Through two-story bay windows, the west-looking view from the $58 million expansion takes in EnergySolutions Arena, the north and south wings of The Gateway commercial center and the Triad Center. None existed when the old Salt Palace was first unveiled in 1964 - and finally completed nearly five years later - but the civic leaders who fought to get it built back then knew a major auditorium was needed to pump hope and money into the city's future.

"The decision to go ahead was not unanimous, but the decision was made, the bond was passed and the building is built. It belongs to everyone and can be made successful by the support of everyone," Gov. Calvin L. Rampton said on the night of July 13, 1969, as hundreds of diners assembled in the $19 million Salt Palace to hear (although the sound wasn't too good) the Salt Lake City Philharmonic Orchestra and to hear numerous speakers praise the potential of the complex with its 14,000-seat arena, 70,000 square feet of exhibit space and small concert hall.

Another formal dedication ceremony was held Monday evening, with Salt Lake Chamber President Lane Beattie extolling the "wisdom and foresight" of those former civic leaders in laying the foundation for a Salt Palace that now has grown to encompass more than 1 million square feet.

The third Salt Palace expansion cost $58 million overall but came in on time and under budget, finished in 22 months. The move was needed to satisfy the needs of the Outdoor Retailer trade shows, the city's most lucrative annual conventions, which were outgrowing what the first two Salt Palace expansions could provide.

"Thanks for your encouragement, in a loving sort of way," Beattie said Monday to Outdoor Retailer organizers, noting that their nudging was largely responsible for adding 145,000 square feet of exhibit space and 72,000 square feet of meeting room space to the facility, making it big enough now to handle major conventions such as next summer's 25,000-strong assembly of Rotarians.

Construction of the original Salt Palace came at the expense of "Japan Town," the ethnic Japanese neighborhood that had occupied the west side of downtown Salt Lake City since the late 19th century. Now only the Japanese Church of Christ and the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple remain.

To pay respect to the Japanese community, Salt Palace Convention Center General Manager Allyson Jackson said the latest Salt Palace work has incorporated a traditional Japanese garden and added a fence to obstruct the view of the building's loading docks from the church. The opening of gates into the loading area will resemble the opening of a kimono.

The Salt Palace also includes interior and exterior artwork by Gordon Huether, who also decorated the Widstoe Hall Science Learning Center at Utah State University. Both pieces change color in concert with changes in the ambient light, the long horizontal form in the west lobby mirroring overhead views of the Great Salt Lake bottoms.

Jackson was particularly complimentary of the work done by Bodell Construction and its 75 subcontractors, jokingly crediting her personal rapport with project manager Tiffany Anderson with helping keep the project on pace.

"Several times we looked at each other and said, 'It's because we're both women,' '' Jackson said.

mikeg@sltrib.com