Salt Lake City: Economy

Major Industries and Commercial Activity

Salt Lake City was originally a farming community; it also depended on mining until the early 1980s when foreign competition began to erode profits from that industry. Today it has grown into a diverse economic region. As the state capital, county seat of Salt Lake County, and the largest city in the four-county Wasatch Front metropolitan area, the city is a government, commercial, and industrial center for Utah and much of the Intermountain West.

The service sector produces the most jobs in the city, especially computer and health care services. Government employment is considerable, with the State of Utah, University of Utah, and Salt Lake County among the city's top employers. A number of national financial institutions have established branch offices in Salt Lake City, making it the center of banking and finance for the region. Salt Lake City is the largest retail and wholesale market in Utah, and the city supports a thriving tourism industry. The construction industry remains significant. Salt Lake City is the international headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Items and goods produced: petroleum products, electronics, missiles

Incentive Programs—New and Existing Companies

Local programs

The Salt Lake County Office of Business Economic Development offers incentives to new and existing companies in the form of loans, grants, and on-the-job training. It also provides no-cost monthly workshops. The Salt Lake City Department of Economic Development offers similar incentives as well as assistance with site selection, financial planning, and permit applications.

State programs

Utah's Centers of Excellence Program funds viable research at the college and university level, bridging the gap between technological innovation and marketplace success. Since its creation in 1986 the program has resulted in thousands of new high-tech jobs and significant growth for many of the state's tech companies. The Economic Development Corporation of Utah plays a dual role in the state's commercial success, promoting expansion of local companies as well as relocation for out-of-state firms. EDCUTAH offers a considerable network of public- and private-sector contacts, as well as support with site selection, media relations, and industry research. The Utah Small Business Development Center (USBDC) helps established and start-up companies prepare business plans, set sales goals, identify customers and the competition, analyze the market, and research financing sources. The USBDC operates in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Utah Department of Community and Economic Development, and Salt Lake Community College. It offers training and resources in the areas of entrepreneurship, business development, the law, international business, financial management, e-commerce, and computer technology. The Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce represents 1,900 businesses across the state, lobbying the government and providing networking opportunities to benefit its member companies.

Job training programs

Custom Fit is an employee training program offered through the Utah College of Applied Technology, state colleges, and the local business community. It provides training in specific technologies, computer skills, safety certification, leadership, management and team-building. The Utah State Legislature allocates annual funding to Custom Fit, covering a substantial portion of the cost to employers.

State funding is also provided for Short Term Intensive Training programs across Utah. Training is offered at the state college level at a 66 percent discount to potential employers or employees. The program is customized to match full-time job seekers with the needs of specific companies.

Development Projects

Construction in Salt Lake City has declined somewhat since a boom leading up to the 2002 Winter Olympics. The Gateway, a multi-use development on Salt Lake City's west side, was completed in 2001. Covering nearly 30 acres, Gateway offers shopping, dining, and entertainment in an open-air setting, as well as office and residential housing space.

A recently completed $1.59 billion reconstruction of Interstate 15 will address traffic concerns in the Salt Lake area for the next 20 years. A commuter railway from Weber County to downtown Salt Lake City is expected to open in 2007. A $20 million Intermodal Transportation Center is under construction in the Gateway area, and will accommodate bus, automobile, bicycle, Amtrak, and Greyhound passengers.

Intermountain Health Care is planning a $362 million flag-ship hospital in the Salt Lake Valley with a projected completion date of 2006. The Salt Palace Convention Center will also complete its latest expansion in 2006.

Other projects in the planning phase or construction include a $45 million renovation of the Utah Theatre, restoration of the historic Frank Moss Courthouse, expansion of the Utah Children's Museum in a new Gateway location, and increased meeting space and accommodations at several major hotels.

