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53-462: Downtown Salt Lake City is usually defined as the area approximately between North Temple and 1300 South Streets north to south and about 500 East and 600 West Streets east to west. Downtown encompasses the areas of Temple Square , The Gateway , Main Street, the central business district, South Temple, and others. Along with local and state government and non profits, two primary business organizations -

106-490: A tabernacle (prior to the one occupying Temple Square today) and Endowment House , both of which were later torn down. The Salt Lake Tabernacle , home of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square , was built in 1867 to accommodate the church's general conferences , with a seating capacity of 8,000. Another church building, the Salt Lake Assembly Hall , was later built with a seating capacity of 2,000. As

159-602: A combined total of approximately 9 million visitors in 2022. The grounds, as well as the Gardens at Temple Square , often host concerts and other events. During the Christmas holiday season, approximately 100,000 Christmas lights sparkle from trees and shrubs around Temple Square each evening until 10 pm. The lighting of Temple Square is a popular event, usually attended by more than 10,000 people. The multiple gates to Temple Square are popular places for critics of

212-673: A cruciform layout of the interior that is complemented by Stars of David circumscribed high above each entrance, which symbolize the gathering of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Construction of the hall began on August 11, 1877, and was completed in 1882. It is just south of the Salt Lake Tabernacle and across from the South Visitor Center near the South Gate. Upon entering Temple Square from the south,

265-536: A distance because it stands on higher ground. In 2000, the LDS Conference Center was completed and supplanted the still-existing Salt Lake Tabernacle for conferences of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Downtown took center stage in the 2002 Winter Olympics , hosted by Salt Lake City, and there were efforts to beautify the city and improve transit options for visitors. The Gateway ,

318-795: A dramatic shift from the South-end (near Exchange Place and Broadway) to the North-end (near the L.D.S Temple). This shift was the result of a change in buying patterns, with shoppers preferring malls rather than on-street department stores. Using land and a loan provided by Zion Securities, the second Main Street mall was completed in 1978. Following the completion of the Crossroads Mall, the south-end of Main Street collapsed, beginning with 117-year-old merchant Auerbachs Department Store. Others to go under were Broadway Music, Paris Company, Baker Shoes, Pembroke's, Keith O'Brien and Keith Warshaw. In

371-521: A full-service grocery store. In 2016, a new Broadway-style theatre, the 2,468-seat Eccles Theatre , and a connected 24-story office building, 111 Main, were completed one block south. Downtown is now seeing an "unprecedented" level of real estate development, with multiple large towers under construction despite the COVID-19 Pandemic , and has more than 5,000 residential units either planned or under construction as of April 2021. This includes

424-521: A grid pattern which deviate out from the southeast corner of Temple Square. The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of the Church's operating temples . It is the sixth temple built by the church since its founding, and the fourth operating temple built following the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois . Beginning in 1963, two visitors' centers, called the North Visitors' Center and

477-665: A large outdoor, pedestrian-oriented mall, was built around the historic Union Pacific Depot and hosts the Salt Lake Olympic Plaza. The TRAX light rail system was built in the years leading up to the Olympics and directly connects downtown to the University of Utah, Salt Lake International Airport, and many of the suburbs including South Salt Lake , West Valley City , Murray , and Draper . In 2004, Ensign College , formerly known as LDS Business College, and

530-1122: A red-light district in Japanese is akasen ( 赤線 ) , literally meaning "red-line". Japanese police drew a red line on maps to indicate the boundaries of legal red-light districts. In Japanese, the term aosen ( 青線 ) , literally meaning "blue-line", also exists, indicating an illegal district. In the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries, the term "sporting district" became popular for legal red-light districts. Municipal governments typically defined such districts explicitly to contain and regulate prostitution. In WWI (circa 1915), "Brothels displayed blue lamps if they were for officers and red lamps for other ranks." Some red-light districts (such as De Wallen , Netherlands, or Reeperbahn , Germany) are places that are officially designated by authorities for legal and regulated prostitution. Often, these red-light districts were formed by authorities to help regulate prostitution and other related activities, such that they were confined to

583-583: A resulting trend of gentrification . 40°46′10″N 111°53′28″W  /  40.76944°N 111.89111°W  / 40.76944; -111.89111 Temple Square Temple Square is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) complex, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah . The usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities that are immediately adjacent to Temple Square. Contained within Temple Square are

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636-400: A temple to our God." When the city was surveyed, the block enclosing that location was designated for the temple , and became known as Temple Square. Temple Square is surrounded by a 15-foot wall that was built shortly after the block was so designated. The square also became the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other buildings were built on the plot, including

