From Deseret News archives:
Theater 'unparalleled' asset
The former Newspaper Agency Corp. building at 135 S. Main went through a dress rehearsal for its future role as a downtown performing arts center, complete with a curtained entryway, musical performers and posters of popular Broadway shows.
State and city government leaders joined members of the arts, business and religious communities to celebrate plans for a 2,400-seat theater capable of hosting first-run touring Broadway productions.
"This is a momentous day for us in Salt Lake City," Mayor Ralph Becker said, officially announcing the former NAC site as the theater's future home. "The Utah Performance Center on Main will be an asset that is unparalleled in our region."
The site is about a half-block away from the original Salt Lake Theater, a 1,500-seat venue built by early settlers of the Salt Lake Valley at 100 S. State, Becker said.
Ground was broken for the construction of the site in 1861. Early LDS Church leader Brigham Young "personally announced the construction of the theater and vigorously pursued its completion," he said.
The theater held its final performance on Oct. 20, 1928.
"Our traditions inspire and often guide us, but our future and all that's possible for us to achieve propels us forward," Becker said. "So 80 years later this week, we are returning to reaffirm our commitment to the vision laid out by Brigham Young for our great city."
H. David Burton, presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also spoke about the performing arts tradition of the church, calling the arts "an integral part of our community."
Bishop Burton applauded the downtown theater project, saying it will work together with the LDS Church's $1.5 billion City Creek Center mixed-use development on the north side of 100 South to bolster the vibrancy of downtown.
An expected boost to economic development is one of two ways Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said he believes a downtown performing arts center will significantly improve quality of life for Utahns.
"The second part is we have some great young people in this state who are wonderful performers," he said. "To think they're going to have a world-class outpost that will allow them to elevate their capabilities is an awesome thought."
The Utah Performance Center on Main is the working title for the estimated $81.5 million project, which is expected to also include rehearsal space and black-box theaters. Complementary retail and even residential space also could become part of the project, city officials said.
