This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Developers spending millions to breathe new life into the aged Trolley Square shopping mall said Tuesday that first-run movie theaters won't be part of the mall's rebirth.
Two screens at the mall's Regency Theatres already have been closed, with the theater closing entirely on Feb. 1.
"It's always been the plan from day one," said Dawn Katter, Trolley property manager, though The Tribune could find no record of such a statement from the mall's owner, ScanlanKemperBard Cos., which purchased the center in late 2006.
Representatives of ScanlanKemperBard did not return calls Tuesday seeking comment.
Katter said the theater's closure is the last part of the main mall area's redevelopment. Plans are to add more retail and restaurant space in the area the theater occupies.
Also still yet to be done will be the opening of additional skylights, adding a glass elevator in the mall's center court and working on seismic upgrades.
ScanlanKemperBard is partnering with developer Blake Hunt Ventures to overhaul the site, which was an old trolley complex in use until 1945.
Trolley Square became a shopping mall in the early 1970s, but over the years lost ground to newer malls such as The Gateway shopping center just a few miles away.
The mall is anchored by Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and Banana Republic. Global apparel retailer American Apparel recently opened its first Utah location in the mall.
* $10 million renovation: Work on the 160,000-square-foot main mall, on the block bordered by 500 South and 600 South and 600 East and 700 East, began in spring 2007 and is scheduled for completion in July. The movie theater closure, adding a glass elevator and seismic upgrades are some of the final projects in this phase.
* Underground parking: Work will begin soon on a 300-space structure and an additional 40,000 square feet of retail space fronting 600 East.
* Whole Foods Market: Work will begin in the fall on a 53,000-square-foot building as well as a 250-space parking garage. Completion on the last phase is scheduled by late 2009.