689-602: A very secluded existence in the remote Salt Lake Valley for the first 20 years of settlement, beginning construction of the Salt Lake Temple and other monuments like the Salt Lake Theatre . However, in 1865 U.S. troops stationed in Park City discovered silver and announced it to the world. With this announcement, an entirely new element began streaming into Salt Lake City. Prospectors completely changed

742-637: Is also used for other religious and cultural events. The largest and most recently built assembly building is the LDS Conference Center . With a capacity of over 21,000, it is used primarily for the Church's general conferences as well as for concerts and other cultural events. The Conference Center was completed in 2000. Attached on the northwest corner of the Conference Center is the Conference Center Theater , an 850-seat theater for dramatic presentations, such as Savior of

795-678: The American Old West originated in Dodge City, Kansas , home to a well-known prostitution district during the 19th century, which included the Red Light House saloon. This has not been proven, but the Dodge City use was likely responsible for the term's pervasiveness. A widespread folk etymology claims that early railroad workers took red lanterns with them when they visited brothels so their crew could find them in

848-484: The Amussen Jewelry building (1869), at the time Salt Lake City's oldest building. A study commissioned by the city found it to be Salt Lake City's most architecturally significant building, and efforts to preserve it were underway. However, before the building could be saved, it was torn down to make way for the mall . Many historic buildings were lost to urban renewal during this era, the most notable of which

901-701: The BYU Salt Lake Center moved downtown to the Triad Center, which was purchased by the LDS Church. The construction of the $ 1.5 billion mixed-use City Creek Center from 2006 to 2012, which covers 20 acres (81,000 m) across three city blocks, marked a significant step toward bringing business interest and pedestrian activity back to downtown. The development included nearly 725,000 sq ft (67,400 m) of retail space, new and refurbished office towers, new residential buildings, and

954-625: The Joseph Smith Memorial Building . In 2000, the church purchased the section of Main Street between this block and Temple Square and connected the two blocks with a plaza called the Main Street Plaza. In 2000, the church completed a new, 21,000 seat Conference Center on the block north of Temple Square. In 2020, many of the buildings on and around Temple Square were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and

1007-661: The Salt Lake Temple , Salt Lake Tabernacle , Salt Lake Assembly Hall , the Seagull Monument , and two visitors' centers. The square was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1964, recognizing the Mormon achievement in the settlement of Utah. In 1847, when Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley , president Brigham Young selected a plot of the desert ground, initially referred to as Temple Block, and proclaimed, "Here we will build

1060-756: The Utah Jazz , was torn down and a new arena, the Delta Center ( Vivint Arena ), was constructed to the northwest in 1991 with the leadership of Larry H. Miller . The existing convention center connected to the arena was also demolished and a new convention center of the same name was built on the site. In 1998, the American Stores Tower ( Wells Fargo Center ) was completed and remains the tallest building in Salt Lake City today by two feet. The LDS Church Office Building appears taller from

1113-625: The multi-year renovation project . Attracting an estimate of 5-plus million visitors a year, Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Utah. The LDS Church does not provide exact statistical data on the number of visits to Temple Square, but visitation is estimated to similar to that of the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone National Park . Visitation to Utah's five national parks — Zion , Bryce Canyon , Capitol Reef , Canyonlands , and Arches —had

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1166-529: The 1960s, revitalization efforts began, spearheaded by the LDS Church, which had always considered downtown its home. During the '70s, the Church built the ZCMI Center Mall on a full city block of land that had previously housed the ZCMI department store, preserving the historic storefront. The Church also leased land to a developer to build Crossroads Plaza Mall . The land for the mall originally housed

1219-601: The 1980s, a Saudi businessman, Adnan Khashoggi , had a vision of turning Salt Lake City into a major business hub. Forming a U.S. holdings company, "Triad Utah", he planned to build two 43-story skyscrapers , as well as several mid-rise buildings at the Triad Center . Khashoggi was implicated in the Iran-Contra scandal and his assets were frozen by the Federal government and the skyscrapers were never built, leaving

1272-626: The Assembly Hall can be seen to the left (west). The Assembly Hall hosts occasional free weekend music concerts and is filled as overflow for the church's twice-a-year general conferences . The second structure is the Salt Lake Tabernacle , home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square . The Tabernacle was built between 1864 and 1867 with an overall seating capacity of 8,000, including

1325-492: The Brigham Young Trust Company, whose board included many prominent members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Brigham Young, Jr. , then a church Apostle and vice president of the bank, temporarily resigned over the matter, until the building was later sold. Salt Lake City boomed in the years before World War I and the center of mass of downtown was pulled southward by

1378-459: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—mainly former members and activist evangelical ministers—to picket and hand out tracts and literature critical of the church. They are also well-known locations for street musicians to perform, especially during the holiday season. Temple Square serves as the center point for all street addresses in Salt Lake City. The streets in Salt Lake follow

