Provo MSA Development Thread

[SmilingBob]

We rented in Salt Lake City and West Valley City for four years before we bought our house, and never had any problems like that. Low rents, nice places, good landlords, nice enough neighbors...

I think it is a Provo/BYU thing.

*shudder*

It's a BYU thing. Single students must live in BYU approved housing, and this is part of what BYU does to manage the housing.

This stems from BYU's honor code that students sign to attend. To be listed as approved housing buildings must be seperated boys in one building and girls in another. I've even seen buildings will walls built in the walkways seperating the boys from the girls. You cannot have girls in one apartment and boys in the unit next door. They say this is in the "best interest of the students", but I think it is about control and $$$$$$$$$$$.
BYU also sets up curfews, rules that a person of the opposite sex cannot go into your bedroom, etc.

Overall I think the housing people have good intentions, but these rules make one feel like a 6 year old. Where else can you rent out just a bed for $300, not the whole apartment?

Now, if you are not a BYU student you can find great housing and affordable rates in Utah Valley even in Provo.

[SLCforme]

All of the above mentioned about BYU Housing is insaine! Man I am happy to be living in a State where Tenants are treated with some dignity and respect and we actually have RIGHTS! OMG How do you guys do it? Or better yet how does BYU get away with such crazy landlording?

How's this I gain 20/25% of my monthly rent in the form of "Equity" which I can in turn apply toward a NEW Home purchase with local developers when I am ready to purchase a home. My rent is 1K a month for just under 1200 sq feet, 2bdrm 2bath, I have been with the "Program" for almost 5 years. And get this I almost have 20K in Equity that I can apply to a NEW HOME PURCHASE!!! Beat that...........

Oh and BTW this program/apartment company is Nationwide, however not in Utah and judging from the way BYU Has Utah County on Lockdown I can see why, SUCKERS!!! Or should I say sucks 4 Ya'll U-Tawns... Oh hey guys good luck with that BYU Housing thingy, have you ever considered CU Boulder. ;)

That sounds like a great program, I would love to have something like that going on. Do you know why the program isn't in Utah? BYU is not the only institution in the state, and I'm sure many of us up here at the U of Utah would love to take advantage of a program like that.

And Please, PLEASE don't confuse BYU with the rest of us. I'm an SLC resident, U of U grad student, and you couldn't pay me enough to live on BYUs campus. It's a different world down there, different and controlling... confounding. (no offense to Provoites, it's just not my cup o' tea, as they say).

[Wasatch_One]

:previous:

That's not the worst of it. I'm in the "on-campus system" so although it's not really any cheaper or more expensive than off-campus private housing, BYU actually maintains it, which is nice. As opposed to those living in the Glenwood who had their complex remodeled WHILE people occupied in it. ('Scuse me sir, I gotta remove that sheet of drywall," etc.)

But where I'm at, I pay about $300/mo. There are two to a room, and three rooms....

Basically, it's a 3 bedroom, one bath apartment that rents for $1800/mo.

See why I hate high density housing? No wonder there's surburban sprawl. All the college grads learn to hate getting shafted by landlords. :haha:


Well, not to defend a lot of the BYU housing (cause you paint a fairly accurate picture of how they cram lots of people in to old apts)

...but, thats kind of your fault. I live in an awesome ~2400 sq. ft. townhouse about a mile from BYU. I have 3 roomates and I pay $350 for my own room w/ garage space.

You need to research your options better my friend :banana:

Provo city has been working pretty hard over the past 5-7 years (starting with SCAMP) to organize the haphazard previous student developments in the city.

Now I do feel that BYU student housing may raise in price a bit because of the spacific area where the kids have to live now. But I think by consolidating the student housing, it will better the community creating improved neighborhoods around the downtown core for families that will actually buy houses and take care of them.

[DevdogAZ]

Part of the problem with rental amounts in the BYU-approved area is that property values have skyrocketed along with rents. Basically, anything that is rentable to single students is valued at it's rentable amount, not at it's actual value as a house. So a 2 BR/2 BA condo that can be rented to 4 students at $300 ea. is suddenly worth roughly the amount that a $1200 mortgage payment will get you, not what a normal, comparable condo in Orem or other parts of Provo is worth.

When I was at BYU, I bought a townhouse and lived in the basement while I rented out the other two bedrooms to four other guys. This was in about 1996, and I had to charge $270 back then just to cover my expenses. It was a little high at the time, but it was pretty close to campus (7th N./1st E.). Considering 10 years has passed and real estate has gone up quite a bit in the last few years, I'm surprised rents aren't higher than $300 per person.

