Input sought on Gallivan redesign

An effort to revamp the Gallivan Center will take center stage this week.

Looking for public input on the multimillion-dollar redesign, architects and Salt Lake City planners will host a workshop on the downtown plaza's stage Monday night.

"The people love Gallivan," said City Councilman Eric Jergensen. "We want to make the best possible public space that we can."

The center is located at 50 E. 200 South, and the workshop begins at 6 p.m.

In January, the city's Redevelopment Agency approved conceptual drawings for a $6 million renovation, only to put the project on ice a month later.

"The concern was there was not enough public discussion," said Jergensen, the agency's chairman. "With this workshop, people can give input and present ideas. Hopefully, that process will allow us to create some enthusiasm around what we're trying to do."

The downtown plaza needs a number of renovations, city leaders said. The original renovation plans called for a two-story building along 200 South that would house permanent rest rooms, banquet facilities and an ice-skating rental office.

The drawings also showed a larger amphitheater and an at-grade skating rink.

Following Monday's workshop, architects will adjust their designs and present them to the RDA in early May. The city hoped to begin construction on the site this summer, but Jergensen said that timeline will likely be pushed back a year.

"A year delay is not a big deal when you consider that it is going to be used for the next 20 to 25 years," he said. "We want to get it right the first time."

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