Provo MSA Development Thread

[Stenar]

Have any of you heard of this "LARP theme park" supposedly being built in Pleasant Grove? My friend saw a model of it at FanX.

I just googled and found that there is an "Evermore Amusement Park" being built in Pleasant Grove, according to the city newsletter: http://www.plgrove.org/documents/newsletters/3-13-pg-newsletter.pdf

More info:
http://evermorepumpkinfest.com/evermore-park#.U1HrMF6wNG5


A friend of mine took this photo at FanX:
http://i59.tinypic.com/2drt2eq.jpg

Image from the Evermore website:
http://evermorepumpkinfest.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/21.jpg

http://evermorepumpkinfest.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/41.jpg

[jedikermit]

I was just going to post that. Saw the model at FanX / Comic Co. Yesterday. Their pitch in person is pretty...interesting. Evidently the guy who wants it has already put $20 million into it. And maybe there's more demand for Victorian/Steampunk stuff than I thought? Just seems excessive and silly. But that's just me.

[delts145]

Very intriguing. My first thought was that the Wasatch Front's over the top love of everything Harry Potter will have a home base. Should be quite the attraction if the actual product comes anything close to the hype.

[StevenF]

There is no Harry Potter love in my home. Now if there was a scifi park to go in with some of it themed to Star Wars my kids would be screaming on a daily basis to go. I am sure if my 5 year old boy really knew what was going on at the Salt Palace this week he would be driving me nuts wanting to go.

[delts145]

Pleasant Grove - Doterra International Headquarters and Campus, Phase I

The first phase of the project will include four corporate buildings and an interpretive welcome center with over 200,000 square feet of office space.
http://www.utahprojects.info/Images/thumbnails/1140-Doterra-Campus.jpg
http://www.doterraeveryday.com

http://www.doterraeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/484334_10151552766534314_1429231781_n.jpg
http://www.doterraeveryday.com

http://www.doterraeveryday.com/wp-content/uploads/60448_10151552765859314_1596016981_n.jpg
http://www.doterraeveryday.com


January 6th @ https://scontent-b-lax.xx.fbcdn.net
https://scontent-b-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t31.0-8/1557196_10152183672654314_1976476388_o.jpg

https://scontent-b-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t31.0-8/1540395_10152183672634314_1963656769_o.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t31.0-8/1504311_10152183672644314_1381309284_o.jpg


More Recent - VCBO Architecture

http://www.vcbo.com/images/current-image-402.jpg

http://www.vcbo.com/images/current-image-404.jpg

http://www.vcbo.com/images/current-image-405.jpg

http://www.vcbo.com/images/current-image-406.jpg

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[delts145]

New Xactware Headquarters - Lehi

April 11, 2014

By Paula Moore

http://mountainstates.construction.com/mountainstates_construction_projects/2014/0421-xactware8217s-new-lehi-headquarters-built-for-efficiency.asp

The $50-million, 200,000-sq-ft, Class A build-to-suit office building has indoor and outdoor environments that appeal to the well-educated, ecologically savvy employees who work at companies like Google or Apple. These workers want contemporary design, fitness centers, lots of sunlight in work spaces, energy efficiency and attractive natural areas outside a building.

"We're talking about the millennials, who like amenities," says David Brems, founding principal at GSBS Architects of Salt Lake City, which designed the Xactware building and is the principal architecture firm for the Traverse Mountain mixed-use business park where the structure is located. "They don't come [to work] in suits and ties; they come on mountain bikes," he says...

The Xactware building's silvery, contemporary exterior is made of zinc and has a 100-year life - Photo courtesy of Big-D Construction

http://mountainstates.construction.com/mountainstates_construction_projects/2014/extras/0421b/1.jpg

http://mountainstates.construction.com/mountainstates_construction_projects/2014/extras/0421b/2.jpg

http://mountainstates.construction.com/mountainstates_construction_projects/2014/extras/0421b/3.jpg

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[Orlando]

I think it really sucks that all this new office development is out in sprawlurbia. Just look at at that aerial photo of xterra. There's a lot of open space around it. It really sucks for the environment. People complain about the pollution and such. Well, this is one of the culprits of that very problem. I wish we had more regulations that penalized corporations for not building closer to already built urban infrastructure.

[AllOutOfBubbleGum]

I wish we had more regulations that penalized corporations for not building closer to already built urban infrastructure.

No no no no. I lived in Vermont where they did just that. Want to know what happened to all their big job creators? They left the state. I was there when IBM said C-ya-later to 1000 people and then announced a new plant in New York which then shut down another plant in Vermont about 4 years later and they took 1500 jobs out of the state. Vermont is very anti business/development and it shows with some of the highest debt in the nation and for the amount of people they have in the state, I think it is the highest per person nationally.

There are better ways.

[Orlando]

No no no no. I lived in Vermont where they did just that. Want to know what happened to all their big job creators? They left the state. I was there when IBM said C-ya-later to 1000 people and then announced a new plant in New York which then shut down another plant in Vermont about 4 years later and they took 1500 jobs out of the state. Vermont is very anti business/development and it shows with some of the highest debt in the nation and for the amount of people they have in the state, I think it is the highest per person nationally.

There are better ways.

Portland has regulations and they are doing better than SLC. Canadian and many European cities have tight regulations, and they have much denser downtowns and are thriving right now, ie. London, Calgary, Toronto. That whole area and Saratoga and all those sprawling communities anger me. The fact that there are no penalties for people and industry that choose to locate further away from existing infrastructure, has caused and will continue to cause many problems environmentally, and aesthetically. We complain why downtown struggles with growth compared to other cities. Well, there's the answer, the sprawl mind-set of the majority of Utahns. Somebody posted that they thought the biggest reason why SLC hasn't seen as much growth as Denver over the many decades was because of the LDS church. Well, the biggest reason in my opinion is the sprawl mindset of Utahns, which may be attributed to the more conservative LDS Utah population.

[AllOutOfBubbleGum]

Well, the biggest reason in my opinion is the sprawl mindset of Utahns.

I do agree with that. It is a mind set, but I do not believe in regulations to force companies or people for that matter to do what a few want. IMO I would not live in any of those cities even before I knew they had such regulations.

For lack of growth in downtown and all these companies building other places I wonder how much Salt Lake tried to get them to move downtown anyways. A city like Salt Lake should have ample resources to sway a company like Overstock, Xactware or Adobe to build downtown and increase the vibe for the area but they lost out on these and many other companies for reasons I'm not sure on and I would question their effort. For many years I always had the feeling that SLC was just expecting business to come to downtown and with a click of their fingers it would happen.

Maybe it's the political environment that is the reason. With a majority of business owners being republican and SLC having a democratic mayor, I do not know. But to force companies to only build in one city or close by is really a poor and lazy idea. Try harder maybe. Domo announced they were moving downtown, I want to know why. Is it the environment they were looking for or did the city give them a great deal etc.

Over the last 10 years Ogden changed almost everything about its downtown by encouraging and successfully relocating business into the city core, without regulating others. Now that sounds good to me.

Adding on: I'm more upset that good quality farmland is being built on then installing infrastructure and yes I am a farm boy at heart. I hate Eagle Mt and Sarotoga just as much as you but probably for different reason.

[delts145]

That one metro is better than another depends on who your talking to, and what your looking for. For example, I constantly come in contact with Portlanders here in L.A. The list of distractions are just as prevalent as the many positive attractions. Of course, this can be said about everywhere, depending on your attitude. One recent discussion was particularly entertaining by a Portlander. He described Central Portland as akin to the movie set of the "Walking Dead" He had us all in stitches as he acted out the typical drug addicted resident of Central Portland, who he said seemed to be walking the streets everywhere.

Xactware was very specific in it's reasoning for expanding, and at the same time relocating it's headquarters to Traverse Mtn's. Silicon Slopes. That particular location, which is exploding with growth puts it smack dab in the middle of it's primary employee resource. I've seen first hand how my childhood communities of Highland/Alpine have gone from farming back wood to chic town & country. That whole sector of Southern Salt Lake Valley and Northern Utah Valley has become the preferred living place of those who often aspire to the Tech version of the American Dream. While I grew up there and love it for many reasons, I prefer at this time in life a more urban setting. That's not to say that when I marry and have four or more kids I won't want to return to that very Ward and June Cleaver bucolic lifestyle. There are those who choose the option to have more shoulder room, a yard, and two or more children.

Children are a major financial responsibility, even for those with an excellent income. Therefore, it becomes paramount to buy in to a dwelling and location where you get the biggest bang for the buck. A place where you can AFFORD to accommodate that growing family. Also, in today's world of high transportation costs and hectic time demands, the typical talented employee will choose to live as close to their work place as possible. Why shouldn't the prevalent Wasatch dream of children, a home with a yard, and a progressive global career be an option? The locations where that makes the most sense right now are places like Lehi, Highland, Saratoga Springs, Draper, Herriman, Riverton, etc. In popular neighborhoods of Salt Lake, where attractive roomy single detached homes are prevalent it is much more expensive to buy than say Lehi or Riverton.

While living back in the Alpine/Highland area for several years, I came in contact with an endless array of transplants from California, and heavily populated areas of the Northeast and Midwest. To talk to these people you would have thought that they had moved to paradise. Not so much because it was paradise, but because they had found the economic freedom to live as they wanted. They could afford to live out the dream of a beautiful home, warm hearted community, and relative safe environment for their children. At the time, I was compelled out of a need to take care of a family member, so I lived in that environment. It wasn't what I felt most enthusiastic about at this time in life, but I certainly understood and respected those who valued it.

I just as soon avoid the tendency to look down on married couples with children and a white picket fence, as I would avoid those who condemn the single, ambitious, career oriented professionals, who prefer a more central or downtown setting like me.

The beauty of America is in having OPTIONS

Admittedly, The Wasatch Front had an over abundance of the positive option of hearth and home, and a lack of healthy, vibrant, downtown urban lifestyle options. Downtown was a place to visit for specific occasions or perhaps work only, but not to live. That is changing very rapidly. Today's options are far more expansive than they were five years ago. Five years from now those options will have again expanded greatly.

That empty land around Doterra will most likely be filled in ten years from now. Pleasant Grove is actively pursuing the build up of a livable, walkable downtown core. For ten's, even hundred's of thousands of residents, nodes such as Lehi/Thanksgiving Point and Pleasant Grove are becoming convenient and very close centers to work and live, with little need for long commutes. I enthusiastically applaud the balance that the Wasatch Front is pursuing. Not only has it progressively pursued mass transit options that are the envy of many a metro, but it is also the envy of the nation in it's pursuit of freeway, parkway and all surface street and related infrastructure upkeep and improvement.

Exercise a little patience. The number of late marrying singles, dual income childless couples, empty nesters, those who can afford a family with centrally located housing, and all those who prefer a vibrant downtown is increasing dramatically in Salt Lake City. Downtown and Central Salt Lake City is becoming an attractive option recognized increasingly throughout the nation as each year passes.

