Salt Lake's City and County building is a time capsule from the past with a view to the future
Small Lake City
By Bryant Heath
Whether it was eating delicious food at the Living Traditions Festival, crossing the finish line at the SLC Marathon or regularly visiting the downtown library, I've been around the Salt Lake City & County Building more times than I can count. But, surprisingly, I'd never actually stepped foot inside of it.
That changed recently when I was asked to explore the building—from the offices to the attic spaces and everything in between—with none other than one of its current tenants, Mayor Erin Mendenhall, serving as my esteemed tour guide.
It was fascinating to hear her highlight interesting points about the building's illustrious history that even a relatively old Salt Lake City transplant like myself was not aware of: The dueling constructions between it and the Salt Lake Temple; the few decades when it served as the Utah State Capitol; and the coincidental completion of seismic upgrades prior to the 2020 earthquake that likely spared it from significant damage.
But of all the history I learned from Mendenhall, the most surprising was how close the building came to demolition in the 1980s. Looking at old newspaper clippings from the time, the air was relatively contentious. Ultimately, by a razor thin margin, restoration (and its $30 million price tag) won out and, as they say, the rest is history.
Yes, some of the décor is dated and the interior is marked with a century-plus of use, but the air of importance is undeniable. Portraits of past mayors—stretching all the way back to the city's first, Jedediah Grant—don the corridors of the upper-level offices. Ornate chandeliers, period-specific restored furniture and an oversize painting of Brigham Young can be found in the formal council meeting room, making visitors feel like they opened up a time capsule to the city's founding era when they walk through the doors.
But by far the best part of the tour was climbing up the M.C. Escher-esque stairways to the building's two observation decks: one at the roofline where you can see up close the newly designed city and state flags waving beautifully in the breeze; the other just below the majestic statue of Columbia at the apex of the building.
From these historic perches, the rising of the Astra and Worthington towers nearby—a 21st century analog to the construction race between the temple and City Hall—can be seen. You can't help but get a strong sense of not only where we've been as a city, but where we're going.
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