Economic Development Information: Economic Development Corporation of Utah, 201 South Main Street, Suite 2010, Salt Lake City, UT 84111; telephone (801)328-8824; fax (801)531-1460

Commercial Shipping

Utah's free port law makes it an ideal location for the import and export of goods. Salt Lake City is a full-service customs port city with a foreign trade zone. The Salt Lake International Airport handles more than 550 million pounds of air cargo and express mail each year.

Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railways offer freight service throughout Utah. The state's railroad lines all converge in the Salt Lake-Ogden area, making it a convenient interline switching route for destinations across the country. About 2,000 interstate and intrastate motor freight carriers operate in Utah.

Labor Force and Employment Outlook

The services sector is Salt Lake City's largest employment division, with approximately 1,100 new jobs added in the last year. Health care and computer technology are two dominant subsections. Construction remains important to the local economy, despite declining employment since the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Trade employment also remains high. Salt Lake City's unemployment rate is declining, and the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce expects continued job growth in the years to come.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Salt Lake City metropolitan area labor force, 2004 annual averages.

Size of nonagricultural labor force: 565,000

Number of workers employed in . . .

construction and mining: 34,800

manufacturing: 52,100

trade, transportation and utilities: 118,600

information: 17,700

financial activities: 44,700

professional and business services: 84,900

educational and health services: 53,000

leisure and hospitality: 51,600

other services: 18,200

government: 89,300

Average hourly earnings of production workers employed in manufacturing: $15.34

Unemployment rate: 5.2% (January 2005)

Cost of Living

The following is a summary of data regarding several key cost of living factors for the Salt Lake City area.

2004 (3rd Quarter) ACCRA Average House Price: $239,650

2004 (3rd Quarter) ACCRA Cost of Living Index: 97.3 (U.S. average = 100.0)

State income tax rate: Up to 7.0% on taxable income exceeding $7,500

State sales tax rate: Ranges from 5.75% to 7.0% (depending on municipality)

Local income tax rate: none

Local sales tax rate: 6.6% (Salt Lake City)

Property tax rate: Levied at the state and local level, based on assessed valuation; rate in 2005, .015288%

Economic Information: Economic Development Corporation of Utah, 201 South Main Street, Suite 2010, Salt Lake City, UT 84111; telephone (801)328-8824; fax (801)531-1460. Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, Demographic and Economic Analysis, 116 State Capitol, Salt Lake City, UT 84114; telephone (801)538-1036;fax (801) 538-1547. Utah Department of Workforce Services, PO Box 45249, Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0249; telephone (801)526-9675; fax (801)526-9211; email dwscontactus @utah.gov. Bureau of Economic and Business Research, University of Utah, David Eccles School of Business, 1645 E Campus Center Dr., Rm 401, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9302; telephone (801)581-6333; fax (801)581-3354; email bureau@business.utah.edu

Salt Lake City: Recreation

Sightseeing

Downtown Salt Lake City boasts a number of popular attractions. The State Capitol with its spectacular copper-clad dome is located on Capitol Hill, which offers a view of the city and surrounding area. At Temple Square, the headquarters of the Mormon Church, the Salt Lake Temple displays six spires, fifteen-foot-thick granite walls, and a golden statue of the Angel Moroni. Also on the square are the famous Mormon Tabernacle, built in 1867 with no interior supports, and the Seagull Monument, honoring the birds that saved the settlers' first crops.

Other sights in the city include Beehive House, the restored residence of Brigham Young, who gave it the name because he wanted his followers to be as industrious as bees. Fort Douglas, a 9,000-acre historical fort, is filled with interesting military architecture dating from 1862. Utah's Hogle Zoo contains a collection of exotic birds and animals in a natural setting, including a new elephant habitat planned for 2005. This Is The Place Heritage Park contains an operational pioneer community as it was in 1847, as well as "This Is The Place" Monument, marking the spot where Brigham Young chose the area as a home for the Mormons.

