Provo MSA Development Thread

[delts145]

CATHY ALLRED - North County Staff

A year after entering the Lehi mayoral office, Mayor Howard Johnson continues to try and convince UDOT and other agencies of the soundness of his transportation solutions for north Utah County.

Two of his proposals include a freeway tunnel under the Camp Williams projectile explosives range and another a causeway across Utah Lake from south Saratoga Springs to Orem.

"The solution to our problems is to build a freeway through Cedar Valley to west of Nephi and getting real vision run a tunnel through Camp Williams," he said. "You can see my concern for the last year and it will be for the next year and that is traffic through the city."

Transportation, policy and procedures and facilities were the topics on Johnson's mind when he spoke during a Tuesday interview with the Lehi Free Press of the accomplishments of the past year and the goals of 2007.

By far the most time consuming and important item according to the mayor has been the transportation issues confronting the city and north Utah County. Johnson said he began a review of the highway and street needs of the area taking four months, 2-3 hours every day working on the project.

"I've talked with every mayor in the valley, talked with legislators, I've talked with a count commissioner, I've talked at length with MAG," he said.

Out of all his planning and talking, Johnson said there has been some good, some negative come out of it.

"The biggest thing right now, they are listening to me and smiling," he said. "I just want to keep them informed."

He is writing a letter to Lehi residents about the community's transportation needs, the results of his study and some of what he knows will happen, some obviously visionary, he said.

The letter and a copy of a color transportation map he is working on will be included in the February utility bill to residents.

Most immediately pressing to him is winning the 1900 South alignment choice for UDOT's Mountainview Corridor project and protecting homeowners along 1500 South.

"The 1500 North (option) creates a no-man's land for Lehi," he said.

While transportation might be the first thing on his mind for 2006 and 2007, personnel issues run a close second.

"One of the neat things we've done is the personnel policies and procedures have been revised, updated and now we are carefully following them," Johnson said.

He began the revision process in spring 2006 and included standardizing the employment procedures as well.

Future goals for the city, Johnson said will focus also on solving city facility concerns caused by growth. Lehi City Hall is over capacity with employees staffed in closets for offices.

"At this point we are trying to see what to do," he said.

[delts145]

Thursday, January 04, 2007
Phase one of Lehi substation completed

CATHY ALLRED - North County Staff
Power companies in Utah are clamoring at Rod Olsen to see Lehi Power Company's new substation.

Lehi City, in partnership with Mountain Home Development Group, has built a multimillion dollar substation to serve north Lehi that Olsen, Lehi Power superintendent, says is the first of its kind in the state -- a modula.

"It's a unique concept, it's the first one of its type in the state," Olsen said. "It's a relatively new concept."

The substation is designed, engineered and put together in a factory and then the component sections are dismantled, shipped out, and assembled on site.

A turn key operation, it is a similar concept like building a modular home and was contracted by ASEA Brown and Boberi Incorporated which sells a wide variety of utility products worldwide.

"The advantage to that of course is the time it only took them 30 days from start to finish on site it allows us to subtract or add depending on the growth," Olsen said.

The completion of phase one of the Traverse Mountain substation was announced at the Lehi City Council work session on Jan. 2. Phase two will be completed in summer 2008 depending on development.

Calling it a significant redundant provider, Jamie Davidson, city administrator, said if another substation in the city goes down, the power can loop through the Traverse Mountain substation and still serve the north end of the community.

"It allows us to better serve the residents of Traverse Mountain," he said of the power utility. "It has been a challenge in the past. It will provide greater reliability."

Situated on 1.5 acres, the new substation is adjacent to a water pressure irrigation pond and a Lehi City well at Traverse Mountain in north Lehi. Phase one is set up to provide 20 million watts or service approximately 4,000 homes depending on how many businesses and churches also are drawing energy.

Woody Berry, Lehi Power employee, spearheaded the operation from start to finish, according to Olsen.

By 2008, he has planned one bay with one power transformer planned for four underground circuits.

"We actually have a lot of power companies interested in it and wanting to come and see it ... and to our knowledge ABB are the only ones doing it."

Richard Evans, ABB representative factory engineer, said the Lehi substation is the first one in the public power market.

