Twenty years of news coverage
of this new performing arts center

What’s driving historic spending in downtown SLC? Bars, restaurants and one big theater. (6/26/18) Downtown SLC appears to be evolving into a nightlife and entertainment hub, led by the 2,468-seat George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater on Main Street.

2017 Eccles Theater Report from the UPACA Board (May 2018)
533 Events. 349,807 tickets sold. The Lion King, Bob Dylan, Book of Mormon, Steve Martin. Wow!

Salt Lake's Eccles Theater shows "incredible" revenue returns (4/21/18) Years ago, when Salt Lake City's future 2,500-seat theater was coming to a vote, critics said it would end in disaster: unprofitable and underused. Fast forward seven years: first-year revenues are booming, more than doubling budget projections.

Welcome to the Eccles: Salt Lake City’s new theater opens with an array of guests (10/20/16) The Eccles Theater is open and ready to receive guests. Festivities will continue all weekend, with a gala concert Friday, a day of free performances Saturday and a rare on-the-road broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's "Music and the Spoken Word" on Sunday.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony heaps praise on new $119 million Eccles Theater downtown (10/18/16) There was pomp and circumstance — and a little "Fiddler on the Roof" — on Tuesday as dignitaries dedicated the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater in downtown Salt Lake City.

.New theater, skyscraper, plaza set the stage for downtown’s next big act (10/16/16) Expected to draw thousands downtown by itself, the $119 million arts and culture hub opens this week with two companion developments: a 24-story office tower and a pedestrian-friendly plaza.

.With Eccles Theater, a new curtain rises in Salt Lake City’s love affair with theater (10/16/16) In the ongoing saga of Salt Lake City's historic love affair with theater, now comes the big reveal of a second act: the debut of Main Street's George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater.

The playhouse that Ralph built? Ex-mayor sees it as a ‘source of joy ... for years to come’ (10/16/16) Former Mayor Ralph Becker, who left office in January, was instrumental in bringing the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater to Salt Lake City. Though the project drew criticism, Becker said the result, with its contribution to the arts, architecture and downtown vibrancy, "speaks for itself."

New Eccles Theater opens Oct. 21, joining Salt Lake County's 'family of beautiful venues' (10/14/16) For Tony Award-winning performer Brian Stokes Mitchell, performing and viewing theatrical works is akin to the experience of attending a church service.

A first look: New Eccles Theater gears up for its debut (10/6/16) A group of people tour the 2,500-seat Delta Performance Hall in the new George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City in mid-September.

Legendary Rita Moreno will emcee Eccles Theater opener in Salt Lake City (10/9/16) The Eccles Theater has landed an Emmy winner, a Grammy winner, an Oscar winner and a Tony winner to emcee its Premiere Performance — and that's just one person.

Eccles Theater New Terazzo Floor Unveiled (4/11/16) The recently completed terrazzo floor of the grand lobby is designed to represent different groups who have inhabited the Salt Lake Valley, said Salt Lake artist Laura Sharp Wilson.

Eccles Theater Now Six Months Behind (3/03/16) The Eccles Theater, opening in October on Main Street in Salt Lake City, is running about six months behind schedule and about $7 million over budget. The good news is that the additional expenditures will be covered by private donations.

Gallery: Construction of Salt Lake City’s mega-theater hits halfway mark (7/15/15) One year down, one to go — sort of. Thirteen months ago, crews broke ground on the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater between 100 South and 200 South on Salt Lake City's Main Street.

From hookers to headlines to hip, SLC block to make news again (4/26/15) A once-notorious Salt Lake City back street appears destined for some artistic respectability, with a $12.8 million face-lift for Regent Street & Orpheum Avenue.

Lion King’ is first show booked in new Eccles Theater (3/27/15)
Salt Lake City's new Eccles Theater has its first confirmed booking: "The Lion King" which will open at the Eccles Theater in spring 2017. 

'The Lion King' booked for Eccles Theater in spring 2017 (3/26/15)
Spence Eccles celebrated the unveiling of the Eccles Theater's logo and the booking of "The Lion King" in spring 2017 with his own song and dance.

City unveils new plans for downtown Regent Street (2/10/15)
Civic leaders will fill in a gap between two downtown entertainment areas with the redevelopment of a venerable old SLC block, which will become a place where people “gather, discover and connect.”

SLC’s new downtown theater to carry Eccles name (6/3/14)
The percussion of a brass band over a background din of ongoing demolition set the stage for a casting change Tuesday at the Utah Performing Arts Center — it will be called the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater.

New downtown theater will carry Eccles name (6/3/14)
SL City Mayor Becker and SL County Mayor McAdams announced that the name of thenew performing arts center on Main St. will be the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater, and ground was broken to begin construction of the 2,500-seat facility.

 Downtown Demolition (3/4/14)
The southeast corner of 100 South and Main Street may look like an explosion has blown out what used to be a high-end jewelry store. But the demolition is making way for the newest additions to the downtown Salt Lake skyline.  

