Utah Heritage Foundation

September 1, 2009

Utah Heritage Foundation supports the Salt Lake City Administration and Public Safety officials in the November 2009 election campaign to fund a new public safety complex.

While passing the bond is a focus of the city at this time, we believe that it is equally important that the future disposition of the current Public Safety Building be addressed.  Utah Heritage Foundation believes the Public Safety Building, historically known as the Pacific Northwest Pipeline Building, has historic and architectural value to the city and can be adaptively used for another purpose once the Salt Lake City Public Safety Department vacates the property.  To that end, we strongly encourage Salt Lake City to discuss the sale of the building and adjacent property to a developer interested in rehabilitating the current structure, adaptively reusing it for another purpose, and not demolishing it.

The construction of the Public Safety Building was completed in 1958 under the direction of architect Slack Winburn.  The design, steel frame with an exterior curtain wall of glass and steel panels, was still considered innovative architecture at the time.  Slack Winburn previously worked as the local supervising architect on First Security Bank at 400 South and Main Street.  Winburn learned many of the modern, innovative features employed by nationally-renowned architects during his experience on First Security Bank, and then utilized them on his Pacific Northwest Pipeline project.  Many of the original features remain today, and by Slack Winburn's adept hand in designing, Salt Lake City is graced by a distinguished pair of early International Style skyscrapers, one preserved - First Security Bank (Ken Garff Building) - and one deserving of rehabilitation - the Public Safety Building.

In the event that the November bond does not pass by an election of the voters, Utah Heritage Foundation encourages the city to adequately maintain the current Public Safety Building until a new facility can accommodate the current offices.

For more history on the building, visit our website.

What do you think?