1431-542: The Library. Red light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses , such as sex shops , strip clubs , and adult theaters , are found. In most cases, red-light districts are particularly associated with female street prostitution , though in some cities, these areas may coincide with spaces of male prostitution and gay venues. Areas in many big cities around

1484-605: The Salt Lake Chamber and the Downtown Alliance promote Salt Lake CIty's downtown as the heart of the state, and as its most lively and diverse locale. Downtown's layout was first planned in 1833, 17 years before Salt Lake City was founded. Joseph Smith designed the Plat of Zion , a plan for cities of 20,000 people each that followed city blocks with self-sufficient family farms surrounding several temples in

1537-777: The South Visitors' Center, were constructed on temple square. The North Visitors' Center was built first and featured a replica of the Christus . The Christus was in a room called the Rotunda with large windows, and a domed ceiling painted with heavenly bodies meant to reflect the sky on April 6, 1830, the day that the Church was founded. The visitors' centers and grounds are staffed by full-time sister missionaries and senior missionary couples exclusively; no single male missionaries are called to serve on Temple Square. The sister missionaries serving on Temple Square are from around

1590-638: The World , as well as concerts and other events. On the block west of Temple Square, the FamilySearch Library is the largest genealogical library in the world and is open to the general public at no charge. The library holds genealogical records for over 110 countries, territories, and possessions. Its collections include over 2.4 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records; 742,000 microfiche ; 310,000 books, serials , and other formats; 4,500 periodicals ; and 700 electronic resources. On

1643-478: The block northeast of Temple Square and east of the Conference Center is the Church History Library , where the historical records of the Church are stored. The Library is free to patrons, who can come use a large collection of books, manuscripts, and photographs. Senior missionaries provide tours of the public areas of the Library. Patrons can also view a video explaining the mission and purpose of

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1696-707: The block west of Temple Square adjacent to the Family History Library, the Church History Museum houses collections of Latter-day Saint art and artifacts. The Museum houses permanent exhibits as well as playing host to temporary exhibits throughout the year. Past exhibits have included the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America , featuring 23 paintings by Norman Rockwell ; displays and artwork from artist Arnold Friberg ; and themed historical displays depicting church events. On

1749-431: The center of the grid system, bounded by South Temple, West Temple, North Temple, and East Temple Streets. Streets are named according to their distance and direction from the southeast corner of Temple Square; for example 200 West is two blocks west of this meridian, while 400 South is four blocks south. East Temple was popularly known as Main Street, and was officially renamed sometime in the late 19th century. It remains as

1802-560: The center. Smith meant for this plan to be applied to the City of Zion in the Midwestern United States, but following persecution and Smith's assassination, the plans were carried westward by the Mormon pioneers . Downtown Salt Lake began to form in 1847 when Brigham Young chose the site of the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , forming the core of the settlement. Temple Square became

1855-515: The choir area and gallery. In March 2007, the Tabernacle was rededicated after extensive renovations and restorations were completed. Spacing between the pews was substantially increased, resulting in a reduced overall seating capacity. The Tabernacle was rededicated at the Saturday afternoon session of the church's 177th Annual General Conference. In addition to housing the choir, the Tabernacle

1908-429: The church has grown, its headquarters have expanded into the surrounding area. In 1917, an administration building was built on the block east of the temple and in 1972, the twenty-eight story LDS Church Office Building , which was, for many years, the tallest building in the state of Utah. The Hotel Utah, another building on this block, was remodeled in 1995 as additional office space and a large film theater and renamed

1961-410: The church, who were mostly prospectors in the early days, would stay south of the predominantly Mormon area. This divide still can be felt to the present day, particularly on weekend evenings when the businesses on the north side of downtown close their doors early while the bars and restaurants on the south end of downtown host crowds late into the night. Originally, the business district extended along

2014-538: The city during that time period in an area that takes up just 1% of Salt Lake City. Pioneer Park was completely renovated in early 2008 following several severe assault incidents. After the controversial Operation Rio Grande , which began in 2017, and the closure and demolition of the Road Home homeless shelter in 2019 and 2020, respectively, the Pioneer Park area has begun to see a dramatic reduction in crime and

2067-400: The commercial and economic center of the city today. The early Mormon pioneers, who originally settled in Salt Lake City, adopted a form of consecration whereby crops grown and products produced were divided among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in local congregations . This enabled new settlers to have the food and products they needed after they made

2120-641: The current Triad Center with only buildings 3, 4 and 5. Revitalization efforts of downtown continued through the 1980s and 1990s, with noteworthy projects that included the demolition of the Hotel Newhouse in 1983 and the redevelopment of Block 57 into the Gallivan Center and One Utah Center in 1991–1992. In 1985, the Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown was completed. The Salt Palace arena, home of

