"Rising in the heart of Salt Lake City, City Creek Center is the retail centerpiece of one of the nation's largest mixed-use downtown redevelopment projects. This unique shopping environment features a retractable glass roof, a creek that runs through the property, a pedestrian skybridge and more. This world-class fashion and dining destination offers over 90 stores and restaurants, in a casual, pedestrian-friendly environment." (
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While the City Creek Center address is 50 South Main Street, the entire development takes up most of two blocks in central downtown Salt Lake City. There are many unique features of City Creek Center, including:
"Architecture
• Retractable Roof: City Creek Center has the nation’s first retractable skylight roof in a shopping center. The roof can be opened during the warmer months, providing sunlight and airflow and reducing the demand for air conditioning, or closed to provide shelter from inclement weather.
• Skybridge: Spanning 140 feet with no columns or supports, the skybridge over Main Street connects the shopping center’s retail shops, creating a seamless flow between two city blocks. Transparent and iconic, the glass walls of the bridge are etched with artful, 3D-look leaf patterns casting dappled shadows on the streetscape below. The “Observation Deck” area at the center of the bridge is surrounded by low-iron glass, reducing reflectivity and enhancing views of Main Street and nearby Ensign Peak. The softly rippled underside of the bridge emulates the bottom of a stream bed, suggesting a virtual creek crossing between the blocks.
• Bridge Plaque: For history buffs, located in the center of the skybridge is a bronze relief floor plaque that depicts the original plat of Salt Lake City.
• Heated Walkways: Guests can enjoy winter shopping without slipping on ice or coating their shoes with salt thanks to a heated snow-melt system located within the shopping center's outdoor walkways.
• Exterior art: The exterior of Nordstrom on West Temple features a two-story translucent glass wall of LED lights that glow and subtly change colors. The only Nordstrom exterior of its kind, the building integrates art glass, merchandising windows and a dramatic two-story entrance. The entrance to Macy’s from South Temple features a clear glass winter garden and café, and the entrance from Main Street is framed by the restored façade of the historic Zions Co-operative Mercantile Institution® (ZCMI®) building.
Water Features
• Waterfalls and Creek: The iconic 1,200-foot-long re-creation of the historic City Creek flows through the shopping center, a tribute to the south fork of the creek that once coursed through downtown and was the original water source for early farmers. Two 18-foot waterfalls, one on each block, gently cascade over natural Utah sandstone boulders.
• Fountains: The center features lively fountains, including three by WET Design, creators of the famed Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas. “Flutter” mesmerizes with dancing fire on sheets of water spilling out in the shape of bells in a fusion of pyrotechnics and nature. “Transcend” delights and entertains with musically choreographed displays using the elements of fire and water, and spewing streams of water upward in playful, airborne patterns. “Engage” invites children to interact with its animations.
Art & Sculptures
• Olympic Tribute: Two life-sized statues along with an interactive kiosk will be located in the southwest corner of City Creek Center to commemorate the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Designed by local sculptor Mark DeGraffenried, the statues (of a downhill skier and a figure skater) are made of stainless steel representing a cool, winter feeling. An illuminated glass base depicts the 2002 Winter Olympics theme, “Light the Fire Within.”
• “Take Flight”: A walk-through sculptural piece, “Take Flight” encompasses an array of birds, including three bird species, winging their way into, through and out of this piece of art. Each of the three sculptural pieces weighs approximately six hundred pounds. The birds were first sculpted in clay and then cast in an aerospace aluminum/magnesium alloy using recycled materials.
• “Stream of Life”: “Stream of Life” depicts the relationship of local wildlife with a creekside habitat, including the Utah state mammal, the elk; the state bird, the seagull and the state fish, the cutthroat trout.
• “Sky Orchids”: Reminiscent of the Cottonwood trees that stood along the banks of the City Creek oxbows at the time of the early Mormon migration to Utah, the “Sky Orchids” imitates the wind and captures the motion of a grove as it echoes the vitality and unpredictability of nature.
• “Wasatch Grandeur”: Local artist David Meikle created this signature mural titled “Wasatch Grandeur.” Located in the food court, the mural depicts the scenery of the Utah mountains and captures the essence of a setting sun on Mount Olympus in the spring.
Amenities
• Leisure: Included in the property are several outdoor plazas where
shoppers can gather and visit or sit and rest to enjoy the atmosphere at City Creek Center.
• Historic Plaques: Downtown Salt Lake is rich with history, including the blocks where City Creek Center stands. To represent the city’s storied past, plaques describing key historic features of downtown are scattered throughout the property.
• Parking: City Creek Center offers 5,000 large, well-lit underground parking spaces.
• Play Area & Mural: Inspired by Utah’s prehistoric past, a play area for children located in the food court features soft sculpts of dinosaurs and fossils for the children to explore and play. A colorful bas-relief wall mural of an ancient landscape depicts fun loving dinosaurs at play.
• Trailmarkers: Two trailmarkers comprised of eight interactive stacked cubes feature historical, geographical and biological information about Salt Lake City and City Creek. A series of smaller markers positioned throughout the center identify native flora and fauna.
• Fireplace: A four-sided outdoor fireplace with comfortable seating for gathering and socializing is located in Regent Court. The four sides feature art relief panels depicting Utah’s four seasons. The fireplace area overlooks the waterfall and winding creek below.
• Native Wildlife Features: The center features animal tracks sandblasted into stone throughout the property and sculptures showcasing Utah’s majestic wildlife, including bears, eagles, elk and seagulls.
• Sustainability: The shopping center integrates sustainable design
with both historic structures and new buildings. City Creek was built on the site of two former shopping malls, and more than 80 percent of the material from the former malls has been recycled or reused as part of an aggressive sustainability program." (
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