Again, exercise a little patience. Too many pursue instantaneous change as unhealthily as those who pursue the constant drum beat of the grass is always greener syndrome. Enjoy the journey as much as the anticipation of the goal ahead. Those who say, "if you don't like it then move" have a point. However, they should probably temper their words a bit. It would be better to say, "if you don't like it, then work with it, and realize it is changing rapidly". If you can't patiently work to improve the options and feel helplessly compelled by your predilections, then perhaps it would be better to move to an area that is more suitable to your liking. If moving out of state is not an option, then at least you can now have the option of moving to one of the most dramatic downtown transformations in the nation.

I realize that for some the cup is always two thirds empty, and no matter how fast the transformation, it will never be fast enough.

[CountyLemonade]

The beauty of America is in having OPTIONS

Admittedly, The Wasatch Front had an over abundance of the positive option of hearth and home, and a lack of healthy, vibrant, downtown urban lifestyle options.

That's exactly it. Folks should absolutely be able to decide whether they want a little slice of '60s Americana with the garage-oriented house and the non-walkable neighborhood that requires a car to do anything meaningful. But we're still skewed heavily in that direction, rather than in the direction that places like the Avenues and Sugar House are, or the direction that Daybreak is heading in. To this day we're still moving way too heavily in the direction of sprawl, and places like Layton that place a moratorium on new apartment construction (completely market-driven, by the way) are what stand in the way of better air quality.

Look. It boils down to this. If we keep the balance skewed toward building as we are in Pleasant Grove, in Lehi, in southern Draper and in Sandy, the health of our city will continue to suffer.

[Comrade]

No no no no. I lived in Vermont where they did just that. Want to know what happened to all their big job creators? They left the state. I was there when IBM said C-ya-later to 1000 people and then announced a new plant in New York which then shut down another plant in Vermont about 4 years later and they took 1500 jobs out of the state. Vermont is very anti business/development and it shows with some of the highest debt in the nation and for the amount of people they have in the state, I think it is the highest per person nationally.

There are better ways.

They must be doing something right - Vermont has the 2nd lowest unemployment rate in the nation.

http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm

[AllOutOfBubbleGum]

They must be doing something right - Vermont has the 2nd lowest unemployment rate in the nation.

http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm

Good for them. Maybe they can put that to use and build out their roads and make them safer.

[delts145]

That's exactly it. Folks should absolutely be able to decide whether they want a little slice of '60s Americana with the garage-oriented house and the non-walkable neighborhood that requires a car to do anything meaningful. But we're still skewed heavily in that direction, rather than in the direction that places like the Avenues and Sugar House are, or the direction that Daybreak is heading in. To this day we're still moving way too heavily in the direction of sprawl, and places like Layton that place a moratorium on new apartment construction (completely market-driven, by the way) are what stand in the way of better air quality.

Look. It boils down to this. If we keep the balance skewed toward building as we are in Pleasant Grove, in Lehi, in southern Draper and in Sandy, the health of our city will continue to suffer.

But is it really sprawl to fill in Pleasant Grove or Lehi? Your dwelling in a lot of gray area here. I get the frustration amongst certain purest with an Eagle Mountain, but a Pleasant Grove? Castigating communities like Pleasant Grove for their growth patterns, which are at the hubs of their interregional areas, would be like dissing Murray. It makes little sense. If we're going to condemn certain patterns let's at least be sensical about it. No metro community, not Paris, Rome, London or New York starts as a single entity. All of our major world capitals are composed of many historical communities, which eventually grow together. It is at the point when they grow together, that they then begin to grow upward! Cities such as Pleasant Grove or American Fork have every right to fill in, and very quickly now they will become built out. At that point they build upward. Pleasant Grove is already moving forward aggressively with plans to increase the density of it's historical downtown core area where it is feasible, without destroying historical buildings. Anyone who has driven the 89 core in the past decade understands how rapidly the area is evolving. What was open land a few years ago, separating towns such as Lehi, American Fork and Pleasant Grove, are now filled in with commercial enterprise and hundreds if not thousands of new multi level apartment and condo units.

Sugar House? Here's another area rife with questions of how urban purest you are, and where we must draw the line in the interest of density. How quickly we forget what a pariah Mr. Mecham recently was. And all he wanted to do was build density in the heart of a community that sorely needed it. But it was very painful for many. Also, there are many beautiful neighborhoods in Sugar House that hardly meet an urbanista's required density barometer. Should we plow down those beautiful old homes and cottages in order to put up more urban appropriate apartment buildings?

Another interesting dilemma or gray area. We often site the Avenues as doing it right. Many would choose to live there, if they could afford to. The Avenues are built out, but is it really dense enough? I mean, don't most who live there drive a car to work? It's the heart of the city, and certainly it should demand a lot more height? Should we tear down it's picket fence charm in order to satisfy greater density? Of course not. I'm very proud of the fact that Salt Lake City has at it's very urban core, a large beautifully kept human scale neighborhood, that doesn't reek of urban decay.

Anyone who has stood on the mountains above Utah Valley understands what little land there really is on the north and east sides of the Lake. What farmland is left will be filled in shortly. We now talk of Murray as Salt Lake Valley's second emerging downtown. The day is almost upon us, where Pleasant Grove and Lehi will be seen in the same light as Murray. Speaking of Murray. A lot of purest were alarmed at the size of the parking lot surrounding the IHC Campus. At the time it was constructed it was not economically sensible to build large multi-level parking structures. However, there is a future vision(happening sooner than later) that warrants more commercial square footage, which in turn will change parking lots to parking structures and more vertical commercial. But it is a naturally occurring evolutionary process, which almost always involves unavoidable economics.

Salt Lake City is emerging as a metro of excellent options. There are innumerable studies by prestigious institutions, which site the Wasatch as evolving into one of the most well rounded commuter metros in the nation. One can live minutes from downtown, and at the same time minutes from a world class ski resort or endless recreational opportunities. Most can, and in my opinion should be able to still live in affordable single detached housing, yet have among the shortest commutes in the nation. It isn't an accident that well placed nodes like Thanksgiving Point make that short commute possible. I know, we often pine, myself included, about how nice it would be if Thanksgiving Point were all Downtown. But in the real world, why should thousands of residents in historical communities like Alpine or Lehi have to all go the extra commute to Downtown Salt Lake?

In addition to dramatically evolving multiple downtowns, charming walkable village centers are now beginning to emerge and increase in size all over the metro. Certainly there are mistakes, but the point is that there are now lifestyle options that did not exist a few years ago. Those island nodes of alternative options are increasing in number and size. If anything, the pace of their development is ever quickening, not skewing toward more sprawl. Sure there are pushes outward, but at the same time, there is a lot of infill and density occurring where it is economically feasible.

[Future Mayor]

Do I wish there were more buildings being built in downtown? Yes. Do I understand that growth is going to happen in downtown as well as the burbs? Yes, but as Delts said, filling in in Lehi and Pleasant Grove makes a lot of sense. Because it is along the I-15 core that the population of the Wasatch Front needs to grow. It's where our transportation infrastructure is located.

The one thing that does frustrate me though is that while these new developments are along the "spine" of the Wasatch Front they aren't paying a true impact fee for developing where they are. Impact fees need to truly reflect the cost that is required to run utilities to these new developments, including sewer, water and electrical impacts, as well as transportation infrastructure impacts.

Eagle Mountain is just ridiculous and once again, it's places like Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs that aren't paying true impact fees for their development. These two places developed in the middle of nowhere with access from two two lane roads, through other cities. The massive growth of those two places created serious infrastructure problems, particularly roads, that the other cities like Lehi, and the State then had to deal with. Impact fees need to reflect the true impact, of all areas impacted by growth. Every home built in Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain needs to include an impact fee that is passed on to the state, and surrounding cities, for road maintenance in those places.

For example. West Mountain is in the Payson Annexation Policy plan, meaning that Payson eventually anticipates that everything west of I-15 to the Mountain will eventually be part of Payson City. If for instance West Mountain were to incorporate as a city, and if and when it begins to develop, for those residents to access their city from I-15 or from a future Front Runner stop, they will have to go through part of Payson. If impact fees go to a West Mountain City the impact on those roads aren't taken into consideration.

As for the complaint that Salt Lake City just isn't trying to attract businesses to locate in the City, that is a load of crap. Salt Lake City has an economic development department that's role includes working with EDC Utah, GOED, and individually to attract businesses to downtown. One thing I wanted to focus on, if I had decided to run for city council, and had I won, was to work even closer with EDC Utah and GOED to discuss the incentives that are given to companies to expand and relocate. Those incentives need to be adjusted to reflect their true impact on building or expanding in areas such as Lehi, S. Jordan etc. For instance, if a company were to locate in downtown SLC, Provo, Ogden, or places like Murray, what infrastructure upgrades are required vs what new are the infrastructure needs if they build on a farmers field in S. Jordan. The incentives then need to be adjusted to provide a true incentive.

[delts145]

Excellent points Future Mayor. Very much agree with you on the impact fees.

[i-215]

I don't find anything broken about the Wasatch Front.

We aren't Houston where all new development is sidewalk-free McMansion sprawl. The Wasatch Front has vibrant potential cores in downtown SLC, Sugarhouse, West Valley/Fairbourne, old-town Murray, SoDa Row/Daybreak, Orem/University Place, and central Provo. Add in future TODs along Frontrunner's route. We are at the very beginning of an explosion of urban-living choices.

On the flip side, we aren't Portland, which forgot about "carrots" entirely, and has been using "sticks" in their urban planning policy for 30 years. Portland is a great town for urban living, but terrible once you start seeking some 1960s single-family Americana. And good luck if your job requires using a car. Only two lanes on Interstate 5 and a 55-mile-per hour speed limit? (Really?)

I appreciate how Utah is using an "all of the above" carrots-only approach:


On track to having 60+ miles of a heavy-duty I-15, complete with auxiliary lanes, carpool lane, and even a double-tracked carpool lane in Salt Lake County, eventual truck-climbing lanes at the point of the mountain, and a collector-distributor system through Sandy.
Commuter rail from Ogden to Provo
An impressive network of light-rail options, which reach most of the suburban valley.
Street car and other intra-city transit options for urban living in the central city.
A superb network of arterial roads (at least in Salt Lake County).
Freeway expansion plans with the Mountain View Corridor Freeway, West Davis Corridor Freeway, South (Utah) County Beltway, Tooele Mid-Valley Freeway.
Plans for Bus Rapid Transit in Provo/Orem, Murray, and Bountiful.
Expansion plans for the Salt Lake Int'l Airport.
A huge laundry-list of arterial widening projects, which will improve safety on main boulevards.
A long tradition of requiring sidewalks on all new streets, including dead-end residential ones.
Impressive network of constructed or planned multi-use paths, many offering grade-separation.
New multi-use paths alongside all new expressways and freeways.
Aggressive re-purposing of on-street parking/snow load lanes as dedicated bicycle lanes.


We'll win because we aren't being punitive to anyone, be it a wealthy single dude who wants a hip urban condo, or a Mormon/Catholic family who needs lots of bedrooms and a big yard.

[Stenar]

But is it really sprawl to fill in Pleasant Grove or Lehi? Your dwelling in a lot of gray area here. I get the frustration amongst certain purest with an Eagle Mountain, but a Pleasant Grove? Castigating communities like Pleasant Grove for their growth patterns, which are at the hubs of their interregional areas, would be like dissing Murray. It makes little sense.