"What makes it unique is the ability to deliver to the site in an extremely short amount of time," Evans said. "Typically the substation can take up to a year and a half to construct and these are normally ordered and delivered in about 8 -12 months. So you save about six months to construction."

He said the reason it saves money is they are able to avoid weather type elements and obstacles that typically arise during construction because the substations are built inside a controlled environment and then shipped in sections.

[delts145]

Plurality of Utahns in poll want university status

Copyright 2007 Deseret Morning News
By Laura Hancock
Deseret Morning News


OREM — At the same time a prominent donor announced his plans to help raise $10 million so Utah Valley State College can achieve university status, a new Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll indicates that fewer than half of Utahns want UVSC to become the state's next public university.
Ira Fulton, a Tempe, Ariz., resident, has told the Deseret Morning News he wants to help the community raise $10 million and challenge the Utah Legislature to match it with $10 million.
"People don't pay much attention to it, but it's a great little college," Fulton said. "In fact, I'm excited about it going for university status. I'd like to put together a program. I'd like it to be sooner than later."
However, the $10 million that would be required from state coffers to help the school become academically and administratively ready for university status may be the reason some Utahns are lukewarm to the idea, according to a poll conducted by Dan Jones & Associates for the Morning News and KSL-TV.
Forty-six percent of people surveyed this week either strongly or somewhat favored university status for UVSC, while 39 percent strongly or somewhat opposed it. Fourteen percent said they didn't know.
The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 5 percent. It was conducted Jan. 2-4.
Of Utah County respondents, 47 percent strongly favored university status and 21 percent somewhat favored university status.
The response wasn't as favorable in other parts of the state. Forty-four percent of Davis respondents said they were either strongly or somewhat opposed to it, and 43 percent of Salt Lake respondents said they were strongly or somewhat opposed.
When conducting the survey, the pollster reminded respondents that UVSC's name change from "college" to "university" and reorganization would cost about $10 million, a figure determined by the Utah State Board of Regents.
Val Hale, UVSC's institutional advancement and marketing vice president, believes the cost is what causes most Utahns to hesitate.
"I think most people are favorable for university status, but when you attach a price tag to it, it makes them look a little bit harder," Hale said.
This year's legislative session begins Jan. 15, and Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, is sponsoring a bill to make UVSC a university.
UVSC needs the $10 million to start graduate programs and improve undergraduate education, according to a study regents released in the fall.
Fulton hopes the Legislature will match $10 million raised by the community. The community has to show lawmakers it supports the school, said Fulton, who made millions in clothing stores and housing developments.
"I want to get them stepping up and showing the Legislature that this college deserves to become a university," he said.
Fulton is a fast-talking, high-energy 75-year-old who has donated an estimated $265 million — about 60 percent of his net worth — mostly to educational institutions such as Arizona State University, Brigham Young University and the University of Utah.
On Thursday, he wrote a $512,000 check to UVSC to match contributions made by faculty, students and alumni.
Fulton said raising $10 million is possible. He's raised more at other schools and is considering leading a campaign to raise $1 billion for ASU over the next decade.
Fulton said he will strategize with UVSC administrators.
"How will I do it? I haven't decided yet, " he said. "The thing is, I'll probably put more money than anybody else."
Fulton will probably also talk to acquaintances. He says fund-raising requires talking with people.


Ira Fulton

"I sort of twist people's arms," he said. "I always ask how much they love people, 'That check you're writing doesn't show you love them very much."'
When colleges raise $1 billion, "you're looking at 50,000 or 60,000 people involved in that," he said. "You may have 1,000 who are core people, who give a million plus."
Fulton prefers giving money for scholarships and to administrators' discretionary-fund accounts than to pay for brick-and-mortar buildings because he feels it affects students more directly.
In the past seven years that he has been giving away his fortune, Fulton said he hasn't met a school that didn't deserve the money.
"My whole feeling is I want colleges to graduate the best possible so they can be good leaders, good engineers, good teachers, good historians," he said.
UVSC's cash donations are much smaller than other schools Fulton works with. UVSC raises between $2.5 million and $3.5 million a year, Hale said.
Fulton's fund-raising expertise will be needed at UVSC, Hale said.
"We're just novices," Hale said. "We're just newbies in the fund-raising business."


