This looks to be a carbon copy of the Midtown development in Orem. It would easily be the tallest building in Davis County, and is convenient to Hill Air Force Base and the Weber State - Davis campus. I just wish it were about a mile west -- closer to FrontRunner.
Clearfield plans center
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
By Antone Clark
Standard-Examiner correspondent
CLEARFIELD -- An Orem development group wants to build an eight-story, "lifestyle" center with a projected price tag of more than $100 million.
The Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. today in the Municipal Building, 55 S. State St., to discuss Midtown Village's plan.
Changing the city's general plan is a key legal step to the mixed-use project. The planned location for the development is only zoned for commercial uses, not mixed-use.
The change of zoning would impact 11 acres, owned by Wayne Bellaeu and located at the intersection of State Route 193 and University Park Boulevard on the city's eastern border.
Once the Planning Commission reviews the general plan, the City Council can consider a potential amendment to it.
City Manager Chris Hillman said this project is the first of its kind in Davis County.
The complex has a 2007 construction timetable, and it would include residential, office, recreation, entertainment and retail components.
It would be patterned after a similar development under way in Orem, Hillman said. The facility would feature more than 1 million square feet and include the largest, state-of-the-art theater in Davis County, as well as hotel space via a timeshare component with concierge services.
The project would be roughly half the size of the Gateway in Salt Lake City.
Mayor Don Wood said it would significantly impact the region.
"This development will be a major destination for both Davis and Weber counties where people can live, work, shop, dine and be entertained all in one complex," Wood said.
Wood and other city leaders began courting Midtown this summer. Since August, Hillman said, city officials have spent a lot of time doing site visits and negotiating the partnership. All City Council members, except Councilman Doyle Sprague, have also been to Utah County to see the Midtown project in Orem.
Still, there are some financial wrinkles and issues facing the city that need to be worked out. Hillman said city officials have discussed creating a special improvement district for the area, which would allow Clearfield to bond for at least $7 million to make site improvements.
"This means development dollars will be used to pay for development," Hillman said. "The burden will not be placed on Clearfield residents."
There is also the issue of 15 acres of park space, owned by the city and adjacent to the proposed development site. Though nothing has been decided, there is talk of swapping that land or developing it in some way.
With the project, Wood said, the city will get improved park space as well as more property taxes and sales tax to help pay for improved city services.
Wood said final details on the public/private partnership are expected before the year's end.
Midtown Village already has a Davis County presence. The developer is currently leasing space in the Layton Hills Mall to promote the project and take reservations, beginning Nov. 10.
"Midtown Village is excited about bringing this project to Clearfield and Davis County," said Rob Storey, Midtown's marketing manager.
The project is located just east of where the city's largest retail project is expected to open in weeks. Tai-Pan Trading International is expected to hold a ribbon cutting for its new 100,000-square-foot retail facility in early November.