Revised Gallivan Center makeover moving forward

After a few tweaks — and a six-month delay — Salt Lake leaders are moving forward with an $8 million makeover of the Gallivan Center.

Tuesday, the city's Redevelopment Agency approved a plan to construct a two-story building along 200 South, expand the center's amphitheater and build an at-grade ice rink.

Where to locate restrooms and whether to put a building on 200 South were the biggest points of contention Tuesday, as city leaders grappled with the decision.

In the end, RDA members approved the design 6-1. Councilman and RDA Vice Chairman Luke Garrott was the lone holdout.

"I'm so happy," Gallivan director Talitha Day said. "I was originally opposed to a building on 200 South, but after working there and programming events, I can see the building will define the area."

The two-story building will be mostly glass and will hold enough restrooms to handle 5,000 people. It also will house skate-rental and banquet facilities.

In opposing the building, Garrott said he would like to see restrooms spread throughout the downtown center or possibly located in a vacant, RDA-owned retail space along Gallivan Avenue.

Councilwoman Jill Remington Love disagreed, saying she believes that space, while vacant now, hasn't been given a proper chance to succeed as retail.

The RDA approved a similar redesign of the center in January but put the plan on ice a month later, calling for additional public input on the matter.

The six-month process gleaned a few alterations from the original redesign, including a shade structure over the rink, a tower that acts as a terminus to Regent Street and a few landscaping improvements.

Those tweaks, however, could add as much as $2 million to the project.

Love said she was finally "at peace" with building on 200 South, saying the structure would help frame the beloved urban space.

e-mail: afalk@desnews.com