Yes, it is sprawl in Lehi or Pleasant Grove because they're not concentrating any of these buildings near each other or near any kind of downtown or business center.

These buildings are 2, 3 or more miles from each other. That is the definition of sprawl.

[bob rulz]

I don't find anything broken about the Wasatch Front.

We aren't Houston where all new development is sidewalk-free McMansion sprawl. The Wasatch Front has vibrant potential cores in downtown SLC, Sugarhouse, West Valley/Fairbourne, old-town Murray, SoDa Row/Daybreak, Orem/University Place, and central Provo. Add in future TODs along Frontrunner's route. We are at the very beginning of an explosion of urban-living choices.

On the flip side, we aren't Portland, which forgot about "carrots" entirely, and has been using "sticks" in their urban planning policy for 30 years. Portland is a great town for urban living, but terrible once you start seeking some 1960s single-family Americana. And good luck if your job requires using a car. Only two lanes on Interstate 5 and a 55-mile-per hour speed limit? (Really?)

I appreciate how Utah is using an "all of the above" carrots-only approach:


On track to having 60+ miles of a heavy-duty I-15, complete with auxiliary lanes, carpool lane, and even a double-tracked carpool lane in Salt Lake County, eventual truck-climbing lanes at the point of the mountain, and a collector-distributor system through Sandy.
Commuter rail from Ogden to Provo
An impressive network of light-rail options, which reach most of the suburban valley.
Street car and other intra-city transit options for urban living in the central city.
A superb network of arterial roads (at least in Salt Lake County).
Freeway expansion plans with the Mountain View Corridor Freeway, West Davis Corridor Freeway, South (Utah) County Beltway, Tooele Mid-Valley Freeway.
Plans for Bus Rapid Transit in Provo/Orem, Murray, and Bountiful.
Expansion plans for the Salt Lake Int'l Airport.
A huge laundry-list of arterial widening projects, which will improve safety on main boulevards.
A long tradition of requiring sidewalks on all new streets, including dead-end residential ones.
Impressive network of constructed or planned multi-use paths, many offering grade-separation.
New multi-use paths alongside all new expressways and freeways.
Aggressive re-purposing of on-street parking/snow load lanes as dedicated bicycle lanes.


We'll win because we aren't being punitive to anyone, be it a wealthy single dude who wants a hip urban condo, or a Mormon/Catholic family who needs lots of bedrooms and a big yard.

I do certainly understand the importance of having options and catering to a wide variety of interests. I also am very happy - for the most part - with the progress that the Wasatch Front is making towards creating more city center-like areas, and a very painstakingly slow approach to becoming more open and acceptable of walkable communities.

However, I would just like to address a few points in your post. First, the myth that widening urban "arterial" roads makes roads safer. That is a widely-held, and unfortunately, outright false belief. The way to make urban roads safer for all is to force them to slow down. Create more pedestrian crossings - and not these mid-block "crosswalks" that make you feel like you're defying death every time you cross them. Continue to create new bicycle lanes. Lower the speed limits even. On the other hand, add more lanes to a city road, and all it does is make it harder for pedestrians and bicyclists to cross, and sometimes turn them away from those roads entirely because they're too dangerous. It makes drivers feel safer because there's more open space, and it's wider and - theoretically - clearer of traffic. Therefore they feel more comfortable going at higher speeds, which is great for getting somewhere faster, but terrible for traffic and especially pedestrians.

As for the Mountain View Corridor, while I am not per se opposed to it - after all, a lot of development already exists out there - but it won't do a thing to discourage the continued development of isolated, energy-intensive cul-de-sacs out in the middle of nowhere. It's an essentially proven fact as well that building more freeways doesn't decrease commute times or improve traffic at all.

Maybe I'm just being too heavily swayed by the urban planning literature that I've been reading lately. And a lot of things that are happening that you do mention in your post are great, positive steps in the right direction. But we will never break the pattern of increasingly worse sprawl if we insist on continuing to build more freeways and widen city roads to make them "safer".

[i-215]

The way to make urban roads safer for all is to force them to slow down.

Traffic calming works in neighborhoods and urbanized places, but is a terrible idea on any arterial road where a viable alternative isn't within a half-mile.


Scenario #1: BAD EXAMPLE

http://i.imgur.com/6eLXfVs.png

NE Ainsworth Street in Portland, Oregon. This should've been an important collector road. Instead of setting a reasonable speed limit of 35-40, the city of Portland decided to install traffic calming (25 MPH, speed bumps, calming curves, bulb outs, etc.)

Did it make drivers slow down? Sure. On Ainsworth.

Where did many drivers go? A block or two north or south of Ainsworth, where we'd find other 25 MPH roads that we could (illegally) open it up to 40 miles per hour. I wasn't alone. Collectively, we made those neighborhoods much more dangerous than they needed to be, all thanks to poorly-thought-out traffic calming on Ainsworth.

When you don't reward drivers with higher speed limits on arterial/collectors, they lose all incentive to drive where they are supposed to drive, and wind up blasting through neighborhoods and down side streets. Everybody loses. It's fine to calm certain streets, especially neighborhoods or those roads with an urban setting. But you have to replace those roads by adding mobility (speed/capacity) on a parallel road nearby.


Scenario #2: POTENTIALLY GOOD EXAMPLE

5600 West in West Valley City is a five-lane (potential for seven) arterial road with a 45 MPH speed limit. One day, a TRAX line will run down the middle of the street, which will force a reduction in the speed limit. Transit-oriented development along the road will urbanize its character. Simply lowering the speed limit and adding traffic-calming features would be devastating to mobility on the west side.

Fortunately, good planning places the Mountain View Corridor less than one-half mile west, parallel to 5600 West. This future freeway will absorb the capacity needs lost from 5600 West once it is calmed and urbanized.



Scenario #3: GOOD EXAMPLE

North Temple street saw a reduction in its speed limit when it was calmed and urbanized for the Airport TRAX line. Since it parallels I-80, the freeway absorbed the mobility needs for that part of the city.


TL;dr: You can't just add traffic calming without offering a replacement capacity someplace else.

[delts145]

I was just going to post that. Saw the model at FanX / Comic Co. Yesterday. Their pitch in person is pretty...interesting. Evidently the guy who wants it has
already put $20 million into it. And maybe there's more demand for Victorian/Steampunk stuff than I thought? Just seems excessive and silly. But that's just me.

Those were some of my first thoughts too Jedi. Although I was intrigued I thought, this seems like someone has more money than they know what to do with. The more info I read about it,
the more on board and enthusiastic I became. It's like a Victorian Themed Williamsburg, with all of the appropriately dressed actors and reenactment of the Victorian London era. I think it's
going to be a pretty cool activity for the metro as a whole. I can imagine kids really getting in to it.

I also wondered about who was bankrolling the thing. I'm going to assume it's a group of individuals. Also, after seeing the pic below, I will assume Ken Bretschneider,(who is building Air 7
in Salt Lake) is part of the investor group. Ken is the guy in the back row, with gray top hat, 4th from the left.


http://saltlakecomiccon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/evermore-park-salt-lake-comic-con-fanx.jpg
http://saltlakecomiccon.com

Established in 2013, Evermore Park LLC was founded to build a forty acre theme Park like none other. Set in Victorian London, Evermore Park’s event schedule consists of Ripper’s Cove,
a Fall and Halloween season event, Christmas Cove for the Holiday and Winter season, and a series of week long events, weekend celebrations and weekly activities all Summer long.

Evermore Park is in the beautiful Utah Valley, in the city of Pleasant Grove. The park will be open six days a week and will have 16 retail locations with 3 restaurants. The park will feature a
1 ½ acre lake, 2 ½ acre town square with performances, 4 unique gardens and 5 attraction spaces, with a large cast of talented performers.

Evermore Park’s unique atmosphere and talented cast and crew supply a fun and exciting entertainment experience throughout the year. As guests explore Evermore Park, they will
encounter opportunities to purchase premium food, drink and merchandise inspired by and reflecting the Victorian Era. This memorable guest experience will help to cement Evermore
Park as an entertainment icon and destination experience they will want to visit again and again.

Guests will delight in experiencing “Ripper’s Cove” (August through early November), where patrons will be transported into a unique story set in the Victorian London Era during the murders
of Jack the Ripper. This thrilling story is written by New York Times, best selling author Tracy Hickman. Ripper’s Cove will feature 5 attractions, each a chapter in the story: Old Town
Victorian London, 3D Steel Mill and Mirror Maze, Lake/Cove, Forest of Horrors, Hedge Maze and Governor’s Mansion. Guests will be able to take an exciting boat ride across Ripper’s Cove
to explore the sunken city, and then climb aboard the Ghost Ship. A full scale, 3 decked, galleon ghost ship floating on a 1 ½ acre lake. The ship is known as “The Dementor” and appears
to be wrecked on the rocky shoreline. The cargo hold of the ship is a tumble of wreckage consisting of many mysterious, ancient artifacts from around the world, that were to be delivered
to the emporium in the town square. Only a few of the crew remains, and these men seem to be “changed”.

In addition to the Pirate Ship, the lake is home to Siren Island. Be warned of the Siren’s Song, these beautiful yet menacing creatures will entice you and will try to lure you to their “Island
Paradise."

This is only a small sampling of the entertainment that awaits you during the Haunt Season at the park. The Victorian setting of Evermore creates a unique experience sure to thrill and scare
in the mysterious atmosphere set for Halloween. The park then transforms into a magical, whimsical Charles Dickens Christmas setting, November through January.

Old London town creates the perfect backdrop for many spring and summer events. In the spring and summer, the Park is turned into a Carnival style venue to host various events. The park
will become home to: theater performances, grand concerts, conventions, masquerade balls, themed events, fairs and festivals. Evermore Park is the perfect place to host grand
Pirate/Mermaid Festivals, Lantern Festivals, parades, promenades, themed 5K runs, Farmers Markets, Fairy/Princess Festivals, Comic Con and Sundance after parties, and many more
amazing events!

It is without question, that Evermore Park will surely be a “go to” destination for those seeking quality entertainment, the thrill of a haunt, the reenactment of an era long past, period
clothing, shopping, and concessions, all set in a unique theme park full of adventure and amusement – an experience like non other.


.

[delts145]

Okay...Indeed, this was posted only a couple of days ago. My assumption was correct. Seems though like he's involved even more than I thought. Speaking of Ken Bretschneider, what's the latest
on his Air 7 development downtown? Has anyone ventured past the site lately?

Conversations with Ken Bretschneider of Evermore Park By Joseph Gonzalez on April 19, 2014

http://www.imperialcodex.com/?p=130

While covering the event for my new hyper local game news site, GamesGrind.com, I had the opportunity to meet Ken Bretschneider at the Evermore booth. I had never met Ken, but I had
heard of him – even though I didn’t remember during our first introduction. One of his associates was kind enough to make the introduction after I had asked if we might be able to do an
interview with their group.

Evermore Park is a massive theme park that Ken and his company are developing in Utah County. To say that the project is ambitious would be one hell of an understatement. The scale and
logistics of what they’re trying to accomplish is a Herculean task. I was immediately impressed with the openness and friendliness of the man. I can tell you from experience that it’s not
common to have a CEO of a large company greet you with a smile and a friendly handshake if they don’t know who you are.

