The commission is expected to consider a final green light for the entire project, including a Main Street sky bridge, at a later meeting, possibly as soon as Jan. 23. The ultimate approval for the sky bridge will rest with the Salt Lake City Council.

Planning Commissioner Babs De Lay said Tuesday she hopes to see strong turnout for tonight's public hearing.

"It's surprising to me with a billion-dollar project how few people have chimed in, either pro or con," she said. "It's a huge step into the future of the vision of downtown."

City Creek Center Reserve Inc., a development arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is remaking the defunct Crossroads Plaza and ZCMI Center malls and surrounding property into a shopping and dining destination bolstered by new residential and office complexes.

"Upon project completion in late 2011, Salt Lake will be one of a few cities in the nation with a vibrant mixed-use development at its core," City Creek Center spokesman Dale Bills wrote Tuesday in an e-mail.

Also tonight as part of the City Creek project, the Planning Commission will consider whether to grant permission to build a 265-foot-tall building at 50 E. 100 South that would exceed a height restriction of 100 feet and a setback restriction of 5 feet, with part of the building's facade resting 15 feet from the front property line.

Although there will not be a final vote on the sky bridge tonight, the city has amended a master plan to allow for sky bridges downtown, under limited circumstances, despite vehement opposition from former Mayor Rocky Anderson,

City Creek has argued that a pedestrian connector spanning Main Street is essential to the success of its shopping component. Early plans have shown a glass-enclosed bridge meant to minimize the impact on the street's view corridor.

rwinters@sltrib.com