The Great Salt Lake, over 90 miles long and 48 miles wide, is the second most salty body of water in the world. The high salinity makes it a unique swimming experience: it is almost impossible for a person to sink in the water. A different type of aquatic entertainment is found at Raging Waters, a family-oriented theme park with more than 30 different water rides and a picnic area. Clark Planetarium presents daily star shows and images from the Hubble Telescope. Olympic Cauldron Park is a new and stunning addition to the city, featuring the 72-foot Olympic Cauldron, which housed the Olympic Flame; the Hoberman Arch, where athletes stood to receive their medals; a visitor center; and a theatre dedicated to the memory of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

Arts and Culture

Salt Lake City is home to a number of acclaimed cultural organizations. The world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir, an American institution for many years, is based in Salt Lake City. The Utah Symphony performs 260 concerts nationally and internationally each year; the orchestra performs locally in Maurice Abravanel Hall, a world-class acoustic space. The historic Capitol Theatre is home to the Utah Opera and Ballet West, one of the nation's leading companies. The Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center includes an art gallery and several performance spaces for new and established artists.

Theatrical performances are scheduled at Desert Star Playhouse, featuring live musical comedy melodrama, honky-tonk piano, and audience participation; Hale Center Theater, offering comedies and musicals for the whole family to enjoy; Off Broadway Theatre, staging comedy and improvisation; Promised Valley Playhouse, presenting theater in a restored turn-of-the-century showplace; and Salt Lake Community College Grand Theatre, featuring Broadway musicals.

Several interesting museums are located in Salt Lake City. The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum houses a collection of dolls, textiles, and frontier furniture in a replica of the famous Salt Palace. Located in a restored nineteenth century railroad station, the Utah Historical Society features exhibits on the history of Utah's various ethnic groups. The Fort Douglas Military Museum inside the restored fort displays items relating to the military history of the state. Hill Air Force Base Aerospace Museum maintains a collection of military aircraft, missiles, vehicles and uniforms. The Utah Museum of Natural History contains a large collection of dinosaur skeletons excavated from many local sites, as well as exhibits on animals and minerals of the region.

The Salt Lake Art Center houses traveling art exhibits from around the world as well as a permanent collection and a sculpture garden. On the campus of the University of Utah, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts contains paintings by artists such as Rubens, antique tapestries, and Louis XIV furniture. The Museum of Church History and Art chronicles the early development of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts is dedicated to the work of Utah's ethnic, native, and rural artists.

Festivals and Holidays

The Utah Arts Festival, the nation's first statewide arts festival, takes place in June and provides exciting performance and visual art, crafts, and ethnic foods. June is also the time for the prestigious Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation Festival and Competition. The Festival of the American West, held on the Utah State University campus in Logan, occurs annually during the last week of July/early August. Pioneer Harvest Days happens every September in Pioneer Trail State Park, featuring authentic examples of historic craftwork, including butter making, weaving, blacksmithing, adobe brick making, and pioneer games. September is a busy month in Salt Lake City, with the Salt Lake City Jazz Festival and the Utah State Fair, which features midway rides, livestock and art exhibits, and special entertainment nightly. The Christmas season begins the day after Thanksgiving when more than 300,000 lights are turned on in Temple Square. The Sundance Film Festival takes place in the Salt Lake area every January. The Madeleine Festival takes place at the Cathedral of the Madeleine each spring, offering free cultural performances to the community. The annual Great Salt Lake Bird Festival takes place in May, as well as Living Traditions, a three-day festival honoring folk artists of the Salt Lake Valley.

Sports for the Spectator

Salt Lake City is home to two professional basketball teams: the NBA's Utah Jazz and the WNBA's Utah Starzz. Both teams play in the $90 million, state-of-the-art Delta Center. Hockey is represented by the American Hockey League's Utah Grizzlies, who also play at Delta Center. The Salt Lake Stingers, a Triple A affiliate of the Anaheim Angels, play baseball at Franklin Covey Field from April through mid-September. The University of Utah fields competitive teams in most major collegiate sports. Salt Lake City is also host to two professional soccer teams, an indoor football team, and a number of rodeo events on the national rodeo circuit. The nearby Bonneville Salt Flats is the site of numerous auto races and frequent attempts to set the land speed record.