New 24-story office tower coming to downtown (9/30/13)
The downtown skyline is getting ready to change again. A new office building will be located on Main St directly adjacent to the new Utah Performing Arts Center.  

SLC Main Street theater design unveiled (4/18/13)
The design of the $116 million Utah Performing Arts Center was unveiled by Pelli Clark Pelli Architects and HKS Architects.  

SLC takes calculated risk with art center funding (2/14/13)
CDA will bring in $33 miloion fir the Performing Arts Center project.

'Great day of celebration' as leaders unveil new downtown
theater design (4/17/13)
Cesar Pelli says it was more than hard work that went into the design of the new Performing Arts Center.

Top architects raise anticipation for
Utah Performing Arts Center (10/3/12)
Call them "starchitects" — rock stars of architecture.

Salt Lake County OKs $28M in theater funding (8/14/12)
Plans for a Broadway-style theater in downtown Salt Lake City received a major boost.

SLTribune Editorial - Performing Arts (8/18/12)
The Salt Lake County Council made the right move in the City's effort to bring a 2,500-seat PAC to downtown.

Utah Performing Arts Center takes a big step toward reality (8/15/12)
Curtains literally were pulled back to celebrate the selection of the architectural and contracting teams..

SLC moves forward with theater plan with or without county support (3/20/12)
Plans for the Utah Performing Arts Center are moving forward as a one-man show.

City Hires Firm To Develop Broadway Theater (3/20/12)
Salt Lake City moved forward with plans for a 2,500-seat, $110 million Utah Performing Arts Center.

Becker’s Broadway theater gets council boost (12/7/11)
Touring Broadway plays soon may land in a new home on Main Street.

Salt Lake City Council votes to move forward with theater (12/6/11)
The Salt Lake City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday night to issue up to $18 million in bonds to design the Utah Performing Arts Center

Theater lovers, business groups crave Broadway lights in SLC (11/22/11)
The time has come, a group of theater lovers, promoters and business executives told the City Council during a lopsided public hearing

SLC’s planned Broadway theater is getting
down to business. (11/17/10)
Developers of the proposed $88 million to $98 million playhouse unmasked plans Tuesday for a nearby office high-rise

Is it curtains for SLC’s Broadway-style theater? (9/6/10)
Despite the recession, Mayor Becker is committed to raising the curtain on a 2,400-seat, Broadway-style theater.

Sandy gives regrets to Broadway, seeks bigger fish (1/14/10)
Abondons plans for big theater, concentrates on aquarium.

SLC set to move on Broadway theater (10/13/09) The Redevelopment Agency could sign contracts with developers today.

Something Wicked This Way Comes (7/29/09) Salt Lake City mayor Ralph Becker's personal shoe-leather research has given him a clear vision of what he wants downtown to look like in three years.

Utah Theater to house film center (7/15/09) Salt Lake City's Redevelopment Agency agreed Tuesday to buy the historic Utah Theater and neighboring retail spaces for $7 million.

Salt Lake City RDA plans to buy Utah Theater property (7/14/09)
The Salt Lake City Council approved a $7 million plan to purchase the property at 156 S. Main.

Theater plans may be scaled back (6/18/09)
The Proscenium development in Sandy announced plans for a small sales office, but the developer said a theater, if built, could be just big enough for regional plays and events.

Two builders offer proposals for S.L. theater project (5/29/09)
The city's Redevelopment Agency received two proposals to build a Broadway-style theater downtown.

Two firms bid on Broadway-class theater (5/28/09)
Library architect Moshe Safdie among list of heavyweights seeking downtown project.

S.L. County OKs cultural blueprint (4/8/09)
If Salt Lake County is able to follow its new master plan,
arts lovers could see cultural hubs in the suburbs

Downtown Salt Lake City Proposed Arts and Cultural District (2008)
Report from the Downtown Alliance

Sandy Decides It Won't Own or Run Theater (11/12/08)
Money that would have gone into a lease-to-own arrangement for the Proscenium theater will be spent on infrastructure for the $600 million project.

Cities in Theater Race Dismiss County Study (11/6/08)
The two cities auditioning for the role of Broadway-style theater host are dismissing a Salt Lake County arts study as irrelevant.

Plans for SLC Broadway-class theater includes other arts groups (10/17/08)
Salt Lake City has choreographed how to finance downtown's Broadway-class theater

Many are questioning necessity of Salt Lake theater (10/17/08)
To build or not to build? That still seems to be the question

Salt Lake City: Our theater will be on Main (10/16/08)
Salt Lake City plans to bring Broadway to Main Street.

Sandy council members wary of theater funding (10/16/08)
Some Sandy Council members would like to drop a curtain on plans for a new theater

New theater is coming to Regent Street (10/16/08)
Salt Lake City plans to build a 2,400-seat theater capable of hosting first-run touring Broadway shows on the former Newspaper Agency Corp. press site

Theater “unparalleled” Asset (10/16/08)
Salt Lake City literally rolled out the red carpet to announce plans for the Utah Performance Center on Main Street