Salt Lake City's Historic Landmarks Commission unanimously approved two related proposals at Tracy Aviary on Thursday: a new garden pavilion and indoor bird-show building, and the relocation of a circa-1938 office house to a more visible location on the Aviary grounds (cases PLNHLC2025-00642 and PLNHLC2025-00697).

Staff told the commission the projects are the result of multi-year coordination among Tracy Aviary, multiple city departments and the State Historic Preservation Office. The relocation petition concerns a small, circa-1938 office house that has served multiple uses over the decades (aquarium, playhouse, caretaker's residence). Staff said the building's significance stems from its history and role in interpreting the site, and recommended relocation to a more visible setting inside the Aviary that better reflects its historic use.

The new garden pavilion includes a roughly 3,500-square-foot indoor event space for year-round bird shows and an outdoor covered patio with retractable glazing, timber rafters and canvas awnings. The indoor bird show structure is smaller and will include an auditorium and attached exhibit space for birds. Proposed materials include prefinished metal cladding, composite siding, stone veneer and timber elements; staff recommended a single modification to reduce the required window reveal from 3 inches to 2 inches in recognition of the Aviary's contemporary, nonstandard building context.

Commissioners and Tracy Aviary representatives emphasized the length of collaboration, tree-preservation efforts, and the care taken to locate new structures to avoid mature canopy impacts. A public commenter urged the commission to adopt a clear definition of "relocation" because recent cases vary in how much original fabric is retained; staff said the city does not currently have a formal definition and that the commission could consider adding one in the future.

The commission moved to approve staff recommendations on both the new-construction and relocation petitions; both motions passed unanimously. Staff will coordinate final details, minor-alteration reviews for landscaping/hardscape, and conditions related to material selection and window reveals as listed in the staff reports.