In our follow up conversation with him, my team and I were given a high level overview of the development of Evermore... Read More http://www.imperialcodex.com/?p=130


http://www.imperialcodex.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Evermore_Project.jpg
http://www.imperialcodex.com

.

[Future Mayor]

To reiterate that point that was made, traffic can be slightly slowed and thus safer not be installing "traffic Calming Devices" but simply by overall design. Drivers drive feel comfortable driving the speed that roads are designed for, and that is usually well above the posted speed limit.

You use the N. Temple example. It still has great capacity and yes they lowered the posted speed limit, but they also designed it for a slower speed. Adding a bike lane, trees and the Trax curbs ultimately leads to a safer road because the designed speed is slower.

Traffic calming doesn't have to be speed bumps, but widening a road DOES NOT make a road safer. Study after study has shown this. It results in drivers feeling more comfortable at driving at higher speeds.

A great example in Salt Lake City is 1300 S east of State. The road still handles the same amount of traffic volume, but it is substantially more safe because they removed a lane in each direction, added bike lanes and a middle turn lane. The speed stayed the same, but because they reduced the # of lanes it has resulted in an overall safer road, with people driving much closer to the actual posted speed limit and continues to move the same volume of traffic.

Things as simple as a slightly narrower driving lane, and trees on the park strip are very effective traffic calming devices. These don't reduce capacity, and the speed limits can stay the same, yet they result in a much safer road for drivers, bikers and pedestrians.

WIDER IS NOT SAFER!

[bob rulz]

To reiterate that point that was made, traffic can be slightly slowed and thus safer not be installing "traffic Calming Devices" but simply by overall design. Drivers drive feel comfortable driving the speed that roads are designed for, and that is usually well above the posted speed limit.

You use the N. Temple example. It still has great capacity and yes they lowered the posted speed limit, but they also designed it for a slower speed. Adding a bike lane, trees and the Trax curbs ultimately leads to a safer road because the designed speed is slower.

Traffic calming doesn't have to be speed bumps, but widening a road DOES NOT make a road safer. Study after study has shown this. It results in drivers feeling more comfortable at driving at higher speeds.

A great example in Salt Lake City is 1300 S east of State. The road still handles the same amount of traffic volume, but it is substantially more safe because they removed a lane in each direction, added bike lanes and a middle turn lane. The speed stayed the same, but because they reduced the # of lanes it has resulted in an overall safer road, with people driving much closer to the actual posted speed limit and continues to move the same volume of traffic.

Things as simple as a slightly narrower driving lane, and trees on the park strip are very effective traffic calming devices. These don't reduce capacity, and the speed limits can stay the same, yet they result in a much safer road for drivers, bikers and pedestrians.

WIDER IS NOT SAFER!

You've explained it a lot better than I can. Lowering speed limits isn't totally necessary I agree, but I still think that could be a measure taken in some areas.

I would also like to see more of those pedestrian crossings with their own stoplights around. Why do you think there's so many auto-pedestrian accidents not just here but all over? You typically get these huge blocks between stoplights that just have no safe crossings. For example, State Street has no lights between 3300 and 3900 S, and no crosswalks. It's not as easy as simply walking to the nearest light to cross, because it simply takes too much time if you're in the mid-block. The same can really be said of any long stretch of road like that.

A great example of a place that I think could be re-designed to fit Future Mayor's example is 2100 South by Sugarhouse Park, between 1300 and 1700 East. There's extra lanes of traffic there for absolutely no reason - in the entire time I used to live up there, I never saw that road congested. They could easily add a middle turn lane, convert the sides into bike lanes, and plant more trees along the roadsides. It's especially important I think because it's near a high school and runs along a park. All very important for pedestrian access.

[delts145]

Nordstrom Rack coming to Orem

Genelle Pugmire Daily Herald

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/orem/nordstrom-rack-coming-to-orem/article_4d109556-97a5-5346-bf61-ad8b48e69131.html

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/heraldextra.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/94/2947028a-1316-5648-8e9d-4a4381677bbd/5359f0c6212bb.preview-620.jpg
The University Crossing shopping plaza in Orem, which will be home to a new Nordstrom Rack, is seen on Thursday

"We're excited about the opportunity to bring a Nordstrom Rack to University Crossing," said Geevy Thomas, president of Nordstrom Rack. "We are fortunate to have many loyal customers in the Orem community who know us well, and we look forward to serving them with many of the same great brands we carry in Nordstrom stores at Nordstrom Rack prices."...

...The Nordstrom news comes as part of a bigger announcement that the shopping center will rearrange and upgrade its look. The Outback Steakhouse currently contiguous to the center will build its own standalone building closer to University Parkway near In-N-Out Burger. Pier 1 Imports will move into the Outback location, and Nordstrom Rack will fill the vacant Sears Outlet store and current Pier 1 location.

The Nordstrom Rack store, after the hefty remodel, will be approximately 30,000 square feet...


.

[delts145]

I have to smile at Genelle Pugmire's opening comment in her article above about the opening of a Nordstrom Rack in Orem. She said that " Shoppers in Orem were getting their own epic announcement on Thursday." Seemed like she was having a little bit of a laugh over what Provo was deeming "epic." Hmm... I guess we'll see how epic today's announcement in Provo will be. Hopefully, it will be something like a major construction project. A big hotel downtown or something similar.

[delts145]

Australian investment group steps in to complete UTOPIA

By Madeleine Brown, Deseret News

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865602132/Australian-investment-group-steps-in-to-complete-UTOPIA.html

SALT LAKE CITY — After more than a decade, the original vision for Utah’s fiber-optic network project UTOPIA may finally be realized, thanks to an Australian investment group.

Sydney-based Macquarie Capital Group wants to finish building the network that has been plagued by inconsistent financing and construction.

The idea for the Utah Telecommunications Open Infrastructure Agency began 12 years ago to bring high Internet speeds — as fast as 1 gigabit per second — to individuals and businesses.

The 11 cities that originally signed on with UTOPIA and now will decide whether to opt in to Macquarie's proposal are Brigham City, Centerville, Layton, Lindon, Midvale, Murray, Orem, Payson, Perry, Tremonton and West Valley City.

“One of the big potential advantages to this proposal is it would build up a whole system, and the system would finally have the scale of connections, and therefore customers, that would be able to fulfill the vision that it was originally started with,” said Wayne Pyle, West Valley city manager and chairman of the UTOPIA board of trustees...

.

[delts145]

Lehi - New Mountain Point Medical Center - Under Construction

http://utahvalley360.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2012-07-17-exterior-rend.jpg
http://utahvalley360.com

Layton Construction has already begun work on the project and is
expected to finish in the spring of 2015. The new 40-bed Mountain
Point Medical Center, will be located across from Thanksgiving Point
on the east side of I-15 and will span 28 acres.

http://utahvalley360.com/wp-content/gallery/iasis-healthcare/lehi-hospital-interior-2.jpg

“In this new era of health care delivery, we are proud to be
expanding our family of health care services to meet the growing
needs of northern Utah County,” said Ed Lamb, Western Division
President of IASIS, which owns hospitals, outpatient service facilities
and physician clinics across the western and southern United States.
“This is an example of fulfilling our mission to provide high quality,
affordable care.”

http://utahvalley360.com/wp-content/gallery/iasis-healthcare/lehi-hospital-interior-1.jpg

The medical center will include a full-service emergency department,
intensive care unit, Women’s Center, cardiac catheterization
lab, comprehensive diagnostic imaging lab, surgical and labor and
delivery suites, children’s services and an adjacent medical building
offering a range of physician services.

http://www.mountainpointmedicalcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/construction.jpg

[delts145]

Midtown Village sees new hope

Genelle Pugmire Daily Herald

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/orem/midtown-village-sees-new-hope/article_f2697ec8-eb2d-52bf-b22f-8d758881f1aa.html

...The new development would feature 549 units, with retail and restaurants on the main level of both the south and north buildings. Two additional six-story buildings would go up on the west side, where there is currently a big hole in the ground. The first thing for the builders is to get a zone change to PD-23 to allow for mixed use in a specific zone along State Street. They must also hold neighborhood meetings while continuing their due diligence to purchase the project...

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/heraldextra.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/e2/8e222caa-7993-53f8-ba53-2c2c4b774b07/53719a71aecdd.preview-620.jpg
Orem's Midtown Village, shown above, the "defunct" development on State Street might be getting new life after application was made on Monday for a zone change and site plan approval.

.

[Deek1978]

that's good to hear, but unfortunately, at this point my opinion is: I'll believe it when I see it.

Also, news in Spanish Fork. They have started moving dirt between the Costco Gas Station and the Kneaders. It's a fairly good sized footprint where they're moving the dirt. I have wonder if the movie theaters are being built there... anybody know more than my unsubstantiated guess?

[Future Mayor]

I really hope the Orem City will easily allow the zone change to mixed use. If they don't they are idiots and the worlds longest strip mall will continue. If Orem wants to continue to grow in population it's going to have to allow for mixed use zoning all along the State Street corridor and even one to two blocks off State in each direction.

[tygr]

Also, news in Spanish Fork. They have started moving dirt between the Costco Gas Station and the Kneaders. It's a fairly good sized footprint where they're moving the dirt. I have wonder if the movie theaters are being built there... anybody know more than my unsubstantiated guess?

The DRC (http://spanishfork.org/meetings/docs/drc/2014/drc_agenda_2014_05_07.pdf) has reviewed a site plan for lots 6 & 7 of Phase Four (north of 1000 N and west of US 6) at 515 E 1000 N. I've been checking all my resources and the only place I've seen/heard the movie theater going is north of Taco Time.

It also appears that dirt work is also happening north of Starbucks along US 6. Some of it could simply be a place to put dirt or bringing some of the areas "up to grade."

I've seen (http://spanishfork.org/meetings/docs/drc/2014/drc_agenda_2014_04_30.pdf) that both Mattress Firm and Good Earth Natural Foods will be in Phase Two (south of 1000 N and west of US 6).

Unrelated to Canyon Creek, but still related to Spanish Fork development, construction on the new JoAnn's where Bajio and the former Little Caesars location should be commencing soon. They will be tearing down the section that diagonals off the main strip mall and constructing a new building for JoAnn's.

[delts145]

Utah County could see nearly 1 million new residents by 2050

"You may be in the face of a population tsunami," said Robert Grow, president and CEO of Envision Utah. "You are sitting on a powder keg of growth here."

http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I00000WbMB5Sqtlw/s/860/860/20110917-SquawPeak-001.jpg
http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com


Billy Hesterman Daily Herald

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/utah-county-could-see-nearly-million-new-residents-by/article_26bc293d-5048-5645-a396-eccdc88a8ba9.html

Utah County is primed for a huge population explosion during the next 30 years.

In a presentation to the Utah County Commission on Tuesday, representatives with Envision Utah, a public-private partnership created to strategically create planning strategies in the state, estimated Utah County could increase in population by as much as 840,000 residents by 2050.

"You may be in the face of a population tsunami," said Robert Grow, president and CEO of Envision Utah. "You are sitting on a powder keg of growth here."