----------------------------------------------------------------------

[delts145]

Orem, Provo mayors tout their cities

By Tad Walch
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn was glad it was him — not an Orem resident who called him last year — who gave a State of the City address to the Provo/Orem Chamber of Commerce on Friday.
"Are you aware," the caller gravely informed the mayor, "that 800 North is becoming a boarded-up shantytown?"
Washburn laughed — "For a while it looked pretty bad," he said — but the continuing project to widen 800 North will cause a new headache this year after the last of about 50 homes are demolished.
In a few weeks, work crews will begin to put a new water pipeline and utility equipment through the intersection of 800 North and State Street. The project will take about a month.
"Please be patient with this process," Washburn told business people during Friday's lunch meeting. "It's going to take nearly a month for (the crews) to cross State Street. We're going to be really inconvenienced at the intersection of State Street and 800 North."
The worst part? No left-hand turns will be allowed at that intersection during that month of work.
UDOT spokesman Geoff Dupaix said work is expected to begin at the end of January. The plans call for taking State Street down to two lanes in both directions.
UDOT will post bids for the road work during the spring, and construction will begin in May. The project will take about 18 months. When it is complete, 800 North will have six travel lanes between 400 West and 1000 East, "with a beautiful parkway center with landscaping and trees," Washburn said.
Washburn also encouraged the business leaders to take part in the debate over Orem-based Utah Valley State College during the upcoming 2007 Legislative session.
"We want you to do whatever you can to help us promote university status for UVSC," Washburn said. "Seventy percent of Utah Valley students who go on to college go to UVSC. Making it a university will be a huge educational benefit to Utah Valley."
Provo Mayor Lewis Billings also spoke at the chamber lunch and like Washburn said his city is in strong financial shape.
"Business is the engine that drives the economy, and by all measures, you are driving it well," Billings said. "You're creating jobs in large numbers."
Billings said the seven-story Wells Fargo Building that opened in 2006 has been a success. All retail and residential space in the building has been sold, including the penthouse, though two residential spaces are now up for resale.
Billings trumpeted Provo's low crime rate, too. He said 13 other Utah cities have higher crime rates per 1,000 residents, even though Provo is the state's third-largest city.
"We don't take credit for that," he said. "You all and our residents share in that."
He also looked forward to the opening of Provo's new justice court this summer.
At the end of the lunch, Billings asked the chamber members to raise their water glasses in a "water toast," and toasted Provo, Orem, their stakeholders and "all who care about faith, family and freedom."


-----------------------------------------------------------------

[delts145]

PG mayor lays foundation for '07 PDF | Print | E-mail

LAURA GILES - North County Staff
The foundation was laid for important city projects in 2006, according to Pleasant Grove Mayor Michael W. Daniels. In 2007, residents will witness some of the fruits of this foundation.


New BMW dealership under construction


John Q. Hammons project set to break ground this Spring

"It has been a very busy and productive first year for me as mayor," said Daniels.

One of these projects is the hotels and convention center in the Gateway. In 2006, an Interlocal Agreement was entered into by Alpine School District, Utah County Commission, Central Utah Water Conservancy District, North Utah County Water Conservancy District and Pleasant Grove City to financially support a bond to purchase the land.

"If all goes well, the project should break ground in the early spring of '07," Daniels said.

Other important projects that will move forward in 2007 are the Lifestyle Retail Center, which will be adjacent to the hotel/convention center, and the Community Recreation Center in the Gateway.

Daniels said, "Grand openings, ground-breakings and ribbon-cuttings should become regular occurrences."

In addition to economic and community development, Daniels has seen good communication and new appointments during the last year.

"I am satisfied that two-way communication between the people of Pleasant Grove and the elected officials has improved," he said.

There has also been increased communication between Pleasant Grove city, neighboring cities and county and state government.

Among the senior staff of the city, Daniels has seen three key appointments. These are Marc Sanderson as fire chief, Ken Young as community development director and Richard Bradford as economic development director. Daniels believes that "the morale within the city team is good."

This year will bring the electing of three council members as the terms expire for Darold McDade, Cindy Boyd and Bruce Call. The terms of Lee Jensen and Mark Atwood do not end until Jan. 2010.

"In large measure the elected will decide the direction we take as a city," Daniels said. "If you've ever considered making a difference in your community, now is the time to prepare to campaign. If you are satisfied with those whose terms will expire, now is the time to support them in their reelection efforts."