Sports for the Participant

The Salt Lake City area offers an abundance of outdoor activities. The nearby mountains provide year-round recreation: hiking, fishing, camping, and winter skiing. Some of the nation's most popular ski resorts such as Snowbird, Park City, Deer Valley, Sundance, Alta, and Solitude are within a 40-minute drive of the city. Non-traditional sports such as ski-jumping and luge are offered at new facilities constructed for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. The area's rivers offer white-water rafting, canoeing, and innertubing. Many area lakes are ideal spots for all forms of water activity—boating, sailing, water skiing, and swimming.

Gallivan Utah Center Plaza has a skating rink. Salt Lake City operates a number of parks that feature swimming pools, jogging trails, playing fields, tennis courts, and other recreational facilities. Several championship-grade golf courses are located in the city as well.

Shopping and Dining

America's first department store, the Zions Cooperative Mercantile Institution, opened in Salt Lake City in 1868 and continues to operate today in ZCMI Center Mall. A number of major shopping centers are located in the city, including Crossroads Plaza and Trolley Square, a theme mall located in a group of restored trolley barns. The Gateway, Salt Lake's only open-air entertainment, dining, and shopping venue, was completed in 2001. It features 90 shops and restaurants, a restored 1908 Union Pacific Depot and the Olympic Legacy Plaza. Many small shops and boutiques are scattered throughout the metropolitan area.

Because of its diverse ethnic population, Salt Lake City features a variety of international restaurants; many are prominent nationally. Everything from inexpensive fast food to elegant, intimate dining can be found in the more than 300 restaurants located in the valley.

Visitor Information: Salt Lake City Convention & Visitors Bureau, 90 South West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101; telephone (801)521-2822; fax (801)534-4927

Salt Lake City: History

European Explorers Replace Native Americans

For thousands of years, the inhabitants of the northern Utah region were hunter-gatherers. Artifacts dating as far back as 12,000 years have been found in caves near the Great Salt Lake. About 500 B.C. the Fremont tribe, a less nomadic, agricultural society, settled in the area, building impressive cliff dwellings and drawing elaborate rock paintings, many of which can still be viewed today. Changing environmental conditions eventually made primitive farming impossible, and by the twelfth century, the area was populated mainly by the Ute, Paiute, and Shoshone tribes of nomadic hunters.

The first Europeans to travel through the area were the Spanish, coming from New Mexico in search of a direct route to Monterey, California, in 1776. In the early 1800s, fur trappers and "mountain men" explored the region, discovering the Great Salt Lake and mapping the mountain passes. A number of government expeditions explored the area, and a steady stream of settlers bound for California began to pass through.

Mormons Settle, Lay Out Town; Religious Beliefs Questioned

A group of Mormon pioneers led by Brigham Young settled in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, laying out a town they called Great Salt Lake City. From the beginning the city was well planned, with a grid of ten-acre plots separated by streets 132 feet wide. The industrious settlers began planting crops and developing intricate irrigation systems, eventually forming more than 500 settlements in the Utah area. Disaster was averted in 1848 when, as drought and plagues of insects threatened the crops, flocks of seagulls arrived to consume the insects, thereby saving the harvest.

In 1848 the settlers organized the State of Deseret and applied for statehood with a government headed by the Mormon Church. Congress denied the petition and instead created Utah Territory in 1850. Salt Lake City was incorporated in 1851, and in 1856 it replaced Fillmore as the territorial capital. Misunderstandings about Mormon religious beliefs and political outrage at the Mormon practice of polygamy led to the so-called "Utah War" in 1857 between the Mormon settlers and the U.S. Government. Although the dispute was settled peacefully in 1858, relations between the church and the territorial government were strained for many years.