Grow explained to the commissioners that, overall, Utah is expected to see a dramatic increase in population by 2.5 million individuals by 2050. He said a good portion of that growth will be in Utah County, as a study done by RCLCO Real Estate Advisors found that the county has a large amount of land still available to develop when compared to the other three highly populated counties in the state.

The study found Utah County has double the available acreage to build on when compared to Salt Lake, Davis and Weber Counties combined. Utah County has more than 207,000 acres available to be developed, a large portion of it on the west side of Utah Lake.

Grow told the commission that government leaders in the county will need to be aware of that fact as it will impact how governments deal with issues such as water and sewer needs, air quality, transportation, economic development and education in the future.

Grow also explained the population growth will largely be in the age range that usually includes families -- the 30-64 age range. He said that statistic is key, as that will mean cities will want to plan for more single-family homes to be built, citing studies that have shown families want a house and yard and aren't as keen on downtown condominium living...read more... http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/utah-county-could-see-nearly-million-new-residents-by/article_26bc293d-5048-5645-a396-eccdc88a8ba9.html

[Future Mayor]

:previous:

I sure hope they start building some serious density at and near FrontRunner stops and the future BRT stops. Otherwise it's going to get really ugly down there.

I wouldn't mind seeing BRT run down State St through Orem. Perhaps from the future Vineyard Front Runner stop up to State and continuing down the hill and joining up with the first BRT along University Ave. State St in Orem could easily accommodate some serious density.

[AllOutOfBubbleGum]

"You may be in the face of a population tsunami," said Robert Grow, president and CEO of Envision Utah. "You are sitting on a powder keg of growth here."

Robert Grow ... that's an ironic name for his position.

[delts145]

_________________________________________:fireworks:Xactware celebrates new Lehi headquarters with a bang:fireworks:

____________________________________http://www.xactware.com/us/images/groundbreaking/xactware-building-facts.jpg

THE BUILDING AND CAMPUS
•At four stories and 210,000 square feet, the new Xactware headquarters has capacity for up to 1,000 employees.
•The Xactware campus covers 13 acres and features numerous amenities for employees, including: ◦A 3,000-square-foot fitness center
◦A beach volleyball court
◦Two outdoor basketball courts
◦A 5,000-square-foot pavilion area that has seating for 500
◦An indoor bicycle garage with space for 30 bicycles

•The building is slated to receive LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
•A two-story onsite parking terrace with capacity for 700 vehicles.

THE AREA
•The Xactware is within walking distance of a future TRAX station.
•The campus is two miles from the Lehi FrontRunner station at Thanksgiving Point, with a UTA bus connection to the Xactware building.
•Employees who enjoy biking and walking have quick access to the nearby Murdock Canal Trail.
•The Xactware campus is located next to the Outlets at Traverse Mountain, with more than 100 retail stores and amenities.


Cathy Allred Daily Herald

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/lehi/xactware-celebrates-new-lehi-headquarters-with-a-bang/article_8eff6f4a-1ef6-5ab9-ab49-77d0ca0ff971.html

LEHI -- Twenty confetti cannons shot metallic blue and silver streamers into the sky simultaneously as 50 homing pigeons flew into the air, capping Xactware’s inaugural ceremony for its new corporate headquarters...

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/heraldextra.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/b/fc/bfc38683-b91e-5e86-83f4-65ba4c7795fd/5376eb9a150f9.preview-620.jpg
Streamers fall from the sky at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Xactware building in Lehi on Thursday, May 15, 2014. SPENSER HEAPS, Daily Herald


...As part of the celebration, it is also Xactware’s Founders Week. Each day, the employees have worked in shifts of approximately 50 people to serve on projects in surrounding communities. Xactware took on two projects in Lehi -- landscaping the Lehi Outdoor Pool Park, and landscaping and cleaning the Lehi Cemetery.

“If there is a business in town that has done more than Xactware, I don’t know who it is,” Wilson said.

He added, perhaps joking, that Lehi is now the center of the universe for what’s happening globally, including its business and population growth.

Continuing along that line of thinking, Gov. Gary Herbert, who was on hand for the celebration, said the state wants to be a contender globally for the economic market.

“See these slopes? This is just like Silicon Valley, and we have better skiing,” Herbert said.

According to the governor, Utah has the third-most diversified market economy in America...


http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/heraldextra.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/26/5264ccc6-82ea-5ccf-97d9-768aff65ad61/5376eb9d2ce7d.preview-620.jpg
SPENSER HEAPS, Daily Herald

.

[delts145]

_________________________________________________:fireworks:Grand Opening Museum Of Natural Curiosity:fireworks:

http://0.tqn.com/d/saltlakecity/1/0/a/L/-/-/Museum-of-Natural-Curiosity.jpg
Museum-of-Natural-Curiosity

Thanksgiving Point founder Karen Ashton, center,
cheers along with Governor Gary Herbert and his wife, Jeanette, right, at
the grand opening of Thanksgiving Point's Museum of Natural Curiosity in
Lehi on Thursday, May 15, 2014. SPENSER HEAPS, Daily Herald
http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/heraldextra.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/28/328ecc4c-9592-59fe-b2cc-29af14cce424/537619575c27b.preview-620.jpg

Related Story by: Cathy Allred

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/lehi/thanksgiving-point-s-newest-museum-a-place-to-explore-play/article_de6c2617-4c29-5fa7-8ecf-e806b6633709.html

...Project plans began in 2007 for the 45,000-square-foot museum of interactive creativity and learning. It started as a collaboration with Thanksgiving Point staff, local educators and
community advocates.

Five interactive exhibit areas were drawn out for the museum: Rainforest, Kidapolis, Water Works, Discovery Garden and Innovations Gallery...

...Children entered Thursday morning's event with some trepidation as they took in what was waiting for them inside the building. Their faces of wonder and joy said it all -- the museum is
a large playground to explore, experience and learn.

“It’s fun to see the interaction with kids and parents,” said Page Schaefer, guest service manager. “It’s fun to see parents come here with children and find themselves acting like a curious child.
That is my favorite part."...


http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/heraldextra.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/68/e68d4023-4b15-53bf-9606-f183cb18f0c6/5376195f4a66e.preview-620.jpg
by Spenser Heaps, Daily Herald


http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Museum-of-Natural-Curiosity-Taste-and-Tell-02.jpg
http://www.tasteandtellblog.com

[delts145]

Northern Utah County cities facing explosive growth

Saratoga Springs
http://www.utahlake.org/php-oak/themes/global/admin_images/content/golf/golfing-saratoga-springs-utah.jpg
http://www.utahlake.org

Hannah Ballard Correspondent

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/northern-utah-county-cities-facing-explosive-growth/article_c6126b4b-f47b-5259-a795-942bee70148c.html#utm_source=heraldextra.com&utm_campaign=hot-topics-2&utm_medium=internal

A recent study by utahfoundation.org found that the projected state population will just about double by 2050, thanks in part to a high birth rate, a strong economy and a low cost of living.

Nowhere is that expected to be more evident than in the northern Utah County cities of Lehi, Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs.

While Lehi already finds itself in the middle of a population boom, Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs appear to be the epicenters for the next wave of residents. Each city is predicted to grow in the 500 percent range in the next 35 years.A recent study by utahfoundation.org found that the projected state population will just about double by 2050, thanks in part to a high birth rate, a strong economy and a low cost of living.

Nowhere is that expected to be more evident than in the northern Utah County cities of Lehi, Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs.

Eagle Mountain
http://www.utahvalley.com/!UserFiles/gallery/City/Eagle%20Mountain006.jpg
http://www.utahvalley.com

While Lehi already finds itself in the middle of a population boom, Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs appear to be the epicenters for the next wave of residents. Each city is predicted to grow in the 500 percent range in the next 35 years.

Owen Jackson, Saratoga Springs' public relations manager, said the city is already expanding.

“We have 22,000 people, as of now, and we want to know what is that going to look like and how are we going to get there," Jackson said. "We’ve already grown about 30 percent from that last population estimate of 17,000."

Jackson said the city is already holding strategic planning meetings to address how to best accommodate the expected influx of many new residents.

“It’s a committee of residents that will help determine what direction the city wants to go," he said. "The plan will provide a greater guiding direction for future decisions. It’s a great way to see exactly what residents want.”

Robert Ranc, an assistant to the Lehi city administrator, believes location is the key reason behind his city becoming a popular home for big business, and the resulting population boom that has taken place in recent years.

“Particularly commercially, Lehi is right at the heart of the Wasatch Front, between Provo and Salt Lake City," Ranc said. "Provo and Salt Lake provide a lot of young, educated work force, and Lehi has a lot of greenfield land, land that’s never been built on, that’s more cost-effective for construction."

He added there are plans in place to help with the growing pains.

“We have master planning in place for our city, where we will need roads, infrastructures, to make sure that we are ready for the influx of people,” Ranc said.

Just last year Utah ranked as the fifth-fastest-growing state in the country. Ranc offered that it’s logical why Utah is attracting so many new residents.

“It’s really a number of things. Some states are population exporters, but Utah is receiving a lot of that in-migration," Ranc said.

"We have one of the best state economies in the country, great universities that help keep the young, educated population in Utah, a great cost of living, and a wonderful outdoor-oriented lifestyle. It’s a wonderful place to live."


Owen Jackson, Saratoga Springs' public relations manager, said the city is already expanding.

“We have 22,000 people, as of now, and we want to know what is that going to look like and how are we going to get there," Jackson said. "We’ve already grown about 30 percent from that last population estimate of 17,000."

Jackson said the city is already holding strategic planning meetings to address how to best accommodate the expected influx of many new residents.

“It’s a committee of residents that will help determine what direction the city wants to go," he said. "The plan will provide a greater guiding direction for future decisions. It’s a great way to see exactly what residents want.”

Robert Ranc, an assistant to the Lehi city administrator, believes location is the key reason behind his city becoming a popular home for big business, and the resulting population boom that has taken place in recent years.

“Particularly commercially, Lehi is right at the heart of the Wasatch Front, between Provo and Salt Lake City," Ranc said. "Provo and Salt Lake provide a lot of young, educated work force, and Lehi has a lot of greenfield land, land that’s never been built on, that’s more cost-effective for construction."

He added there are plans in place to help with the growing pains.

“We have master planning in place for our city, where we will need roads, infrastructures, to make sure that we are ready for the influx of people,” Ranc said.

Just last year Utah ranked as the fifth-fastest-growing state in the country. Ranc offered that it’s logical why Utah is attracting so many new residents.

“It’s really a number of things. Some states are population exporters, but Utah is receiving a lot of that in-migration," Ranc said.

"We have one of the best state economies in the country, great universities that help keep the young, educated population in Utah, a great cost of living, and a wonderful outdoor-oriented lifestyle. It’s a wonderful place to live."

.

[delts145]

Real estate market activity during this month seems to be leaps and bounds ahead of last year for buyers.


"It’s happening all over town as developers are gobbling up land and planning new neighborhoods with some already digging dirt."