According to Daniels, the turnout for the last election was reasonably good, but he hopes the upcoming election will have an even better turnout.

During his first year as mayor, Daniels has felt much support from citizens, neighbors, staff and Council.

"I cannot imagine how impossible it would be to undertake the magnitude and quantity of projects we had in 2006 without this support," he said.

Daniels is looking forward to a productive and prosperous 2007.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by delts145

John Q. Hammons project set to break ground this Spring

I can't wait to see this building geting built.

[delts145]

Me too, this is a large project when you include everything that is planned for this entire thoroughfare. My niece and her new husband just moved in to a nice new condo along that sector. It won't be long before Provo and everything north is pretty much built out. There's still a lot of room for growth in the areas south of Provo.
Before long they will need to create a metropolitan area for Lehi, LOL. There is a large gradual bench west of Lehi and Thanksgiving Point, that has incredible views of the Wasatch and Utah Lake. I'm not sure how far the right-of-way extends with Camp Williams but that area will probably be the next area of major development. Alpine is pretty much built out at this point,and is just experiencing a few infill and beautification projects. Highland and Traverse Ridge is pretty much mapped out and will fill in soon at the current rate of development,as will most of the communities at the north end of the Valley. Within the next ten years,if things continue along the same path as now, Northern Utah Valley will be much like Eastern Salt Lake Valley is now.

[delts145]

Cedar Hills: Wal-Mart getting an unlikely welcome
By Steve Gehrke
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 01/08/2007 12:25:01 AM MST


Many Cedar Hills residents are expressing out-of-the-ordinary emotions about a Wal-Mart soon to be built in their small community. They are welcoming it.
"I'm extremely excited about it," said Darin Lowder, who lives right around the corner from the building site at 4800 W. Cedar Hills Drive.
Neighbors didn't always welcome the retail megastore. In fact, Cedar Hills officials in 2003 rejected the giant national retailer's application to build a 160,000-square-foot store. Now Wal-Mart has scaled back its plan to a midsized, 120,000-square-foot struc- ture.
Wal-Mart officials say the size is unique, falling between the typical 185,000 square-foot "supercenters" and 100,000 square-foot discount stores.
"The city of Cedar Hills has been excellent to work with, and we believe that our new store will serve the needs of the community for general retail and grocery selections," said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Karianne Fallow.
She added that the Wal-Mart would take about 10 months to build, three months to stock and employ about 300 workers.
Lowder said most of his neighbors agree that the convenience and sales-tax dollars for the community outweigh any traditional issues residents often have with Wal-Mart.
"I've heard a couple people express concerns . . . but 90 percent realize this is what it is," Lowder said. "We're going to see a significant impact with our property-tax situation," which he predicts could lead to a lower rate throughout the northern Utah County community.
Lowder said he hoped the new income also would eventually allow the city new services, such as a rec center and swimming pool.
City Council members Jim Perry and Joel Wright said community support has been overwhelmingly positive.
"I have heard no opposition in Cedar Hills," Wright said. "Though there are a few outside Cedar Hills expressing some concerns."
The move has also been widely praised on the Cedar Hills online Forum at www.cedarhillsforum.org.
Several area residents said the store will be a relief, because they are sick of driving 15 to 20 minutes to the nearest retailers in Highland, Lindon, American Fork or Pleasant Grove.
But residents from neighboring communities are raising traditional concerns with big retail stores moving into the neighborhood.
Elisabeth Luntz lives in neighboring Highland, a half-mile from the Wal-Mart building site. Luntz said she recognizes the benefits Wal-Mart provides from a purely consumer perspective and said she would even likely shop there on occasion.
But, she asks: "At what cost" does Wal-Mart bring its low prices and convenience to the community?
Luntz fears the megaretailer will chase off local businesses in neighboring cities and shut out mom-and-pop Cedar Hills stores. This, she says, could ultimately damage the community by preventing money from staying within the community.
"For future growth, we should think more of locally owned businesses so we can be an ownership society - and not just poorly paid laborers working for Wal-Mart," Luntz said. On average, Utah Wal-Mart employees earn $10.02 per hour, according to company statistics.
Kathryn Schramm, a Highland councilwoman, underscored the benefit of locally owned stores.
"[They] are purchasing on the local economy to stock their stores, and they're selling to locals," Schramm said.

