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SALT LAKE CITY -- Last minute delays aside, the City Creek Food Court is once again open for business.
Construction continues like crazy outside the revamped food court between the Eagle Gate and KeyBank office towers on State Street. But if you're willing to navigate the temporary sidewalks to get there, McDonald's and Chang Chun are feeding customers.
The lunchtime crowd included people who work in the building, work downtown elsewhere, or have business to do here.
"I work in this building," said one man, "so [it's] pretty convenient."
A woman said, "I work downtown. It's not really very close, but every couple of weeks I come."
Another man said he was there because he supplies soft drinks for one of the restaurants. "I actually work for Pepsi," he said, "so I'm glad that we're going again."
The food court wasn't closed for long. It was temporarily located in the ZCMI building, up a level from its current location and a little east of it. But it had to close for a few weeks to get ready for the new digs.
Dale Bills with the City Creek Center project says Great Steak & Potato will join Chang Chun and McDonald's next month in the new location, and when it's all filled up, the food court can support 10 kitchens and seating for 1,000 customers. The original plan was to open it on Monday morning, but Bills said a last-minute "snag" with city permits forced them to delay the opening until today.
The full City Creek Center concept is targeted for completion in 2012, but gradually, other pieces are falling into place. The idea is to create a place where people can live, work and play without having to drive, all in the heart of the city.
Privately funded with money from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through its property development affiliate, City Creek Reserve, Inc., the construction is also funded by Taubman Centers Inc., Cowboy Partners and Harmons Grocery Stores, which will eventually own and operate a full-service store as part of the project.
When it's finished, it's expected to encompass a full 20 acres. The plan is to anchor the retail aspect of the project with Nordstrom's and Macy's, offer another 100 or so shops and more upscale restaurants, and about 750 condos for residential use.
E-mail: bbruce@ksl.com