City Becomes State Capital; Regional Mines, Industry Thrive

The two ends of the transcontinental railroad met just 40 miles north of Salt Lake City in 1869, tying Utah with the outside world. Over the next twenty years, hundreds of copper, silver, and lead mines were developed in the region, bringing a large number of non-Mormon settlers. Under continued pressure, the practice of polygamy was officially stopped by the church in 1890. This paved the way for women's suffrage in Utah, which had been a political lever in the national polygamy debate. The majestic Mormon Temple, begun in 1853, was completed in 1892, and Utah entered the Union in 1896 as the third suffrage state with Salt Lake City as the capital.

During the early twentieth century Salt Lake City assumed the look of a modern city. The State Capitol building and a number of other impressive structures were built, electric trolley cars began service on the city's streets, and large residential sections developed around the city. Like most cities, Salt Lake City suffered during the Great Depression, but prosperity returned during World War II amidst a construction boom and increased demand for metals. Industrial expansion continued postwar with downtown development and beautification projects becoming a focus in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 2002 Salt Lake City hosted the "best attended" Olympic Winter Games in history, with 1.6 billion tickets sold and another 4 billion television viewers. The city continues to reap the benefits of improved infrastructure and a significant increase in tourism.

In recent years Salt Lake City has been consistently recognized for its prosperity and quality of life. In 2003 Fortune magazine ranked the city third-best in America for business. Yahoo! magazine listed it among the nation's top 25 "Wired Cities"; and the sixth edition of Places Rated Almanac ranked the Salt Lake City/Ogden area as the best place to live in North America.

Historical Information: Utah State Historical Society Library, 300 South Rio Grande Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84101; telephone (801)533-3500; fax (801)533-3503

Salt Lake City: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

The Salt Lake City School District is sixth-largest in Utah. It's mission is to advocate for all students, provide education of the highest quality, and prepare students for opportunities in the future. Many district schools are currently in the midst of a 10-year reconstruction and renovation program.

The following is a summary of data regarding Salt Lake City public schools as of the 2002–2003 school year.

Total enrollment: 24,850

Number of facilities

elementary schools: 27

intermediate schools: 5

senior high schools: 4

Student/teacher ratio: 20.02:1

Teacher salaries

average: $38,268 (State of Utah)

Funding per pupil: $7,284

Public Schools Information: Salt Lake City School District, 440 East 100 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111-1891; telephone (801)578-8599; fax (801)578-8248. Utah State Office of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4200; telephone (801)538-7500

Colleges and Universities

Salt Lake City is home to the University of Utah, the oldest university in the West. Founded in 1850, the university covers more than 1,000 acres and includes the Red Butte Garden and Arboretum. One of the country's top 30 public research universities, the University of Utah is known for its technology transfer program to move research into practical applications in the business world; it also has a medical school.

Salt Lake City is also home to prestigious Westminster College, a private non-denominational institution offering 24 undergraduate majors and a range of post-graduate degree and certificate programs. Other local colleges include the Salt Lake Community College and LDS Business College. Adult education is available through the Salt Lake City campus of the University of Phoenix.

Libraries and Research Centers

The Salt Lake City Public Library System consists of a main library and 5 branch locations, with a total of more than 750,000 volumes and 600 periodical subscriptions, as well as films, audio tapes, maps, and art reproductions. The library also contains special collections of old and rare material from the region's past. A new Main Library was unveiled in 2003, featuring a six-story curving, climbable wall, spiraling fireplaces, a multi-level reading area and a rooftop garden. The 240,000-square-foot space is double the size of the previous library. Several other branches were also remodeled or expanded in 2003.

