the area surrounding Temple Square.

At Saturday's 176th Semiannual General Conference, church President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "The church is undertaking a huge development project in the interest of protecting the environment of Temple Square. While the costs will be great, it will not involve the expenditure of tithing funds."

At a meeting of the Salt Lake Chamber on Thursday, chamber President Lane Beattie suggested the project will cost about $2 billion.

While many residents will be watching tonight's meeting, Mayor Rocky Anderson won't be there. The mayor is on vacation in Germany.

"He really wishes he could be here," said his spokesman, Patrick Thronson. "This trip was scheduled well in advance of him finding out about the announcement."

Anderson, like most of the council, has seen the church's plans, and Thronson said the mayor is optimistic about them. Anderson had objected to previous tentative plans put forth by the church, but he has expressed strong support for the new direction the church has taken in its planning.

The mayor "is extremely excited about the design," Thronson said. "He thinks it will be a real credit to our downtown and a source of pride for our Salt Lake City residents. There have been substantial changes since the first proposed design that will add to the sustainability and aesthetics of the development."

Councilman Carlton Christensen said the mayor's staff has played an important role in the plan's development.