Utah Theater supporters launch campaign to save the building as Salt Lake City eyes new skyscraper 

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Fans of the historic Utah Theater have started a campaign to save the aging downtown structure after Salt Lake City leaders recently opted to explore replacing it with a skyscraper.

Daunted by an estimated $60 million price tag for restoring the 100-year-old former vaudeville and movie theater, the city’s Redevelopment Agency is in talks with two developers — Hines and LaSalle — about tearing it down to make way for a 30-floor tower, midblock walkway and park at the Main Street location.

The former Pantages Theater, built in 1919, is badly deteriorated. Under the latest RDA plans, some elements of the neoclassical-style venue, including its ornate interior sculptures and original bricks, would be incorporated into the new project, with the rest of the building demolished.

But some theater supporters note Utah’s capital lacks a grand theater devoted exclusively to film, even though it hosts the yearly Sundance Film Festival, and that a renovated Utah Theater could fill that gap. The city has spent larger sums on other projects, they note, including nearly $180 million to build the Eccles Theater nearby on Main Street.

 

 

Source: Utah Theater supporters launch campaign to save the building as Salt Lake City eyes new skyscraper – The Salt Lake Tribune