Demolition Marks ‘New Era’ for Taylorsville

Taylorsville—What was once the heart of the southern Salt Lake Valley business community turned to rubble and dust as demolishers made way for a new development at the Crossroads of Taylorsville Tuesday.

The bulk of the 68-acre Family Center 5600 South—125,000 square feet of it—will be demolished in favor of a new shopping center that will include a Regal Cinema 12-Plex. Taylorsville Mayor Larry Johnson said the retail area was once a landmark in the valley.

“When I was first married and we had young kids, this shopping center was the place to be,” he said.

In the decades since, though, the center had fallen out of popularity as newer centers sprang up in nearby communities. Johnson said the new development will revitalize an area that was once a bustling hub of commerce.

“While 30 years ago this was the only major shopping center [in the southern part of the valley], that’s no longer the case. The valley has built up around us,” he said.

Bill Stone, principal at San Diego-based S-Squared Development, which is constructing the project, said the center’s location and potential made it an exciting prospect.

“It’s not often you find a shopping center with one of the highest traffic counts in the state that’s available for sale,” Stone said. “You’re going to see the rebirth of a great shopping center.”

The Crossroads of Taylorsville will be opening shops and restaurants as they become completed, Stone said, but a formal grand opening will be held next year.

Rather than mourning the loss of a staple to the city’s landscape, the demolition was celebrated with a party and confetti.

“We’re excited. We’re going to be there with you [throughout the construction process],” Johnson said. “This demolition today marks the beginning of a new era for Taylorsville.”