Downtown Salt Lake City facts for kids
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Downtown (also called City Center) is the oldest part of Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The way the entire city is planned, with its straight streets and blocks, started right at Temple Square. This is where the famous Salt Lake Temple is located.
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Where is Downtown Salt Lake City?
Downtown Salt Lake City is usually found between North Temple and 400 South Streets (north to south). It stretches from about 500 East to 600 West Streets (east to west). This area includes important spots like Temple Square, The Gateway, and Main Street. It's also the main business area. Groups like the Salt Lake Chamber and the Downtown Alliance work to make downtown the lively heart of Utah.
A Look Back at Downtown's History
The plan for downtown Salt Lake City was first thought up in 1833. This was 17 years before the city was even founded! Joseph Smith created a special city plan called the "Plat of Zion." This plan was for cities of about 20,000 people. It included city blocks with farms around a few temples in the middle.
This plan was brought west by the Mormon pioneers. Downtown Salt Lake City began to take shape in 1847. That's when Brigham Young chose the spot for the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This spot became the center of the new settlement.
How the Streets Were Named
Temple Square became the very center of the city's grid system. It is surrounded by South Temple, West Temple, North Temple, and East Temple Streets. The other streets are named based on how far they are from the southeast corner of Temple Square. For example, 200 West Street is two blocks west of this point. And 400 South Street is four blocks south. East Temple Street became known as Main Street. It has always been the main shopping and business area of the city.
Main Street's Story
The first businesses on Main Street opened in 1850. They were started by James A. Livingston and Charles A. Kincade. For the first 20 years, the Mormon pioneers lived a very quiet life in the Salt Lake Valley.
However, in 1865, silver was discovered nearby. This brought many new people, like prospectors, to Salt Lake City. These newcomers changed the downtown area. Many businesses on Main Street became places where people could relax and have fun. Because of this, Main Street was sometimes called "Whiskey Street."
For many years, there was a difference in Salt Lake City. Mormons often gathered around the Salt Lake Temple and ZCMI on the north end of Main Street. People who were not members of the church, often prospectors, stayed more to the south.
The business area on Main Street grew over time. By the 1880s, it had spread to both sides of the street. It kept growing about one block every ten years. By 1900, it reached 400 South. Today, the southern edge of downtown Salt Lake City is usually thought to be around 900 South.
Downtown in the 20th Century
After World War II, many people started moving out of downtown to live in the suburbs. By 1971, many homes in downtown Salt Lake City were in need of major repairs.
Starting in the 1960s, efforts began to make downtown better. The LDS Church helped lead these efforts. In the 1970s, they built the ZCMI Center Mall. This mall was built on a whole city block where the old ZCMI department store used to be. They even kept the historic front of the old store. The Church also helped build Crossroads Mall.
The LDS Church Office Building was also finished in 1973. At that time, it was the tallest building in Salt Lake City. It has 28 floors. However, in 1999, the American Stores Tower (now called the Wells Fargo Center) became taller. Even though the Church Office Building looks taller because it's on higher ground, the Wells Fargo Center is actually two feet taller.
In the 1970s, shopping in downtown changed a lot. People started preferring malls over regular street stores. After the Crossroads Mall was built in 1978, many older stores on the south end of Main Street closed down.
In the 1980s, a businessman named Adnan Khashoggi had a big idea. He wanted to build two very tall skyscrapers in Salt Lake City. He also planned several other buildings. However, his plans did not work out, and only some of the buildings for the Triad Center were built.
Efforts to improve downtown continued through the 1990s and 2000s. The old Salt Palace arena was replaced by the new Delta Center (now Vivint Smart Home Arena) in 1991. The Wells Fargo Center was completed in 1998. It is still the tallest building in Salt Lake City today.
In 2000, the LDS Conference Center was finished. This large building is used for big meetings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is now used more often than the older Salt Lake Tabernacle.
The Gateway was completed in 2001. It has offices, apartments, and an outdoor shopping center. It was built on an old industrial area near the railroad. Also, LDS Business College and the BYU Salt Lake Center moved downtown to the Triad Center. In 2007, a new 21-story building called 222 South Main began construction and was finished in 2009.