New Cedar Hills Golf Course looking nortwest toward Traverse Ridge. The Cedar Hills course sits directly east and also adjoins the well established Alpine Country Club, which also sits directly north of the Tri City Golf Course.

Course runs up to the top of the bench directly to the right of Am. Fork Canyon.

American Fork Canyon


The new store will be the first source of sales-tax revenue in a town that has seen hefty hikes in property taxes due to a fledgling city-run golf course. On a statewide basis in 2006, Wal-Mart's Web site says it paid Utah more than $17.2 million in state and local taxes.
"One thing I've learned is you can't communicate too much with residents," Councilman Perry said. "Nobody wants to be blind-sided. We just want to really make sure everybody has an opportunity to voice concerns and express how they feel."
Representatives with property owner Phillips Edison said there are two more parcels available surrounding the Wal-Mart, but they aren't sure what will be built on them.
Roy Williams, vice president of development, said an office building would be ideal for the 10,000-square-foot lot to give more of a buffer zone between the residential neighborhood and Wal-Mart.
But for now, city officials are pleased that Cedar Hills is attracting commercial development.
"This is a small town. Right now we're just a bedroom community with only houses," said Planning Commissioner Steve Kroes. "We've been wondering what sort of development we could attract, so it's good to know such a major player is interested.
"It'll be a healthy thing for our city."

[SLC Projects]

Funny how no one ever wants a walmart in there town, but yet once it built everyone shops there.

[delts145]

So right-on!! I'm anxious to see this one completed. They will be putting in a lot of landscaping along with trying a new type footprint. In the Case of the Supercenter at The Meadows in American Fork, a tremendous amount of local as well as national shops are experiencing great business there.

[SLC Projects]

Here are some updated pics of the midtown village project down in Orem.


The midtown village is a 7-8 story mix-use building with retail and condo and office space. This is what I call the South wing. It's toped out as wall are being put into place.



Crew are now done with the underground parking and work has began on the North wing that will be just as tall as the South wing.



Looking South as you can see the South wing in the background with the steel beams of the North wing getting put up.



South Wing again this time looking East. There will be a West wing that will join together both wings. But that part hasn't started as of yet. This project should be done by the end of this year.

[delts145]

Hey you big Goomba. I was just down there this afternoon. First thing I thought when I saw this project was SLC will want to take pics of this. You know this thing has kind of caught me off gaurd. I'm just not use to seeing something so urban/mixed use dense in Orem of all places. From what I understand the Orem city council is pushing for a lot more of the same along that area. They want to take Orem out of the bedroom/only syndrome. I guess if this project is successful we'll see a lot more of this type. I was surprised and impressed by the structure itself.

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by delts145

Hey you big Goomba. I was just down there this afternoon. First thing I thought when I saw this project was SLC will want to take pics of this. You know this thing has kind of caught me off gaurd. I'm just not use to seeing something so urban/mixed use dense in Orem of all places. From what I understand the Orem city council is pushing for a lot more of the same along that area. They want to take Orem out of the bedroom/only syndrome. I guess if this project is successful we'll see a lot more of this type. I was surprised and impressed by the structure itself.

LOL, That's funny you were down there today as well. Midtown Village really is starting to stand out now. I hope Orem will built more of these kind of buildings. Then they will have their own little urban downtown.

[I-15]

I live in Orem and if I had the money I'd buy a place in Midtown Village.

Room service? Hell Yeah!!!

[delts145]

Firm to air analysis on Provo's downtown

PROVO — A national firm will unveil its analysis of the future of Provo's downtown area during a presentation today at 6 p.m. in the Municipal Council Chambers, 351 W. Center St.
The public is invited to attend the presentation, which also will air live on Provo Cable Channel 17.
The analysis will help Provo continue to craft a strategic plan to revitalize its historic downtown area, said Paul Glauser, director of Provo's redevelopment agency.
San Francisco-based Economics Research Associates conducted the study. ERA associates will present their findings to the City Council during an afternoon session.

[SLC Projects]

Breaking news!!!!!


Planned 12-story hotel in PG is about to become even bigger!



New Developments Underway in Pleasant Grove
January 9th, 2007 @ 4:33pm

Sam Penrod Reporting

A planned development in Utah County is going to be 'super-sized.' It's in the center of the county and at the newest freeway interchange.

