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In case you're wondering, City Creek Center in downtown Salt Lake City has been so wildly successful, it's affecting the growth of surrounding businesses, by influencing the development of downtown businesses on neighboring blocks. If you stop and think about it, it was extraordinary for Taubman, government officials and the LDS Church to come together at the time they did to build a shopping/dining/living/mixed use center of this proportion in the United States.
For General Manager Linda Wardell, this is her third time around running a large mixed-use shopping center, with successful centers in Ohio and Atlantic City under her belt already. Following her experience in Atlantic City, Linda turned west to bring her retail management experience to Salt Lake City, a downtown in need of a mixed use center.
This single project kept 1,200 plus construction workers employed during the biggest downturn in our nation's history. What a tremendous economic boost that was, during a time when the economy was so challenged. City Creek Center is one example of why Pollina rated Utah as No. 1 for business.
When City Creek Center retracted its 1,500 square-foot roof for the first day of business in March 2012, it brought a lot more than shopping to Utah residents and visitors. It put vibrancy and new life into downtown by creating complimentary experiences for local and tourist shoppers, national park visitors and international guests. Not to mention brand new living spaces. People coming downtown for a sporting event or concert can now turn that single activity into a day-long experience with shopping, fine dining and relaxation in a spectacular, natural-feeling environment.
With a current level of 98 percent occupancy, City Creek Center is poised for growth as it continues to innovate the shopping/living/dining experience. Because City Creek Center is closed on Sundays, it must do in six days what every other business does in seven, and the success speaks for itself. Home to a blend of both high-end as well as the more traditional stores, the center welcomes guests with a wide variety of budgets.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
City Creek Center 50 S. Main St. Salt Lake City, UT 84101 www.shopcitycreekcenter.com
