SALT LAKE CITY — On Friday night, the street through The Gateway Shopping Center had vendors instead of cars as people walked through looking at the unique things for sale.
It’s part of the shopping center’s vision to help drum up business and keep people coming during the pandemic. There are events like movies, yoga in the park and more each week.
“The Gateway has always had to innovative, so we have always had to pivot and think outside of the box and for us, we are just continuing to do that,” The Gateway spokeswoman Jacklyn Briggs said.
In 2016, Vestar Corporation bought The Gateway with the promise to revitalize the shopping center. The group has formed a tenant action committee to help the businesses survive during COVID-19.
A few national retailers closed stores across the country, including some inside The Gateway: Victoria's Secret, California Pizza Kitchen, Punch Bowl Social and Buckle, Briggs said.
“What we have seen, even as surprise to us, there is opportunities for local businesses and new concepts that we are already looking to backfill. We have some exciting news coming in October about those new changes,” she said.
Despite some stores closing, business has actually been steadily improving for others.
“At first it was like down and then it was getting worse and then it’s gotten better like pretty progressively over the last couple months,” said Samantha Kirk, the general manager at Chedda Burger.
The events at the outdoor shopping center have helped with business, Kirk said.
“It’s gotten to the point where I can see that light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.
The Downtown Salt Lake City Winter Market will be at The Gateway this year after the Rio Grande building suffered damage from the earthquake, Briggs said. There will also be free Halloween movies in October.
Construction on the hotel at The Gateway is set to begin in January 2021.
For more information on events at The Gateway, click here.
