Many stores up in air

The LDS Church's unveiling Tuesday of its redevelopment project begat confusion and limbo for all but a few tenants of the Crossroads Plaza and ZCMI Center malls, with vendors and clerks wondering when their operations will close, where they will go and whether they will be among those invited to occupy one of the slots available near the redevelopment site.

"To be honest, I have no idea what's going on," Rebecca Holbrook, manager of Precision Time at ZCMI Center, said late Wednesday morning. "I've heard a lot of stores will be out of here by Dec. 31, but I don't know if we'll be one of them or anything."

The same goes for Mariposa, an apparel retailer at Crossroads. Ditto the U.S. Postal Service's ZCMI Center branch. Ditto Parry's Office Supply at ZCMI Center and Ypsilon at Crossroads — soon to be Ypsilon at ZCMI Center.

During his presentation of preliminary plans for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' project to the Salt Lake City Council Tuesday, Bishop H. David Burton, presiding bishop of the church, said some retail and food vendors will find homes at the Eagle Gate Tower on South Temple and the new Key Bank Tower (now the Beneficial Financial Group building). He did not say how many retail slots will be available or when, or who will fill them. Church spokesman Dale Bills had no further information Wednesday.

Mr. Mac, the Utah-based men's clothier, is among the few to receive some assurance that the church will reserve a place for it during the five-year development — though details are few.

"We've been a long-standing fixture in the downtown area. We've been in the mall, we've been on Main Street, and we intend to be here for a very long time," said Stuart Christensen, manager and co-owner of Mr. Mac in the ZCMI Center. "Our agreement with them is that we'll stay somewhere on the block, or on the two blocks, in a 'mutually agreeable location."'

Where that will be, or when Mr. Mac will move there, remains unclear, Christensen said.

"We've trusted them in what they're doing, though we don't have all of the details as to where we may be or how things will change," he said. "For now, imagine a big sign that reads: OPEN FOR BUSINESS. In capital letters."

Deseret Book also has received the green light. Gail Halladay, spokeswoman for the company, said its flagship store will be temporarily relocated in the downtown area during construction, but it will remain open.

"Deseret Book has had a retail presence in downtown Salt Lake since its origin, which was 1866," Halladay said. "So we plan to remain a mainstay in the downtown area."

Like Christensen, Halladay didn't yet have specific information about when or where the store will move.