Downtown Salt Lake Will Get Its Sky Bridge

The controversial plan, which critics fear will hurt street life, gets the go ahead from the city council.

2 minute read

April 9, 2008, 1:00 PM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"Derided by some, it divided many in the community for more than a year. Now, it will bridge both halves of a $1.5 billion mega-development designed to breathe dynamism into a moribund downtown.

The Salt Lake City Council on Tuesday approved a Main Street sky bridge for the LDS Church's City Creek Center. And the margin - 6-1 - was wider than expected.

One councilman choked back tears. Several said they will remember the vote all their lives. And most agreed the move will be a catalyst for the capital to forget "the former fortress" of malls that dominated downtown for 30 years.

New Councilman Luke Garrott was the lone holdout, saying, "I don't think you develop downtown through mega-projects." He also argued that the owner is more interested in private profit, which a skywalk will enhance, than a revitalization of downtown.

"We want it to be invisible and transparent, and on the other hand we want to make it a landmark for the ages," Garrott said about the skywalk. "I don't think it can be both things."

But the rest of the council, including former bridge critics Soren Simonsen and J.T. Martin, disagreed.

"The sky bridge has been criticized as something that will kill our Main Street. Frankly, I don't believe that it will," said Councilman Eric Jergensen. "Rather than being a negative thing for our city, it will be a positive thing, almost iconic." "

Wednesday, April 9, 2008 in The Salt Lake Tribune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

July 14 - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14 - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

July 14 - Los Angeles Public Press