After a fire last August destroyed several businesses in Downtown Salt Lake City, plans for a new building on Main Street are rising up from the ashes.
And we mean rising up.
Developers are proposing a new four-floor building at 319 and 321 S. Main St., which are the former sites of Los Tapatios and London Belle, according to materials published by Salt Lake City ahead of City Council meetings next week. The two buildings sit on a single parcel that totals .14 acres.
Records show the owner of those buildings — Chenzo LLC, which is owned by the Tran family that owns and operates other Downtown restaurants like Franklin Avenue and Pleiku — is requesting a $2 million disaster relief loan from the Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency’s Disaster Relief Loan Program (DRLP).
A term sheet for the proposed CRA loan says the $2 million in funds would carry a 0% interest rate for the first two years and a 2% rate thereafter. The term would be three years and the amortization schedule would be 10 years. Because the fire impacted two separate businesses, Chenzo LLC is eligible for two loans totaling $1 million each.
The funds could be used for demolition, debris removal and site cleanup, security measures during reconstruction, architectural and engineering fees for reconstruction planning and reconstruction of the damaged building or other site improvements, according to the CRA term sheet.
Aside from the requested loan, Chenzo LLC also applied for a commercial building permit on June 17, according to city records. That building permit described the structure as a commercial complex that would consist of a “new ground up 4 story shell building.” The building permit also says the structure would be 75 feet tall and have a total square footage of 18,600.
Los Tapatios and London Belle following a fire on Aug. 11, 2025. Photo by Devin Zander | Building Salt Lake
In total, the cost to rebuild the property is estimated at $7.5 million, according to CRA records. Baseline reconstruction and code compliance costs, which would be eligible for DRLP funds, is estimated to be $4.05 million. The remaining $3.45 million would go toward expansion and enhancement of the property, which would not be eligible for the DRLP funds, according to a city staff memo on the proposed loan.
What’s not clear is what the building would be used for. Though the CRA documents show renderings of the proposed site and the records mention a “proposed vertical addition and rooftop activation,” the documents don’t say what the building would include. The building permit’s labeling of the structure as a complex suggests there could be multiple businesses.
Given the Tran family’s experience in restaurants, it’s likely the building will continue to be a food and beverage spot. But whether the upper floors would include residential or other commercial spaces is unclear.
The renderings depict a glass-heavy front facade, along with metal composite material (MCM) panels. The building’s exterior would also feature manufactured stone veneer on the first floor, as well as painted aluminum framing and louvers and wood-plastic composite on the upper floors.
Composite materials would be used because they “meet the luxury standards of high-end venues,” according to a rendering attached to CRA documents. Those materials would also be used to simplify construction, reduce construction time and because the materials are more economical.
The $2 million loan will be discussed by members of the Salt Lake City Council on Tuesday as part of their CRA board meeting.
While lesser-damaged businesses along the block have since reopened, like White Horse and Eva, places like Los Tapatios, London Belle and Whiskey Street bore the brunt of the flames during the Aug. 11 fire.
Since then, questions have swirled about what could be done with the properties, especially given the area’s D-1 zoning that carries a height minimum of 100 feet. However, a spokesperson for Mayor Erin Mendenhall previously told BSL that any replacement buildings must meet current fire and safety codes, but added, “this does not preclude them from being rebuilt to look very similar to how they looked prior to the fire.”
A rendering of a proposed 4-story building along Main Street in Downtown Salt Lake City. Image via Salt Lake City, Chenzo LLC
Honestly that’s pretty hideous.