In a joint announcement today, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Salt Lake City administrators outlined a proposal to develop an open-space pedestrian plaza on one block of Main Street between North and South Temple that will allow for new lawns, flower gardens, fountains and reflecting pools.
The announcement said that the Church, with the encouragement and support of Mayor Corradini, is proposing to buy the surface rights for this section of Main Street from the city for $8.1 million. The sub-surface rights were purchased a number of years ago by the Church.
The concept of a pedestrian area in Main Street was first proposed in the 1962 Second Century Plan for downtown Salt Lake City as one of 14 major projects to improve the economic and cultural viability of the downtown area.
This proposal will mark the completion of the final component of the City’s master plan.
“We have agreed in our discussions with Mayor Deedee Corradini and other city officials that this is the appropriate time to proceed with the project,” said President Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church.
“We appreciate the enthusiastic support of civic and business leaders, and we are confident that this project will be wonderfully positive for the community and especially the central downtown area.”
The proposal will now go through the public process for review and will need final approval by the Salt Lake City Council.
Experts consulted by the Church and City believe that the proposal will not unduly interfere with city center traffic. Additionally, it will increase the safety and convenience of visitors and those who work in the area by providing easier pedestrian access to downtown merchants and the light-rail system.
The closure of this segment of Main Street to vehicular traffic supports the City’s current master plan to handle an increasingly larger volume of traffic on arterial streets such as 400 West and 400 South, thereby reducing potential congestion caused by through-traffic in the retail and business district.
As a companion project, the Church is also petitioning the City to allow construction of a new 650-car underground parking facility which will also enhance the downtown area. The extra parking spaces will take pressure off the existing mall and surface parking areas.