Last summer, plans were announced to build a new high rise hotel and convention center east of the Pleasant Grove freeway interchange. And the ground work was already underway. But today, we learned the plans are changing and the development will be double the size the developer had originally planned.

Today city leaders and the national developer announced that the hotel will now be more than 500 rooms, that's up from the 350 originally planned. They also announced that a second hotel, a Courtyard Marriot will also be built on the side.

The development is going in, right in the middle of what is considered to be the new center of Utah County, when it comes to population. That's because of the increasing population in the north end of Utah County. Because of the growth, the developer now plans to nearly double the number of hotel rooms and the size of the convention center, to meet with the anticipated demand.

There will be 100-thousand square feet of meeting space. There will also be three big name restaurants built here. Another developer plans to have a shopping mall in the area. Also a luxury car dealership opened recently here on-site.

Construction is supposed to begin this spring and the entire project is now slated to be finished and opened for business in 2008, except for the Courtyard Marriot hotel which should open in 2009.

verall city leaders are very excited they say these developments will bring a lot of jobs to the area and also a lot of tax revenue to the city as well.

[SLC Projects]

More on the Hotel......

I just got done watching a video link on the KSL website and on it shows the Rending of the new bigger redesign hotel. It's not really taller, but it's a hell of alot bigger and wider. Wow. Once KSL puts the pic of the Rending on there site i'll see if i can post it on here. But for now just check out KSL.com and watch the video under "New Developments Underway in Pleasant Grove"

[SLC Projects]

I just got word that the Hotel will now be 14-stories instead of 12-stories.

[delts145]

Plan calls for vibrant mix of housing, shops

By Tad Walch
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — Historic downtown Provo can do much more than get its groove back, according to a market analysis by a national firm released Tuesday by the city.
Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning NewsAnalysis says Provo's downtown area has a good collection of old buildings and facades to create an exciting city center. Provo has sprawled away from Center Street, where it began in the 1850s, but city leaders launched a concerted effort several years ago to entice people back to downtown to live, shop, dine and work.
Now they want to spark a full-fledge renaissance, and they have a good chance to make it work, according to an 82-page market analysis by San Francisco-based Environmental Research Associates.
The report shows Provo's downtown could capture large enough amounts of the housing, dining, unique shopping and office space markets to create a vibrant destination area.
For example, Provo recently completed the new Wells Fargo Center, a seven-story building with apartments, retail shops, a dance club, banking and 65,000 square feet of office space. The market analysis conservatively projects the need for about eight more downtown buildings, with that much office space in the next 10 years.
That demand could double with a coordinated effort, ERA senior vice president Steven Spickard said during a presentation to city employees and the City Council on Tuesday.
"I think downtown Provo has good potential, I really do," Spickard told the Deseret Morning News. "There's a whole lot of reasons people should want to be there.
"It has a good collection of interesting old buildings and facades that make for the traditional downtown pedestrian environment people are looking for, and the city has added some new developments recently that show it can work."
The analysis is part of a large effort launched during the summer of 2004 after an expert in downtown revitalization visited Provo and said the city should model its downtown after the Gateway shopping development in Salt Lake City.
The expert, Chris Leinberger, earned national recognition for spearheading the renovation of downtown Albuquerque, N.M.
The ERA market analysis is the last piece of data Leinberger encouraged the city to collect before creating a strategic plan for downtown, said Paul Glauser, director of Provo's redevelopment agency.
City leaders already have visited Albuquerque and Pasadena, Calif., for walking tours of successful renovation projects. They also commissioned a Dan Jones poll of Utah County residents and a feasibility study for a downtown convention center. And interns from Brigham Young University completed a parcel-by-parcel inventory of downtown.
Now city departments are prepared to do some of the things ERA's Spickard proposed in his report Tuesday, like look for additional downtown anchors to join the downtown Provo Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, city offices, the Wells Fargo Center and the nearly complete Performing Arts Center.
They also can provide the market analysis to developers interested in looking at downtown for housing, office space or shopping projects, and potentially help them assemble parcels, said Leland Gamette, Provo director of economic development.
"Data drives the decision-making," Gamette said. "If developers don't have the right data to decide if downtown is the right place for their project, it's difficult. We're trying to make things easy for them to make hard economic decisions about downtown. Now they'll have a degree of confidence that economically, politically and socially it will work."
Spickard said the more office space the better, because workers in downtown provide daytime customers downtown. More dining options are better, too. The ERA report shows Provo could land the equivalent of 20 large downtown destination restaurants of 4,000 square feet in the next 20 years.
Provo already has dense housing in its city center, with 32,000 residents living in a one mile radius of downtown — a more densely populated downtown than Ogden, Albuquerque, Boulder, Colo., and Palo Alto, Calif. — cities ERA used for comparison in its study, but there's room, and demand, for more downtown condominiums and apartments.
"For one, there is an empty-nester movement that is interested in downtown-type environments generally and Provo specifically," Spickard said.
An urban living center is an option that is becoming necessary, said Kevin Call, executive vice president of the Utah County Association of Realtors.
"Given where our cities are now, I think it's needed. We're running out of developable land. The county can't keep growing out in the fashion it has for decades."
ERA provided low projections for housing, dining, office and retail space it believes Provo should reach naturally through population growth. The firm's "prescription" for hitting its high projections included hiring a part-time recruiter to lure dining and retail companies to downtown.
"The focus should be on unique local businesses rather than national retail or restaurant chains," Spickard said. "Don't feel like a failure if you don't get national chains. You want something unique to you. That's what makes downtown a really interesting place."
It also avoids competition with malls.
The report will be available at www.provo.org, and Spickard's public presentation Tuesday night will air repeatedly on Provo's cable channel 17. Anyone interested can contact the Provo Redevelopment Agency, 801-852-6160.


