Ground was broken for construction of the center on 1 June 1982, by Essam Khashoggi, chairman of Triad America. On the same day, plans for the 10-year-long development were publicly released. They called for the construction of a complex with a set of twin 40-story office towers, three 25-story residential towers, a hotel, farmers' market, ice rink, amphitheatre and a park. The complex was to be located on three city blocks in downtown Salt Lake City, and was planned to contain over of office space and of residential space. The first phase of construction was to last 18 months and to include construction of a broadcast house to hold the studios of KSL radio and television. The second phase was the construction of a 10-story office building, on the northern boundary of the project, known as the North Plaza Office. These buildings were to be constructed surrounding the historic Devereaux House, whose restoration was to be included in the project. On 12 July 1984, the broadcast house was officially opened, and the North Plaza Office building would soon be completed. During the years following the initial announcement of the development, plans for the remaining phases were scaled back. On 7 June 1985, ground was broken for the first 35-story office building, to be known as 1 Triad Center. 1 Triad Center was the last phase to go into construction, as financial problems put the remaining phases on hold. Excavation for its basement was begun, and steel for the skyscraper was delivered on site, but construction was soon halted. Within a year, the entire development was canceled, leaving only the Broadcast House, North Plaza Office and a parking structure completed. Had 1 Triad Center been completed it would have been the tallest building in Utah.
A small number of suites are used by private stockbrokers and lawyers.
In August 2010, Deseret News announced it would be moving its offices to the broadcast house in the center, so they could integrate with KSL's newsroom. On 2 August 2017, BYU–Pathway Worldwide announced that the Triad Center would become its new headquarters.
1999 shooting incidents
On 14 January 1999, 24-year-old De Kieu Duy entered the center's broadcast house and began shooting. She fired numerous rounds in the building's lobby, injuring the building manager. She then rode the elevator to the upper floors where she fatally shot 30-year-old Anne Sleater, an AT&T employee. Sleater's co-worker, Ben Porter, then wrestled Duy to the ground, ending the shooting spree. Duy was later found mentally incompetent to stand trial and is currently housed in the Utah State Hospital. Three months later, a second shooting, one block away, at the LDS Church Family History Library, led to the Triad Center being evacuated. During that shooting, a truck with a suspicious note was found parked near the Triad Center, and fears arose that the shooter or a possible accomplice had planted a bomb in the truck. Later that afternoon, Salt Lake City Police Department detonated an explosive charge attached to the truck, gaining access to its cargo. Inside, two drums, one empty and one containing gasoline, were found. It was later learned the truck driver and his cargo were not related to the shooting, and was it just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