Roger Hardy, Daily Herald

http://www.heraldextra.com/blogs/community/real-estate/more-lakeside-lots-coming-to-saratoga-springs/article_782c9fcd-cc6e-592a-81c5-1b99d21771d1.html

The real estate market activity during this month seems to be leaps and bounds ahead of last year for buyers. According to the Wasatch Front Multiple Listing Service, 877 homes in Utah County have come on the market as new listings in the last 30 days. At the same time, 502 homes have sold.

In Salt Lake County, 1,578 homes have been listed in the last 30 days and 1,055 homes have sold. Potential buyers shouldn’t wait. With a strong buyer's market, combined with nearly all-time low mortgage rates, now’s the time to get a great deal on your dream home.

I dropped by the Saratoga Springs city planning office the other day and was amazed at the amount of new development activity going on out there. It’s happening all over town as developers are gobbling up land and planning new neighborhoods with some already digging dirt...

.

[i-215]

New renderings for the University Place (University Mall redevelopment) project.

http://econdev.orem.org/Orem/Featured-Real-Estate-/University-Place

http://i.imgur.com/firykdc.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/f2VqDoT.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MUUCmgz.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/tHDG6vG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/vInsZ1E.jpg

[Neuroguy]

So, it looks like RC Wiley is filling in the old Nordstrom location, or at least according to this version. Interesting….

[SLC Projects]

This is what I think Sandy City needs to do with South Towne Mall. Big improvement overall.

[StevenF]

This is a lot closer to what the original architect of the mall wanted back in the 60s. He wanted to bring urban style shopping to the suburbs with housing and office close by. His full idea was never finished and the mall turned into a large shopping area surrounded by parking.

[delts145]

So, it looks like RC Wiley is filling in the old Nordstrom location, or at least according to this version. Interesting….

Yeah, they made a big announcement on RC Wiley moving to the Mall a while back. I think it's a good fit for that particular mall. I like the look of many of the mid-rises. It would be cool if this eventually evolves into a Century City, L.A. type situation, with a hub of high rises also. I think that's an excellent location for a dense downtown, that could also expand along State and 1300.

[goldcntry]

I like it! And yes, this would be an excellent template for South Towne Mall... almost an instant TOD.

[JMK]

New Utah themepark will be interactive and immersive

KSL
Amanda Taylor
May 22nd, 2014

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=30003054&nid=1205&fm=home_page&s_cid=toppick1

PLEASANT GROVE — The new 45-acre Evermore Adventure Park is a never-before-seen type of interactive, ever-changing theme park.

It's a trip back in time, to Victorian England with a fantastical twist. The park will be a choose-your-own adventure experience, with options for guests who want to explore and immerse themselves in the environment.

Besides featuring interactive entertainment, the Victorian park will change with the seasons.

“During summer, Evermore will present ‘Carnival of Wonders,’ featuring acrobatics, dance theater and music,” Salt Lake Magazine said. “Things get spooky during the Halloween season with ‘Ripper's Cove,’ a haunt encompassing all five sections of the park. And during the holidays, An Evermore Christmas welcomes guests into a Dickens-style winter wonderland.”

The Daily Herald reported founder Ken Bretschneider and his team have been working on the project for two years, and they are hoping to start building this summer. They aim to open Phase 1 of the park next summer.

“This is taking a quaint European village and plopping it in the middle of Utah,” Bretschneider told Salt Lake Magazine.

To enhance the experience, making guests feel like they have truly entered another world, the actors who are employees in the park will be responsible for acting out different stories for visitors to become a part of. The ambitious project will have a town square, ice cream parlor, three restaurants, a lake with an island and a Victorian hotel that will be open to guests.

“The closest thing you're going to find is Disneyland, and Disneyland is an amazing place, but it's not Evermore,” Bretschneider told Salt Lake Magazine. “It's not what we're trying to do here, and that's to create a completely embedded, immersive adventure park where you get to kind of choose different adventures and live them out. You can go as deep down the rabbit hole as you want, and you can go very deep.”

http://img.ksl.com/slc/2523/252338/25233883.jpg?filter=ksl/story_635

[Future Mayor]

Do we know where in PG it's going to be located? According to google maps, PG ends at I-15, so where on the east side of I-15 is there 45 available acres. One thing that bothers me is that there is FrontRunner station close to PG so it's obviously not going to be overly convenient for transit access.

[i-215]

I'm highly skeptical this "Evermore" thing is actually going to be built completed. Who is financing the project?

[Future Mayor]

I'm highly skeptical this "Evermore" thing is actually going to be built completed. Who is financing the project?

Ditto!!!!!!!

[Neuroguy]

Do we know where in PG it's going to be located? According to google maps, PG ends at I-15, so where on the east side of I-15 is there 45 available acres. One thing that bothers me is that there is FrontRunner station close to PG so it's obviously not going to be overly convenient for transit access.

From what I found in looking into this park awhile back, on the plot of land to the north and east of the junction between Pleasant Grove Blvd and 7280 N. There is a Hee Haw's farm (i.e., pumpkin patch/corn maze) there now. Evermore has their website up and they talk about a pumpkin carving contest this past year, so I wonder if they own or are associated with Hee Haw's already.

[mobius42]

The daily herald says the address is 550 s. North county blvd.

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/pleasant-grove/photos-evermore-park-coming-to-pleasant-grove/collection_f94941ed-1d9b-5bd0-84e5-1a46824a8b7e.html#0

Like neuroguy said that would put it next to Hee Haw's.

A couple hundred trees were placed right next to the Hee haw's property that are still in pots/burlap. It looks like it should be for a nursery. I've been told those are supposed to be for Evermore. Interesting that they'd bring trees before anything else has been done.

[Stenar]

I'm highly skeptical this "Evermore" thing is actually going to be built completed. Who is financing the project?

One of the main people behind Evermore is the guy building the Air Hotel.

[delts145]

Two Of The Nations Five Fastest Growing Cities Are Along The Wasatch Front.

"Utah had two of the top five: South Jordan, at No. 3, and Lehi, at No. 5."

Gardens at Thanksgiving Point - Lehi
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JNoEA3SWNMI/TEehB0BzZyI/AAAAAAAACTY/-lPkpbt53fs/s1600/Rose+Garden20100721_0240.jpg

By Jesse J. Holland - Associated Press

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765653835/Census-Texas-has-3-of-5-fast-growing-cities.html?pg=1

.

[KPBDEV]

Hi my name is Ken Bretschneider. I'm the lead developer behind the new AIR Center/Hotel project and Evermore Adventure Park. I wanted to provide additional details about Evermore below.

We have currently acquired 45 acres east off of the I-15 Pleasant Grove Blvd. exit. Our property spans both North County Blvd and Pleasant Grove Blvd. Around and behind the new Holiday gas station.

Phase 1 construction should start around August or September of this year (depending on permitting, etc.) and be completed within 12 to 14 months following. We have over 1,500 mature trees on the property that will go into the Phase 1 landscaping.

Phase 2 construction will overlap Phase 1 and is expected to be completed by early fall of 2016. Phase 2 represents full operations of the park. There will also be a Phase 3 which represents construction of a full service Victorian styled Hotel, Theater and additional attractions.

Evermore is what we are calling an Adventure Park. Think of a hybrid between a theme park and event center. Evermore will present immersive entertainment experiences by using state of the art AV technologies, and world class craftsmanship in theatrical design (architectural, sets, props, makeup, wardrobe, human puppeteering, animatronics, etc.).

Evermore will operate yearly featuring 3 seasonal festivals (Autumn Fest, Winter Fest and Summer Fest). Within each season we will feature a primary attraction as follows:


Autumn Fest - Evermore Presents "Ripper's Cove" (the worlds most elaborate haunt experience with 5 massive attractions)



Winter Fest - Evermore Presents "An Evermore Christmas" (step into a Dickensian styled Christmas celebration and explore a Fantasy Christmas world like no other)



Summer Fest - Evermore Presents "The Carnival of Wonders" (featuring a series of attractions and events throughout the summer based on fantasy themes from the Victorian era)


Evermore will feature hundreds of events. Evermore is unique in that it will always be changing with each season, providing new entertainment experiences throughout the year.

We are making a large personal investment to make this project happen.

Below are some of the designs and renderings of Evermore Adventure Park:

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y518/KBPDEV/Evermore_Sign_Ken4c_zps966ba4b9.png

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y518/KBPDEV/close_evermore_2_zps323fdc19.jpg

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y518/KBPDEV/Romantic-Evermore-Skyline_zps28463b21.jpg

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y518/KBPDEV/candyshop1_zps65ed0ca8.jpg

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y518/KBPDEV/Tavern-Art-01-1_zps436fd6b6.png

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y518/KBPDEV/Evermore-City-03_zps79034cfa.jpg

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y518/KBPDEV/Blue-Print-01_zps7feb367b.png

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y518/KBPDEV/Blue-Print-03_zps931cc1f2.png

[Future Mayor]

I figured if we mentioned it enough you'd chime in and let us know more details. Thanks for the information, it does sound very unique and exciting. I hope all goes as planned with your time line.

I do have a question though, do you have any plans to cooperate with UTA or having shuttles from the nearest FrontRunner Station/s?

[jtrent77]

Two things:

1) I think the Evermore idea is very intriguing. But one question about it, how are things looking to ensure that it is actually finished rather than what has happened to the "kneeboard lake" ala point of the mountain with Gehry, or worse the half built housing village in Orem?

2) As far as connections with public transit, I think there should be something Victorian style, the question is what is Victorian style that can transport a lot of people from the Front Runner station to the park? Horse drawn carriages wouldn't be able to do it fast enough....something to ponder.

[delts145]

Two things:

1) I think the Evermore idea is very intriguing. But one question about it, how are things looking to ensure that it is actually finished rather than what has happened to the "kneeboard lake" ala
point of the mountain with Gehry, or worse the half built housing village in Orem?

2) As far as connections with public transit, I think there should be something Victorian style, the question is what is Victorian style that can transport a lot of people from the Front Runner
station to the park? Horse drawn carriages wouldn't be able to do it fast enough....something to ponder.



I assume Ken will continue to handle Evermore in phases, as investors and attendance enthusiasm will allow. I certainly hope it succeeds, as I think Utah County is an excellent location for this
type of entertainment.

I like your note about the transit Jtrent. I agree, that it would be very cool if shuttle service were of a Victorian design.

