Church re-evaluating uses of First Security building

Councilman S�ren Simonsen, who had raised the issue of preserving the First Security building at previous council meetings, was glad to hear of the church's possible change of heart.

"I'm delighted they're going to revisit it," he said. "A potential to save the building is exciting."

Regarding the rest of the development, Gibbons said crews will start by tearing down the Inn at Temple Square early next month, assuming the city grants a demolition permit. The church submitted the application for that permit last week.

The Crossroads Plaza parking structure will come down next, followed by Crossroads itself, and then the Key Bank tower. Demolition on the ZCMI Center block, on which the First Security building is located, is slated to begin about six months after the Inn first starts to come down.

The church also laid out the public approval process it expects for the project, including a number of Planning Commission approvals for elements of the plan that violate maximum building heights, minimum glass use and requirements for retail, office or restaurant use on the ground floor.

The ground-floor use issue comes from plans to allow ground-level parking on Social Hall Avenue in front of a proposed Harmons grocery store. Gibbons said that concession was requested by Harmons.

Other than that structure, all the parking at the new development will be underground, as opposed to the 75 percent above-ground parking currently on the Crossroads and ZCMI blocks.

"That will reduce the feeling of bulk on those blocks and add to the feeling of openness," Gibbons said.

A number of the proposed residential buildings are expected to exceed mid-block limits of 100 feet by about 25 feet.

City community develop- ment director Louis Zunguze called the plans for City Creek Center "very complex from a review standpoint," as illustrated by the number of public approvals that will be needed.

In addition to the Planning Commission approvals, the development will require action by the City Council before a skybridge over Main Street can be built to connect retail and residential components of the two blocks.

City Council approval will also be required for the proposed enlargement of the mid-street ramps on 100 South and West Temple that allow traffic to go from underground parking directly onto the street. The church plans to allow cars to enter parking through the West Temple ramp in addition to exiting, which is all that is allowed now. It also proposes to add a new mid-street underground parking ramps, on South Temple between Main and State Streets.

The public process is set to begin next week, when the Planning Commission hears public comment on two elements of the plan Wednesday evening.

The entire City Creek Center project is projected to be complete and ready to open sometime in mid-2011.

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E-mail: dsmeath@desnews.com