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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A growing list of tenants are leaving two downtown malls well before a planned redevelopment project led by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In the past 18 months, more than a dozen restaurants have closed at Crossroads Mall, along with several retailers. Several stores at the nearby ZCMI Center have also closed.
The stationery store Tabula Rasa in Crossroads is next. The store is moving to Trolley Square in May.
Owners David Dean and James McAndrews say they're moving because they are frustrated with a lack of information about the redevelopment plan.
Mormon church spokesman Dale Bills says officials are still negotiating some of the details and can't talk about the project.
He says the church is working to keep merchants, but expected some tenants to leave.
Bills says the finalized plans should draw a number of new merchants.
In 2003, the church announced plans for a multi-million dollar renovation of the malls. Mall developer The Taubman Co. is a partner in the project.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
