Tenants are building, fountains are cascading, waterfalls are… well, falling… street lamps are burning, the massive glass canopy is retracting—and the creek for which it’s named is steadily ambling along. In other words: Thanks to more than 700 craftworkers on site every day, City Creek Center is shaping up nicely for its spring debut.

The 700,000-square-foot retail development, anchored by Nordstrom and Macy’s, is scheduled to open March 22, 2012. Dave Marshall and Brent Rowley, JCC’s project managers for City Creek, look forward to that day just as much as the rest of us.

“We’re moving at a very rapid pace now,” Marshall said. “After more than two years of planning, preparing and executing, it’s been really exciting to finally see City Creek taking definitive shape over the past several months.”

‘Taking definitive shape,’ by City Creek standards, means that an extraordinary amount of work has been done. From gravity-defying concrete and extensive stone work, to the radiant heated pathways and gas lamp fixtures, to the Bellagio-esque fountains and hundreds of native plantings along the creek... the details throughout the entire project are as intricate as they are endless. Executing them perfectly requires our team’s focus and attention all the time.

When it’s finally completed, City Creek will feature 80 specialty stores and restaurants, many of them making their Utah debut. It will also feature a few extras designed to accommodate the anticipated tourist traffic—like an information board at the customer service desk, where visitors can check weather updates and flight information for the Salt Lake airport.

“Building a high-end development like this is a massive effort, and everyone has really stepped up in order to maintain momentum,” Rowley said. “Next spring is coming fast... but we’re on track to make sure that this project is open right on time.”