During a five-minute computer fantasy, shoppers sipped lattes alongside outdoor fountains; a roof resembling a space-station door opened overhead; and northbound TRAX train passengers gazed at Ensign Peak through a translucent sky bridge.
The presentation provided the most detail yet on the LDS Church's $1-billion-plus 20-acre project that will replace the defunct Crossroads Plaza and ZCMI Center malls. It is scheduled to open downtown in late 2011.
Approval for City Creek, including the controversial skywalk, could come during a vote set for Jan. 23. The final nod for a sky bridge must then come from the City Council.
On Wednesday, the Planning Commission signed off on permits for the below-ground work for the Crossroads block, including an underground parking structure and building footings. The commission also granted permission to build a 265-foot tower at 50 E. 100 South that would exceed a height restriction of 100 feet.
"We hope the 12th time in 16 months is the charm," City Creek Reserve Inc. President Mark Gibbons joked at the outset. Indeed, CCRI attorney Alan Sullivan said tens of millions of dollars have been spent on demolition. The longer the developer waits for overall approval, he noted, the more risk he incurs.
George Shaw, the city's planning director, explained the massive scope of the project requires approval to be tackled in chunks. But he assured the developer that "never has there ever been concern expressed" over elements such as height and size.
That didn't absolve the project of criticism.
"It's very pricey - it's very high-end looking," Commissioner Babs De Lay said. "To me, it looks like local, small business can't afford a lease in there."
During a brief public hearing - a single resident showed up - the commission also was encouraged to consider an open-air skywalk instead of the enclosed glass model.
Even so, the developer produced a letter from Utah Transit Authority that outlined liability concerns for an open-air bridge spanning TRAX. And Ron Loch, vice president of design for the Taubman Co., defended the bridge aesthetics.
"It's as transparent as it can be," Loch said. "It has some personality, some uniqueness and an artistic quality."
The developer also highlighted sweeping escalators connecting to outdoor courtyards, a simulated City Creek, restaurants with canopies and sidewalk seating, pet areas, and a children's playground - all surrounded by clusters of trees. Loch called it the "most unique" mixed-use project in the country.
But the commission appears far from consensus. As the meeting crept toward its fifth hour, members cited complaints including the distance between stores, an uninspired bridge and a lack of public art.
djensen@sltrib.com
