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It's not exactly graffiti but Salt Lake City is inviting residents to scrawl their thoughts on a building — but not with spray paint.

City and Redevelopment Agency officials have hung up three large chalkboards on Regent Street from 100 South to 200 South between Main and State streets as part of the public outreach effort for ideas on the proposed Utah Performing Arts Center.

Residents, workers or shoppers strolling downtown are welcome to pick up some chalk and make a suggestion. It's aimed at collecting ideas for a re-birth of Regent Street as part of a plan to build a Performing Arts Center at 137 S. Main.

The mega-theater, designed for traveling Broadway-style shows, as well as concerts and plays, is scheduled for a March 2016 opening. Mayor Ralph Becker said Wednesday that city and Redevelopment Agency officials want the Regent Street makeover to be on a similar timetable.

"This street can be a wonderful asset to the city," the mayor said Wednesday. "We're asking people to write down what they'd like to see here."

Salt Lakers also can give input on what they'd like to see at the playhouse and on Regent Street at http://www.newperformingartscenter.org. Two community open houses are scheduled for citizen input on Nov. 8 at the Gallivan Center: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; and from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Regent Street connects the City Creek Center on 100 South to Gallivan Plaza on 200 South.

That fact, said real estate planner Tom Moriarty, gives Salt Lake City an opportunity to create a vibrant ,pedestrian-friendly street that would attract retailers, restaurants and galleries.

"We have an enormous advantage with having City Creek right across the street," said Moriarty, whose Washington-D.C.-based Eisen Group is consulting with the RDA on the theater project.

The regional retail powerhouse will provide foot traffic to help sustain new business on Regent Street. But while City Creek is made up mostly of national chain stores, Moriarty envisions Regent Street as home to locally owned shops and eateries.

But before planning for Regent Street gets going in earnest, Becker said he wants as much public input as possible on what residents and other denizens of downtown would like to there.

"The best ideas we have come from people," the mayor said. "We want to capture everyone's ideas."

csmart@sltrib.com Community open houses

Salt Lake City is inviting public input on Regent Street and the Utah Performing Arts Center at open houses on Nov. 8 at the Gallivan Center at 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 5:30-7:30 p.m. For more information http://www.newperformingartscenter.org.