My concern, I and think that many here have the same concern, is that the City Creek Center is going to become another Gateway mall. Full of national chain stores just like you find in every other city. That Salt Lake City is going to become another cog in the wheel of corporate America homogenous development; Void of character and local economic vitality.

I'm an independent film maker and about a year ago I started a web site, called utahstories.com. I thought it might be worth while to talk to the local merchants who have survived on Main street , many for over 100 years and get their input on this project.

These local shops, which are endangered species today, all, had similar stories to tell about how Salt Lake City development projects for the past 50 years have been disastrous to local stores.

Thirty years ago, Main Street had a huge South-end district full of almost exclusively local shops, and during the downtown beautification projects and the building of the two downtown malls these merchants were calling "foul."

They were saying you are going to kill us with the malls and the beautification. There opinions fell of deaf ears. They were ignored. "Trust the national developer, they know best,” they were told.

As a result of their trust, the entire south-end local retail district or Broad way and Excahnge Place collapsed: Merchants such as Broadway Music, Baker shoes, Keith O'brien, Auerbachs, Pinbrokes, Paris company, Wolfs. I could go on and on,, they all closed doors forever in Salt Lake City . Hundreds of families were devastated and the city population declined.

Today, history is repeating itself..Although there are far fewer merchants they are all speaking out against one part of this project and their opinions are falling on deaf ears of a national developer who knows better than they do.

None of the South-end merchants want the skybridge, none want this project to have any mechanisms to keep shoppers on the North-end of the street and all want more involvement in the decision making. So my question to you is why are these merchants again being ignored? And if you want to say they aren't being ignored then tell me which of them have you spoken to?

----

The top priority of this project should be to preserve what's left of the uniqueness of our Salt Lake City . To work to revitalize the local charm of Salt Lake that was lost 40 years ago.

What is it that draws people to great cities? You don't hear people say, "let go to Paris , because they have Burger King. No, travelers, 7 million of which, already come to temple square, come because there is something special in the city.

The malls failed because, the city set out on a plan to entice national chain department stores without regard for the long-term local economic impact. Nobody wants to shop at malls anymore. Shoppers, vacationers, local residents all want something special.

If this project isn't maintaining the best interests of the local shops ---how are we going to get any kind of different result than what already exists in Gateway