Victoria herself reigned up to her death in 1901. There were actually some very cool looking non horse powered autos, trolleys, buses and trains at that dawning decade of the 20th Century.
Below are a few pics of London transport that was en vogue at the time. Wouldn't it be so cool if some type of Victorian styled transport were arranged to shuttle patrons from a
Front Runner station to the complex itself.

http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/assets/images/images-irregular/victorian.jpg
http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk

http://www.virtualbook.hull.ac.uk/Assets/jpg/transport1.jpg
http://www.virtualbook.hull.ac.uk

http://cdn.londonreconnections.com/assets/1905dedion1.jpg
http://cdn.londonreconnections.com

A modern replica of the era's London Omnibus
http://gb.fotolibra.com/images/previews/131523-replica-of-1910-london-omnibus-co-open-topped-bus.jpeg
http://gb.fotolibra.com

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74437000/jpg/_74437903_dmoft-aberdeen-tram-1901.jpg

No.23 an open air car. Built in 1901 for the London street railway.
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/data/Ensign/201089221020_P8080353.jpg
http://www.railroad-line.com

Met Locomotive 1, a restored steam engine, travelled from its sheds near Earl's Court, west London, pulling Victorian carriages, to start a journey from Kensington Olympia to Moorgate.
read more...http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-21003259
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/65250000/jpg/_65250900_65250898.jpg

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/65249000/jpg/_65249658_20130113_094422.jpg

"...Passengers travelled in coaches dating from 1892 and 1898." This is where the hundreds of Utah Valley's budding actors would have a field day, dressed in period attire and mixing with
patrons on a Victorian shuttle train. Perhaps, incorporating an Austin or famed Dickens scene into the train shuttle. I can see where Ken would have a lot of enthusiasm for this "Evermore" project.
I hope his enthusiasm will rub off on major investors. This isn't just an everyday amusement park, it's a theme park bordering on a type of Disneyland/Universal mixed with Williamsburg
adventure. Millions of tourists a year are now looking for excuses to make their way to Utah's famed scenery. This would be a wonderful expansion of Utah's tourist venues, not only for the locals,
but for the millions of visitors.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/65250000/jpg/_65250639_20130113_104457.jpg

I'm sure there would even be many couples or smaller groups who would love to have their immersive experience by reserving smaller transport, such as these vintage autos,
or even for that matter carriages that are horse drawn.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Mors-1901-1RAC.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org

[jedikermit]

^^^^^

Love that idea, Delts!

[Old&New]

Delts, If the Draper line were extended down to pleasant grove, the tracks would run very near the Evermore property.

[Future Mayor]

Delts, If the Draper line were extended down to pleasant grove, the tracks would run very near the Evermore property.

I believe the tracks that connect to Draper are those that run along State St. So while they are close they are still about 2 miles from the new Holiday Oil location on PG Blvd. Not within reasonable walking distance but easily within a short shuttle ride.

[jtrent77]

Development taking shape on old Geneva Steel site
(http://www.ksl.com/?sid=30081911&nid=148&title=development-taking-shape-on-old-geneva-steel-site&fm=home_page&s_cid=topstory)
VINEYARD, Utah County — Developers are moving fast with a variety of projects on the old Geneva Steel property in Utah County.
Read more at http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=30081911#oPfSX1ZfR3EYwOYd.99

[KPBDEV]

To answer your question on funding. I have personally invested enough to complete out the majority of the Phase 1 construction and we have strong funding commitments overall for the entire project. We will be building in Phases so you will never see an unfinished project. I hate the mid-town fiasco as much as everyone else. This will not happen on our project. Regarding transportation we are talking to UTA and will also provide shuttle services that will be themed :tup:.

[jtrent77]

To answer your question on funding. I have personally invested enough to complete out the majority of the Phase 1 construction and we have strong funding commitments overall for the entire project. We will be building in Phases so you will never see an unfinished project. I hate the mid-town fiasco as much as everyone else. This will not happen on our project. Regarding transportation we are talking to UTA and will also provide shuttle services that will be themed :tup:.

Awesome, I hope this turns out to be even greater than the renderings lead us to believe :)

[Old&New]

I believe the tracks that connect to Draper are those that run along State St. So while they are close they are still about 2 miles from the new Holiday Oil location on PG Blvd. Not within reasonable walking distance but easily within a short shuttle ride.

I measured .6 miles...


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wljN8jcMw70/U1nKtrruG-I/AAAAAAAACbI/xb3lXoFqhg8/s1600/location.jpg

http://www.oeey.com/2014/04/evermore-theme-park-coming-to-pleasant.html

But I agree, a shuttle from a station to the entrance would be fantastic!

[i-215]

Well, I certainly wish you success. I dream of one day having a Utah attraction that draws tourists, not unlike Disneyland.

When will we start to see bulldozers on the site?

[Future Mayor]

I measured .6 miles...


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wljN8jcMw70/U1nKtrruG-I/AAAAAAAACbI/xb3lXoFqhg8/s1600/location.jpg

http://www.oeey.com/2014/04/evermore-theme-park-coming-to-pleasant.html

But I agree, a shuttle from a station to the entrance would be fantastic!

I'm not aware of any tracks in that bubble, are there some? I also included actually travel distance to the tracks, not as the crow flies.

[Old&New]

No, the tracks are up on State Street, like you said. I just measured down Proctor Ln, from State Street.

[Orlando]

http://www.vcbo.com/images/health-image-501.jpg
http://www.vcbo.com/ihc-american-fork-clinic.html

[Orlando]

Cool building, but it doesn't allow to select a .jpg file to paste into this post. But, check it out! Maybe someone will post the renderings.
http://method-studio.com/work/education/utah-valley-university-classroom-building/

Apparently CRSA is working with Method Studio or took it over.
http://www.crsa-us.com/projects/current.php
http://www.crsa-us.com/projects/current.php

[Orlando]

http://method-studio.com/work/education/utah-valley-university-wee-care-center/
Another cool building at UVU, but unable to post the image directly.

[Orlando]

And another cool building by Method Studio. Check it out.
http://method-studio.com/work/cultural/utah-valley-university-performing-arts-center/

[Orlando]

http://method-studio.com/work/cultural/the-center-for-story-art/

I believe this one is a performing arts place in Orem.

[jedikermit]

UVU has been growing gangbusters for the last decade or so, but seems to be improving as well. I know some people on faculty, and even though it's been bumpy, they seem to be doing a lot of things smarter than other regional colleges-to-universities have done. Hope they don't lose sight of their original purpose. I think the community colleges were a good bridge for a lot of students from high school either to associate degrees, technical training, or universities. When every junior college/community college becomes a university, that service is diminished, but the need still exists.

[delts145]

The entry standards have become so high for BYU, makes me wonder how high the standards of the UVU will climb just because of the sheer numbers clamoring to get in. The growth of UVU was meteoric. I don't imagine they will be able to grow in student numbers much more, then it's a matter of competing to get in.

[StevenF]

Last I heard is UVU still plans on being an open enrollment school. Not sure how it will work once they start hitting 40,000 students or more. That is a lot of students to deal with. I know many of them are students that utilize the schools online classes and reduces the amount actually on campus.

[Deek1978]

The footings are being set for Walmart in Spanish Fork... I imagine the foundation will be poured in the next couple of weeks. Also the new streets have been curbed, so those should be finished in the next month (fingers crossed)

[KPBDEV]

Our goal is to start some level of pre-construction/construction on Evermore by September. However, this of course depends on permitting, etc. We will announce our ground breaking once we work through final design items/issues and we can lock down a date.

[SLC Projects]

Our goal is to start some level of pre-construction/construction on Evermore by September. However, this of course this depends on permitting, etc. We will announce our ground breaking once we work through final design items/issues and we can lock down a date.

Cool, thanks for the update.

[goldcntry]

Our goal is to start some level of pre-construction/construction on Evermore by September. However, this of course this depends on permitting, etc. We will announce our ground breaking once we work through final design items/issues and we can lock down a date.

I can't wait for this! The whole family is excited with the prospect of Evermore!
:tomato:

[oremcitizen]

Hello,

Im new on the this forum and have read through the previous post. I would love to get input on developing my families land which consists of .92 acres in the NE corner of the university place section of land.
this is a map of the lots and it was taken from the utah county parcel map.

http://maps2.utahcountyonline.org/ParcelMap/ParcelMap.html?serial=180560099


This image shows the properties relitive location to The university Place 450 units of residential apartments.


what do you think we should do with this land? ----- ------------- -------- --- ----------- directly below -v-

http://utahvalley360.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/University-Mall-Concept-Map.jpg

[delts145]

Another pic of the new American Fork Clinic.

April 18, 2014 - VCBO is excited to announce the Grand Opening of the American Fork Clinic. The Specialty Clinic promotes healthy active lifestyle, flexibility, and natural daylight. We would like to thank all the team members who have put a considerable amount of work into this facility, and made it a flagship for healthcare in Utah County.

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/t1.0-9/10169394_453895471410413_462061526_n.jpg
https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net

[i-215]

Looks like Pirate Island has added a new attraction: Real, functional pirate cannons!

http://i.imgur.com/nrpn7vg.jpg

Looks like demolition for the University Place project is starting, slowly.

http://i.imgur.com/Kvv76Je.jpg

No work being done at Mervyn's yet.

[Hatman]

Hello,

Im new on the this forum and have read through the previous post. I would love to get input on developing my families land which consists of .92 acres in the NE corner of the university place section of land.
this is a map of the lots and it was taken from the utah county parcel map.

http://maps2.utahcountyonline.org/ParcelMap/ParcelMap.html?serial=180560099


This image shows the properties relitive location to The university Place 450 units of residential apartments.


what do you think we should do with this land? ----- ------------- -------- --- ----------- directly below -v-


Sorry, but on my phone the formating is different, and I'm still a bit unclear as to which lots are yours. Are they the lots exactly north of the orange residential buildings?

Also, what is currently on your land, and what is it zoned for?

[oremcitizen]

Sorry, but on my phone the formating is different, and I'm still a bit unclear as to which lots are yours. Are they the lots exactly north of the orange residential buildings?

Also, what is currently on your land, and what is it zoned for?

If you use the link to the utah county parcel map, the property I am talking about is the one that should be outlined in red. It is the biggest single lot, located just to the north of one of the last orange color coded buildings. the second property is located just to the north, owned by Sunny Gulati,
one is currently zoned C2 commercial, the other is zoned residential. Though the zoning is commercial, there is now only homes on the land. we would be looking to rezone to match the current pd -34 zone. We are interested in finding a partner who can do a mixed use development.

http://maps2.utahcountyonline.org/ParcelMap/ParcelMap.html?serial=180560099

[Future Mayor]

If I'm interpreting the maps correctly your parcels would be facing, on the west side of the small road with trees, if extended from where they currently end. Is that correct?

If that is correct I think something mixed use, with some substantial height, and below grade or terraced parking or a shared parking agreement with neighboring properties. The thing that might be the best option is to work with the developers of University Mall, and those proposed apartments and sell to them and allow them to add another residential building to their project.

[oremcitizen]

If I'm interpreting the maps correctly your parcels would be facing, on the west side of the small road with trees, if extended from where they currently end. Is that correct?

If that is correct I think something mixed use, with some substantial height, and below grade or terraced parking or a shared parking agreement with neighboring properties. The thing that might be the best option is to work with the developers of University Mall, and those proposed apartments and sell to them and allow them to add another residential building to their project.

Your interpretation of the map is correct, except for one point. we will not have access from the south side, only from the north side turning off of 800 south onto 750 E
We have been through negotiation with the developers, we feel like we can get a better value than what they offered us by partnering with a developer for a joint venture.

I think the setbacks would restrict our height to 3 stories max, unless we did a tiered building. As far as parking goes, i think this would be our biggest restriction. Underground parking for residence would be ideal, with above ground parking for Commercial fronts. A shared parking agreement ? I don't think so, I don't think Woodbury would be so kind.

[oremcitizen]

Another point I considered is the possibility that our rezone request may be denied. If that is the case, then we may only develop it in compliance with the C2 zone.

