Continuing progress on Church construction projects near Temple Square is evident to visitors at October general conference.
The Conference Center on the block north of Temple Square is progressing as expected, according to Thomas Hanson, the Church's manager for the project. Upon completion, it will replace the Salt Lake Tabernacle as the site of general conference sessions.
And excavation of State Street just east of Temple Square where a four-level underground parking garage will be constructed is nearing completion. When completed, the garage will be covered by a landscaped plaza. Brother Hanson, who is also manager of that project, said the first concrete was poured in the foundation of the parking garage two weeks before general conference. The parking structure is expected to be ready for use in time for the April 2000 general conference, he said, with the plaza finished by October conference of next year. The pedestrian plaza will include a fountain, landscaping and walkways, and will connect Temple Square with the Church Administration Building block.
At the Conference Center, "All phases of construction are under way," Brother Hanson said, "all the way from the completion of the structure itself through finish work — tiling, painting and things like that, and the landscaping. Everything is in progress. There are 1,000 workers on the project."
He added that the structure will be visitor-friendly with landscaped plazas surrounding it at ground level, as well as on the roof. The landscaping on the roof is continuing. Trees are planted and work is going forward on a large meadow that will be vegetated with native plants, brush and trees. There will be walkways and water features.
"As completion of the basic structure on the roof is mostly in place, it becomes apparent how inviting it will be for visitors to spend time there and enjoy the views they will be able to see from that level," Brother Hanson said.
Visitors inside the building will also be able to see panoramic views through large windows that are now in place on the top level.
In the main auditorium that will seat 21,000 for conference sessions, finish work has begun on the ceiling, including the nine large skylights that tower in a semicircle over the main staging area.
The building has been constructed progressively from the southeast corner to the northwest corner and that pattern is still apparent. The exterior on the southeast is nearly completed while there is still rough work being done on the opposite corner. The same is true of the interior.
Brother Hanson also noted that the "City Creek" feature will be finished soon. Between the sidewalk and the street on the south end of the block, it will carry a stream of water in a boulder-lined channel the length of the block.
