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Rendering of Civic Center

Salt Lake City's Civic Center

View the Vision Study now by clicking the “Vision Study” tab in the timeline below! 

As the heart of Salt Lake City’s downtown public space, Library Square and Washington Square have hosted countless festivals, concerts, and community gatherings over the years. But the plaza is starting to show its age—it needs repair, more shade, and better amenities to support daily use.

City planners are using this opportunity to explore how the space can be reimagined to keep hosting the events we love while making it more accessible, comfortable, and welcoming throughout the year. This project aims to transform the site into a shaded, people-first destination—Salt Lake City’s Civic Center for the next generation.

What we heard from the community:

  • The space is too hot
  • There needs to be more kid-friendly amenities
  • Improve public safety
  • Activate with regular events
  • Better bicycle and pedestrian accessibility
  • More green space

View the "Review and Report" tab in the timeline below to see a detailed summary of the public feedback and to learn how that will inform concepts to reimagine this area as Salt Lake City's Civic Center.

Rendering of the Civic Center

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s a civic center? A civic center is a public space or facility, typically located near the center of a city, designed for hosting a variety of civic, cultural, governmental, recreational, and social activities. Civic centers usually include multiple buildings or spaces that serve as gathering points for residents.

Questions? Contact the project team at civiccenter@slc.gov

Phases

Phases overview
Background Information
Join the Conversation
Review & Report
Vision Study

Vision Study

January 27, 2026 - February 27, 2026

Vision Study

Based on community feedback and existing site conditions, the vision plan for the Civic Center identified the following needs: 

  • People want to see more regular events, smaller programs, and family-friendly amenities. 
  • While Washington Square is green and shaded, Library Square is mostly hard surface, hot, dry, and lacking shade.  
  • The two civic buildings are divided by 200 East, which is very wide, making the two blocks feel disconnected. 
  • The Library Square block is broken up into lots of smaller spaces by walls, railings, and staircases which block site lines and limit ADA accessibility. This makes the space feel uncomfortable, is hard for City staff to maintain, and for events or programs to happen there.  
  • The Library Square west plaza, fountain, walls, and other features need repair 

The vision plan works to address these needs by proposing the following “first moves:”

Data image of Vision Study needs

How would it work?: 

  • Revisioning the hardscape and flattening the Library Square block would provide more flexible space with fewer walls, better access, and clearer sight lines. It would also eliminate many of the features currently in need of repair. 
  • Removing many of the deteriorating features and replacing them with trees, lawn, shade, and plantings would extend the park-like feel of Washington Square to Library Square, add more natural areas and greening downtown, connect the blocks, and create a Civic Center.  
  • Reimagining the main plaza as a central multi-use “living room” space in which people can rest and enjoy the site, would provide space for families to play, and provide a central area to host small to medium sized events and programs.   
  • Adding other amenities for all ages and daily life, as well as opportunities for regular programming and events of all sizes to the eastern side of the block would make the site more active and useable every day.  
  • Respectfully maintain the dignity of the Celebration of Life Donor monument, erected in 2004 as a memorial and tribute to individuals both living and deceased that have donated organs, tissue, and eyes for either transplant or research in the intermountain area. 

Key Changes  

  • Remove shops, walls, and multi-level staircases east of the curved wall 
  • Remove reflecting pond adjacent to library building in order to add trees 
  • In-Fill Amphitheater and Sunken Garden in the center of Library Square 
  • Remove fountain adjacent to amphitheater 
  • Reduce the amount of hard surface plazas  
  • Expand Library Entry on the southeast corner of 400 South and 200 East 
  • Expand Leonardo “porch” connecting the north side of the building to the central space 
  • Add about 120 trees, shade canopies, plants and lawn 
  • Add a water feature 
  • Add space for a Main Stage along the 300 East edge 
  • Add a playground  
  • Add family amenity space adjacent to the Celebration of Life Donor Monument 
  • Add a dog park 
  • Add connecting paths that double as a fitness loop 
2026 Jan_Salt Lake City's Library Square - Final Vision Study_GGN_10mb (2).pdf
(6.1 MB)

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