Center Street and University Ave., Downtown Provo
















Before


Now

[SLC Projects]

Hotel unveils Pleasant Grove plan

Embassy Suites will break ground in June
By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret Morning News
PLEASANT GROVE — After 20 years of waiting to build a hotel in Utah County, mega-developer John Q. Hammons unveiled his plans Tuesday for a convention center and hotel site in Pleasant Grove.
An artist's rendering of the Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center that will be built in Pleasant Grove. (Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning News)
Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning News
An artist's rendering of the Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center that will be built in Pleasant Grove.
The much-talked about Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center will be a 14-story, 300-suite, $100 million project and will be located on the southeast corner of the Pleasant Grove interchange, at exit 275 on I-15.
"I won't take any location, it has to be tops," Hammons said of his choice of land. "I wanted that corner."
The land is just a field now, but after June 1, crews will start breaking ground on the massive project. In addition to the Embassy Suites Hotel, Hammons is building a 10-story, 220-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel, to be completed in 2009 on an adjacent location.
Also in the works is a "lifestyle" outdoor mall project that will involve upscale shopping, dining and theaters.
Hammons said he chose the location because of its close proximity to I-15, the Point of the Mountain, Mt. Timpanogos and both Utah Valley State College and Brigham Young University.
Hammons previously pursued a similar hotel project at the mouth of Provo Canyon where the power plant now is, but plans were abandoned, Hammons says, because the ground was contaminated.
Since then, he has waited for a prime opportunity and place to become available.
In the fall of 2006, Pleasant Grove promised to purchase 37 acres of land to give to Hammons in exchange for the construction of the hotel. The city issued a $35 million bond, to be repaid over 25 years, to pay for the land.
The city made an agreement with Utah County to keep the property-tax increase generated by the hotel, as well a portion of the transient room tax to be collected by the county to fund the repayment.
The city also reached similar agreements with the Alpine School District and Central Utah Water Conservancy District to retain property taxes that would normally go to those entities.
At one point, the city wasn't sure they would be able to collect the funds necessary, but a transient room-tax increase, approved by the county, tipped the scales in the city's favor.
Putting the final touches on the project and all of its necessary financial agreements was an obvious relief to Pleasant Grove Mayor Michael Daniels.
"This is a big day," Daniels said. "This is a day to celebrate. It's a day to look forward to the future. It's a day to be grateful for the people that went before and also for the people who have put forth their time, effort and money to make this possible."
Though other cities in the county, including Provo, have talked very seriously about building other convention centers in relatively close proximity, Hammons said he isn't too worried about the competition.
"I don't know what they're going to do, I really don't care," Hammons said. "I only know what we're going to do, and we hope they all win."