2173-482: The downtown district. In accommodation of the new crowd, many of the Main Street businesses were saloons , earning the street the nickname "Whiskey Street". For many years, there existed a political and cultural divide in Salt Lake City. Mormons would mostly shop and congregate around the Salt Lake Temple , the Gardens at Temple Square and ZCMI on the north-end of Main Street, and those who were not members of

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2226-455: The efforts of Samuel Newhouse and other non-LDS community members. The Exchange Place Historic District encompasses the surviving structures from this era. In 1912, at the intersection of Main Street and 200 South, police officer Lester Wire installed his homemade electric traffic light , the first of its kind in the world. Salt Lake had an extensive streetcar network at the time and Trolley Square served as its main depot for years before

2279-402: The event of an emergency. However, folklorist Barbara Mikkelson regards this as unfounded. A more plausible explanation might originate from the time when sailors came back from sea to Amsterdam ( c.  1650 ): Women working as prostitutes, deprived of proper hygiene and running fresh water, carrying red lanterns — with their color camouflaging boils, zits, inequalities in the face and on

2332-490: The forthcoming construction of the new tallest building in Utah, the Astra Tower, which will stand 39-stories tall. Pioneer Park , on the western edge of downtown, developed a reputation as one of the most crime-ridden areas of the state, and as having a large number of drug dealers. During a six-day crackdown in early November, 2007, 658 people were arrested in and around the park, approximately 70% of all arrests made in

2385-448: The gradual removal of the system that came with the rise of the automobile. Though the trolley system itself is now long gone, Trolley Square remains as a noteworthy example of adaptive reuse and houses a museum dedicated to the history of the city's streetcars. After World War II , many people could afford to move out of downtown into the suburbs . By 1971, 60% of the homes in downtown Salt Lake City were in major disrepair. Starting in

2438-473: The rigorous journey to Salt Lake City. This exchange was eventually organized into what would become Zions Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI). The first businesses to locate on Main Street were those founded by James A. Livingston and Charles A. Kincade, in 1850, in the area south of the Council House that was being built on the corner of Main and South Temple Streets. The Mormon pioneers lived

2491-421: The skin — made clear they were available as women of pleasure. Sailors, finally getting their relative royal pay, having been at sea for quite some time and looking for relief could so easily spot who would be available. In a later stage, the red lanterns evolved into red lights at brothels. Since this was close to the main harbor, this district became known as the red-light district: One of the many terms used for

2544-450: The west side of Main between South Temple and 100 South. By the 1880s, the area had expanded to both sides of the street and down to 200 South, and increased about a block a decade, until 1900, when it reached 400 South. Today, the southern limit of downtown Salt Lake City is usually considered to be 900 South. From 1870 to the 1930s, Commercial Street (Now known as "Regent Street") was Salt Lake's notorious red light district . Prostitution

2597-598: The world have acquired an international reputation as red-light districts. Red-light districts are mentioned in the 1882 minutes of a Woman's Christian Temperance Union meeting in the United States. The Oxford English Dictionary records the earliest known appearance of the term "red light district" in print as an 1894 article from the Sandusky Register , a newspaper in Sandusky, Ohio . Author Paul Wellman suggests that this and other terms associated with

2650-573: The world, speaking enough languages to cater to the majority of visitors. Beginning with the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, the sister missionaries have been wearing tags with the national flags of their home country along with their missionary name tags. On April 19, 2019, church leaders announced that the South Visitors' Center will be demolished as part of a massive renovation project that will begin December 29, 2019. Two smaller visitors' pavilions will take its place. On June 10, 2021, it

2703-489: Was announced that the North Visitors' Center would be demolished as well. It will be replaced by a garden designed as contemplative space. There are three large assembly buildings housed on Temple Square. The smallest of the three is the Salt Lake Assembly Hall, which seats approximately 2,000 and is on the southwest corner of Temple Square. The Assembly Hall is a Victorian Gothic congregation hall, with

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2756-576: Was begrudgingly tolerated as long as it was confined to Commercial Street. But prostitution continued beyond Commercial Street in brothels in other areas as well such as Plum Alley, which was Salt Lake City's China Town. In the late 1880s, the trade was unofficially licensed. Police would "arrest" all of the prostitutes and their madams each month and "fine" them $ 50 each. After a physical examination, they would be released and allowed to ply their trade without any further fear of molestation. Many notable Salt Lakers owned buildings on Commercial Street, including

2809-621: Was the Dooly Building , built in 1892 and designed by Louis Sullivan . The LDS Church Office Building was completed in 1973 and became Salt Lake's tallest building at 28 floors and 420 ft tall. Contrary to a popular local legend, there is no formal restriction that prevents buildings from being built taller than the Church Office Building. From 1970 to 1976 the Central Main Street shopping district saw

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