The Salt Lake County Library System consists of a main library and 18 branches offering a variety of exhibits, events and collections. Salt Lake City is also home to the Utah State Library Program for the Blind and Disabled, which serves visually impaired, physically disabled, and reading disabled patrons across the western states. The library has more than 14,000 Braille books, 53,000 books on cassette, and 14,000 large-print books. The University of Utah maintains a large library system. A number of private, research, and special interest libraries also serve the city.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Library houses a genealogical library, considered to be the largest of its kind in the world. Open to the public free of charge, the collection contains family history, local history, and vital records. The library is visited by approximately 1,900 patrons each day.

Centers in the Salt Lake City area conduct research activities in such fields as the environment, entomology, engineering design, biomedical engineering, toxicology, lasers, radiobiology, occupational and environmental health, astrophysics, astronomy, communications, nuclear engineering, physical electronics, remote sensing and cartography, mineral technology, isotope geology, seismology, mining, business and economics, finance, public affairs, politics, energy law, gerontology, the American West, the Middle East, and archaeology.

Public Library Information: Salt Lake City Public Library, 210 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111; telephone (801)524-8200. Salt Lake County Library System, 2197 Fort Union Blvd, Salt Lake City, UT 84121-3139; telephone (801)943-4636; fax (801)942-6323

SALT LAKE CITY

SALT LAKE CITY was founded in July 1847 by Brigham Young and his followers, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). The Latter-day Saints sought refuge from the religious persecution they had experienced in the eastern United States, and chose to settle in the interior basin of the Rocky Mountains, still formally part of Mexico.

The Salt Lake Valley had no settled population of American Indians, though Ute, Shoshoni, and Southern Paiute people had long inhabited the broader region. Although trappers and Mexican traders had traversed the Salt Lake Valley since 1824, and several immigrant parties had passed through on their way to California in 1846, the Mormons were the first to establish permanent settlements.

They began to plot out the city as soon as they arrived, and adapted a plan that had been proposed by Joseph Smith in 1833, called the "plat of the city of Zion." Surveyors set aside a large public square for a temple and other public use, and the grid pattern of streets was laid out. All locations were designated by their direction and distance from the southeast corner of the Temple Square. In 1850, the territorial legislature founded the University of Utah and the first classes met that fall, providing a foundation for cultural and scientific advance that would continue to thrive in the city. The Salt Lake Theater, built in 1861, was a major cultural institution in the West.

The completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 had enormous consequences for the city. Though

the transcontinental route crossed fifty miles to the north, Brigham Young pushed for the completion of the Utah Central Railroad, a connecting line, by January 1870. The city's trade, business, and population all grew rapidly. The population almost doubled between 1870 and 1880, from 12,854 to 20,768, and again during the next decade to 44,834. Chinese and African American rail workers, Jews, and by the turn of the century, Italians, Greeks, Slavs, and others of the new immigration, created a variegated population.

The railroad stimulated both mining and smelting. Salt Lake City became the hub of a series of thriving mining districts in the nearby canyons that produced gold, silver, and copper. By 1910, the population had reached nearly 90,000. The 1920s and 1930s were a period of stagnation, but New Deal programs and war industries revived the economy. In the latter half of the twentieth century, recreation, especially skiing, and high-tech industries gave Salt Lake City a measure of economic stability. In February 2002, the Winter Olympic Games were held in Salt Lake City and brought unprecedented world attention.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alexander, Thomas G., and James B. Allen. Mormons and Gentiles: A History of Salt Lake City. Boulder, Colo.: Pruett, 1984.

Gottlieb, Robert, and Peter Wiley. Empires in the Sun: The Rise of the New American West. Woodland Hills, Calif.: Windsor, 1982.

McCormick, John S. Salt Lake City, the Gathering Place: An Illustrated History. New York: Putnam, 1980.

Dean L.May

See alsoLatter-day Saints, Church of Jesus Christ of ; Tabernacle, Mormon ; Utah ; Westward Migration andvol. 9:An Expedition to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake of Utah .