[delts145]

@Geneva Development 60 percent sold, Imax under construction

Genelle Pugmire, Daily Herald

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/vineyard/geneva-development-percent-sold-imax-under-construction/article_78871bc5-2bc1-5daf-aaba-0ad605a35966.html


"VINEYARD -- It was once lakeside property on which a bustling 1941 war-time steel mill became the home to hundreds of workers.

Within 50 years U.S. Steel's Geneva Works would dissolve into a hazardous wasteland. Now, after years of mitigation, the brown field is clean and being developed to house more than 26,000 people, turning the small town of Vineyard into a formidable city."

The @geneva community will not only be home to those residents, it will have an intermodal transportation hub, a major town center, 2-million square feet of retail space, 3.5-million square feet of office space, 5-million square feet of industrial space and lakefront properties. Entertainment venues will be led out by Utah Valley University and the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies.

The @geneva project was announced 10 months ago. Since that time owner Anderson Development has sold more than 60 percent of the project to various contractors. Currently six major projects are under construction. Eventually, the Vineyard connector road will connect with Pioneer Crossing in American Fork.

"This is the largest brown field site in the western United States," said Stewart Park, project manager for Geneva...

http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/heraldextra.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/45/e45de992-6f1a-5118-abd4-8c7e2b909411/5393e5eb4d848.preview-620.jpg
Spencer Heaps, Daily Herald
http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/heraldextra.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/19/f193e5c4-5c87-5282-a0c7-7f646c161ab3/53939fbc0243d.preview-620.jpg
Crews work on the Edgewater at Geneva development in Orem on Friday, June 6, 2014. The complex will feature 424 residences with the first two phases reaching completion by the end of 2014. SPENSER HEAPS, Daily Herald

Read More...http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/vineyard/geneva-development-percent-sold-imax-under-construction/article_78871bc5-2bc1-5daf-aaba-0ad605a35966.html

http://www.uvureview.com/media/2013/09/Geneva-Rendering-3.png
http://www.uvureview.com

http://utahvalley360.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/@geneva.gif
http://utahvalley360.com

.

[Highrise_Mike]

It's every bodies favorite new sign

It's funny to read how the developer sees the sign ... It might be a big sign but it's the worlds largest big sign that saves money :haha:

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=29538229&nid=1012&s_cid=rss-extlink&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

http://img.ksl.com/slc/2519/251963/25196399.jpg

Haha maybe I'm coming in on this sign discussion a few weeks late but the news article in the Herald kind of makes me laugh because it said the sign is 200 feet plus you can see it from Eagle Mtn! It's definitely 100 feet as shown on the submitted plans and Adobe sued Craig Realty for almost a year until they finally came to an agreement to add louvers on the Adobe side. There will be another phase to the outlets too in addition to the H&M portion being built. For Lehi this is pretty big but some signs in Vegas are up to almost 300' in height like the MGM sign which would make this look small, not really saying I'm a fan though. Sorry but I just had to comment on this one!

[SL,UT]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-DsTV47L-zzI/U6r6IfN245I/AAAAAAAAAWw/iS8kvtiU59w/w620-h274-no/53aa53d2dee99.preview-620.jpg



Read the article here:

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/lehi/uccu-celebrates-groundbreaking-of-new-lehi-headquarters/article_a6b93ee4-74de-5c9d-9812-762dc21c33fa.html

[s.p.hansen]

https://i.imgur.com/Qg78WBvh.jpg

By the end of this month the Lake Side natural gas power plant in Vineyard (opened in 2007 at 534 megawatts) should be opening Phase II, adding an additional 637 megawatts of capacity. This isn't just the largest natural power plant in Utah, it will be the 3rd largest power plant behind the 1,320 megawatt coal power plant in Hunter, and the 1,900 megawatt Intermountian Power Plant in Delta which runs on coal but is slated to switch over to natural gas in 2027.

[Highrise_Mike]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-DsTV47L-zzI/U6r6IfN245I/AAAAAAAAAWw/iS8kvtiU59w/w620-h274-no/53aa53d2dee99.preview-620.jpg



Read the article here:

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/lehi/uccu-celebrates-groundbreaking-of-new-lehi-headquarters/article_a6b93ee4-74de-5c9d-9812-762dc21c33fa.html

I'm excited about this one, it is already approved and they are hoping to get a permit to start some footings and foundations on this in the next couple weeks. It will take a few months for this project to go skyward because of the concrete work for the underground parking structure and foundation. Also this building will be fairly close to I-15 so it will look cool for anyone driving by.

[SLC Projects]

I'm excited about this one, it is already approved and they are hoping to get a permit to start some footings and foundations on this in the next couple weeks. It will take a few months for this project to go skyward because of the concrete work for the underground parking structure and foundation. Also this building will be fairly close to I-15 so it will look cool for anyone driving by.

Agreed and to add to all that this will be a new tallest for Lehi.

[SLC Projects]

Map of All Lehi's planned developments and where there going. There's a ton. :tup:
http://www.siliconslopes.com.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Screen-Shot-2014-04-09-at-4.59.58-PM.png

We are about to witness a development boom for the city of Lehi that has never been seen before. Besides maybe Daybreak, I've never seen so much development taking place all in such a small area.

Projects in the works......
1. Adobe Phase II ( 2014 ) 4-story building
http://inhabitat.com/adobes-new-leed-gold-designed-campus-connects-with-the-outdoors-in-utah/adobe-utah-campus-wrns-studio-2-edit/
2. UCCU ( 2014 ) 7-story building
http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/lehi/uccu-celebrates-groundbreaking-of-new-lehi-headquarters/article_a6b93ee4-74de-5c9d-9812-762dc21c33fa.html
3. Traverse Ridge Center I ( 2014 ) 3-story building
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/17964125/Triumph-Boulevard-and-SR-92-Lehi-UT/
4. Traverse Ridge Center II ( 2015? ) 6-story building
http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/Looplink/Profile/Profile.aspx?LID=17751402&STID=CB0003&LL=true
5. Ridge Office Park ( 2014? ) Group of 4 story buildings
http://www.cityfeet.com/cont/ForLease/LN18764729/3200-North-Triumph-Boulevard-Lehi-UT-84043
6. Hyatt Hotel ( 2014? ) Floors unknown, can't find any renderings
7. Traverse Heights ( ???? ) 6 story office buildings + 4 story 135 room hotel
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/18248417/4205-N-Chapel-Ridge-Rd-Lehi-UT/
8. IASIS Healthcare ( 2014 ) 3-story building
http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/lehi/new-hospital-breaks-ground-in-lehi/article_5a2da664-4e2d-5bd8-a315-0ee91c857aa0.html
9. the corporate center xactware ( 2013-on going ) Xactware building 4-stories with more office buildings planned I'm sure.
http://www.siliconslopes.com.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Xactware-building.jpg
10. Hilton Garden Inn ( ???? ) Floors unknown, was shown on the big map near UCCU

I'm sure there's more, but that's all the time I have to look up these project. If there's any more that I missed or more info on the one's already listed feel free to add on to this list.

[Orlando]

http://s.lnimg.com/photo/poster/28aeebe5504447c9863e91c3a80a09c5.jpg

cool for a small suburban office building

[Deek1978]

The addition at the Orem Fitness Center has been completed. The construction company is pulling their trucks out today. Grass is in. I'd post pics, but ... well, I suck at that.

[Highrise_Mike]

Map of All Lehi's planned developments and where there going. There's a ton. :tup:
http://www.siliconslopes.com.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Screen-Shot-2014-04-09-at-4.59.58-PM.png

We are about to witness a development boom for the city of Lehi that has never been seen before. Besides maybe Daybreak, I've never seen so much development taking place all in such a small area.

Projects in the works......
1. Adobe Phase II ( 2014 ) 4-story building
http://inhabitat.com/adobes-new-leed-gold-designed-campus-connects-with-the-outdoors-in-utah/adobe-utah-campus-wrns-studio-2-edit/
2. UCCU ( 2014 ) 7-story building
http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/lehi/uccu-celebrates-groundbreaking-of-new-lehi-headquarters/article_a6b93ee4-74de-5c9d-9812-762dc21c33fa.html
3. Traverse Ridge Center I ( 2014 ) 3-story building
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/17964125/Triumph-Boulevard-and-SR-92-Lehi-UT/
4. Traverse Ridge Center II ( 2015? ) 6-story building
http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/Looplink/Profile/Profile.aspx?LID=17751402&STID=CB0003&LL=true
5. Ridge Office Park ( 2014? ) Group of 4 story buildings
http://www.cityfeet.com/cont/ForLease/LN18764729/3200-North-Triumph-Boulevard-Lehi-UT-84043
6. Hyatt Hotel ( 2014? ) Floors unknown, can't find any renderings
7. Traverse Heights ( ???? ) 6 story office buildings + 4 story 135 room hotel
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/18248417/4205-N-Chapel-Ridge-Rd-Lehi-UT/
8. IASIS Healthcare ( 2014 ) 3-story building
http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/lehi/new-hospital-breaks-ground-in-lehi/article_5a2da664-4e2d-5bd8-a315-0ee91c857aa0.html
9. the corporate center xactware ( 2013-on going ) Xactware building 4-stories with more office buildings planned I'm sure.
http://www.siliconslopes.com.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Xactware-building.jpg
10. Hilton Garden Inn ( ???? ) Floors unknown, was shown on the big map near UCCU

I'm sure there's more, but that's all the time I have to look up these project. If there's any more that I missed or more info on the one's already listed feel free to add on to this list.

Thanks for the update! I have to say there is much more to come in Lehi but I cannot say yet! Also a little additional info on some of the current projects: the Traverse Hyatt Place will be 4 floors and the elevations look similar to the Hyatt at Gateway. The Traverse Ridge Center II is already approved but they are choosing to go back through with a revised plan to include structured parking. I saw the permit plans for the UCCU building and from the main ground level (above the parking garage) to the highest point is 118' which makes it the new tallest in Lehi! This is 18' taller than the Outlets sign. One building that is under construction that's not on the list is the smaller 3 story Mountain View Office Plaza. Here is a picture from yesterday of the progress on that (also the original rendering):

http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt257/mikeedwardwest/MountainViewOfficePlaza7914.jpg (http://s617.photobucket.com/user/mikeedwardwest/media/MountainViewOfficePlaza7914.jpg.html)

http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt257/mikeedwardwest/CrowshawBuilding.jpg (http://s617.photobucket.com/user/mikeedwardwest/media/CrowshawBuilding.jpg.html)

Once I hear more I'll post!

[Highrise_Mike]

One thing to add too that is not shown on that map of Lehi is the office that will be on the site to the northwest of the I-15 and 2100 N interchange. Probably a campus of some 4 story building similar in style to Lehi Station and Thanksgiving Center.

[SLC Projects]

Thanks for the added info Mike. Do you work for Lehi City? Crazy to think that there's "much more to come in Lehi" then what I already had listed. I know you can't go into details, but with everything going in with more to come, should we expect anything taller then four-six stories? Could we expect to see more development around 100FT plus like UCCU? Or should we expect more shorter buildings around four stories?

Crazy that the UCCU building will be taller then the Outlet sign that so many people we up in arms about. Maybe once that building is finish that sign won't stick out as much.