Nate B's Commentary

Bell Canyon Center (aka Bell Canyon Shopping Center) was first constructed in 1979 by Wallace Associates Management. This was the first of the shopping malls to be built along 1300 East in the Sandy City area. When first completed, it offered a good mix of tenants. Safeway was the anchor store. There was a video rental store called Bell Canyon Video, a dance studio called Buckles and Bows, State Farm Insurance, and Coats Realty. In the outparcels there was Canyon View Cleaners (dry cleaning), and a Hardee's restaurant. In 1986 a Little Ceasar's Pizza was added and Bell Canyon Video closed. In 1987 Safeway closed it's doors and local grocer Dan's Foods took their place. In 1991, Dan's Foods closed their store and a store called Farmer Jack enjoyed a six month run before also closing it's doors. This was the last steady tenant to occupy the largest anchor space. In 1993, Hardees closed and was replaced by Burger King, who later closed that location in 1998. Coats Realty closed shortly after as did Buckles and Bows. State Farm moved their office to the now completed shopping center about 100 yards up the road. West Star Financial opened a call center in the former Safeway, but shut down very soon after opening. The anchor store has been vacant since 2002. A health food store opened in the former Burger King and lasted only a few months. The only remaining tenants are now an Allstate Insurance that resides where State Farm was, a Christian church called The Salt City Rock, and the only original tenant- Canyon View Cleaners. There are simply too many much newer and larger malls along 1300 East that have lured all of Bell Canyon's tenants away. The mall is now blighted, vandalized, and very still as of September 2005. This was once the only place to shop for residents of East Sandy. It is now a forgotten and empty monument to the price of progress.

There is now a big change on the horizon. The mall has been purchased by the Chasebrook Company, who also own 10 other strip malls in the state. They are leasing space in a new mall that will be built in place of Bell Canyon Center. There has not been an official demolition date announced, but it should be quite soon. It will be very different to see something else stand where in Bell Canyon's place.