SALT LAKE CITY ā Utah’s capital city is now considering rebuilding a 119-year-old structure in the Rio Grande District after signing off on a plan to adaptively reuse it as part of a Climbing USA campus, after the project hit a snag.
The Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency previously agreed to reimburse USA Climbing up to $6 million to preserve and reuse the historic Salt Lake Mattress Building, 535 W. 300 South, as part of its grand headquarters plans for the area.
However, the U.S. governing body for the growing sport requested additional funding for the project on Tuesday, based on two options. Keeping the building as initially planned is projected to cost an additional $1.3 million, while it’s projected to cost $250,000 more to rebuild it with historic elements.
The Reinvestment Agency’s board ā composed of Salt Lake City Council members ā is currently leaning toward the rebuild, as it would come with strong benefits and a lower cost, said Councilman Dan Dugan, the board’s chairman.
“I think we’re still leaning on the idea that we want to keep the building (intact) as much as we can,” he told KSL after the meeting.
The Salt Lake Mattress Company was built in 1907, and it has lasted through many changes in the area. The Reinvestment Agency acquired the building over 20 years ago with the intent of preserving it and including it in the city’s plans to redevelop the Rio Grande District.
USA Climbing agreed to incorporate the building in its plans for a headquarters and climbing gym, which received city support in 2024. It planned to make some adjustments to the building to align it with a new facility to be constructed next to it.
But, on top of its deteriorating state, it was one of several historic buildings that suffered damage from the 2020 earthquake, said Ashley Ogden, a senior project manager for the Reinvestment Agency.
Climbing USA’s request comes after pre-construction teams determined that “additional structural reinforcement” is needed to adaptively reuse the building, while “swaths” of the building’s historic brick were recommended for removal and replacement due to stability concerns, according to a city report.
It is seeking to reconstruct the building with concrete masonry block that is “clad with the historic brick,” and designed “similar to what would be achieved via adaptive reuse.”
The additional $250,000 ā or up to $1.3 million if the city prefers the original plan ā is more than the governing body would be able to absorb, said Steve Brown, a development consultant representing Climbing USA.
He added that Okland Construction, hired to undertake the project, anticipates being able to proceed with the project, with the sole adjustment requested.
“We’re pretty confident that we can satisfy the needs at $6.25 million,” he told the board.
The request struck a nerve with some board members because of the city’s original goal of preserving the piece of city history. The entire project, which includes a new building next to the historic structure and a plaza for training, a commercial gym and events, has already received over $20 million in public funds, too, added Salt Lake City Councilwoman Erika Carlsen, as she expressed her hesitancy to add more to that.
Many historic buildings don’t have proper seismic standards, too, which is something that should also be considered, countered Councilwoman Eva Lopez Chavez, the board’s vice chairwoman. She noted that what’s being proposed is similar to what developers ultimately did with the historic Pickle & Hide building in the Granary District.
While the board is leaning toward the rebuild option, some suggested ways to reduce project costs to absorb the increase. There was a discussion over whether to see policies for future historic building discussions, to encourage more preservation.
Dugan expects potential pushback from preservation advocates, but he said he believes groups would agree with the project savings to rebuild the structure.
“In our current market, you just can’t throw money at it,” he told KSL, adding that the city remains committed to preserving the area’s history while celebrating new growth.
He anticipates the measure could be voted on as early as the board’s next meeting, which is slated for Feb. 10.
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