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SALT LAKE CITY — The City Creek Center celebrates its first anniversary on Friday. The massive downtown retail and residential development opened to great fanfare on this date last year in bright sunshine. But the snow and cold on Friday didn't take away from the celebration.
The mall opened with 95 tenants a year ago and have added 14 more since then with more to come. But, this is about more than just shopping.
"The City Creek development was named the best retail development in the U.S. of A.," said Gov. Gary Herbert.
The City Creek development was named the best retail development in the U.S. of A.
–Gov. Gary Herbert.
State, city, county and business leaders gathered together on Friday to celebrate what's been a great year in the downtown core.
"City Creek has put us on the map," said Scott Beck, president and CEO of Visit Salt Lake.
City Creek estimates that more than 16 million people visited the center during the last 12 months. In terms of capacity, it's 98 percent leased with another big tenant coming. Microsoft will open its doors here on April 11.
Retail and residential aspects aside, City Creek has done what city and state leaders had hoped from the beginning--become a magnet that's revitalizing the downtown area.
"In the year since City Creek opened, the city has issued 600 new business licenses and welcomed 800 new residents to downtown," said Eric Shaw, director of the Community and Economic Development for Salt Lake City.
Of the visitors who have come to shop here, about 30%, nearly 5 million, have been tourists. And when visitors come to City Creek, they also go to other places too.
"Nearly half the people that come to City Creek also visit other shops and restaurants outside of City Creek when they come downtown," said Jason Mathis, executive director of Downtown Alliance.
All of our expectations were exceeded. If you look at what's happened over the past year, in terms of our industry with the increase in conventions, all of that happens because of destination appeal.
–Scott Beck
City Creek has also given the State Office of Tourism and convention planners another attraction to promote.
"All of our expectations were exceeded," Beck said. "If you look at what's happened over the past year, in terms of our industry with the increase in conventions, all of that happens because of destination appeal."
What now? City and state leaders say it's important to continue with the momentum generated by City Creek to take the entire state to the next level.
"We are growing our businesses, we are growing our economy," Herbert said. "This City Creek is a symbol of that industry of that economic expansion that is taking place."
The 16 million visitors to City Creek in the past year puts the center in first place as the most popular attraction in Utah.