[delts145]

BYU will raise prices on football tickets

BYU will raise prices on football tickets
By Patrick Kinahan
The Salt Lake Tribune

Article Last Updated: 02/16/2007 12:35:12 AM MST


PROVO - To help offset the costs of repairing LaVell Edwards Stadium, Brigham Young's administration has announced plans to raise the prices of football tickets for next season.
Season tickets will go up across the board, starting with a $6 increase for end zone seats. The biggest increase is $110 for suites.
Built in 1964 for $1.5 million, the stadium was expanded to 65,000 in 1982. It has had several upgrades over the last 25 years.
Several improvements have taken place the last two years, including refurbished elevators, replacing west-side chair seats and adding bathrooms. Among the future projects are new field lighting, various structural repairs, repainting the stands and refurbishing the visiting locker room.
End-zone season tickets start at $96. The most expensive tickets, for Legacy members on the east side, were raised $100 to $1,100.

[wrendog]

they raised the prices but they are still a freakin' bargain compared to most schools.. 1 dollar per game for endzone seats.. whoopedeedoo.. I'm still going!

[delts145]

Micron makeover — Once-dead project flashes to life

By Brice Wallace
Deseret Morning News
LEHI — The "Death Star" is teeming with life.

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Keith Johnson, Deseret Morning News
A joint venture between Micron and Intel has turned long-empty Lehi facility into a bustling hive of engineers, production employees, contractors and others working on a scale unprecedented in Utah's history.

LEHI — The "Death Star" is teeming with life. So-called by employees for years because of its huge, dark and foreboding rooms, tunnels and hallways that lay mostly empty, the buildings that are home to IM Flash Technologies now are a bustling hive of engineers, production employees, contractors and others working on a scale unprecedented in the state's history.
That activity is in stark contrast to what for years served as a massive monument to the foibles of the marketplace. Started in the late 1990s for Micron Technology to produce computer chips, the seven-building Lehi complex saw construction halted when the chip market sank. Dreams of the $1.3 billion plant employing about 3,500 people — which Micron said in 1995 it someday would — instead morphed into 2.3 million square feet of dormancy. Micron was able to move some chip-testing operations there, but, at tops, it had only 500 workers — nothing to sneeze at, but far short of those initial projections.
Already working to produce NAND flash memory, IM Flash is, to a major degree, finally fulfilling the giant structure's promise. About 3,000 contractors are toiling to complete the build-out of 60 percent of the complex's total space, about 1,200 employees of what will be nearly 2,000, have been hired, and the company is halfway through an initial $2 billion, two-year capital investment.
While implementing cold, hard precision technology to process products with subatomic characteristics, IM Flash already has spawned some amazing intangibles statewide: pride, relief and excitement among Utahns at various levels with its embodiment of the power of hope, faith and persistence.
"From my vantage point, this could be the single largest positive development for the state's economy as we move into the future as we've seen in some time," said David Simmons, chairman of the Governor's Office of Economic Development Board, which a year ago approved a tax-rebate incentive that could reach $15 million to lure the IM Flash operations.

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Keith Johnson, Deseret Morning News
Pipe fitters William Moore, left, and Max Larsen are busy at work at the IM Flash plant, a 2.3 million-square-foot complex east of the I-15 freeway.

"It's exciting to see. I'm not aware of another project done in the state of Utah that has the size and consequence that this has, at least during this last decade. In many ways, it's (the) equivalent of what it must have been to have Geneva Steel built."
Richard Nelson, president and chief executive officer of the Utah Technology Council, recalled attending the facility's groundbreaking and the "great hope" of high-end technology jobs. "Finally," he said, "this is a case of building it, and they eventually will come."

An inside look
It's all happened in a relative flash, as it were, since IM Flash was formed just a little more than a year ago as a joint venture between Intel and Micron. The companies at that time named Lehi as the IM Flash corporate headquarters.
Although the final products are miniscule, the facility's interior space is colossal. Just the huge "spine," a connecting hallway running the length of the buildings and big enough for a semitrailer truck to drive through with ease, would dwarf most of the state's manufacturing facilities.
Contrasts abound. Engineers work in conference rooms or a whisper-quiet room of 400 cubicles, while other parts of the building are a cacophony of construction. Some parts of the huge buildings remain, for now, exposed concrete, gravel, dirt and steel, while other portions shine with fresh paint and carpeting. Gleaming-white hallways indicate clean-room areas, but construction workers, clad in protective gear to keep all sorts of human and construction "debris" from contaminating fabrication operations, labor nearby. Millions of dollars in equipment, thousands of workers, miles of hallways hopping with people, and yet a speck of dust is Enemy No. 1.

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IM Flash Technologies
The buildings that are home to IM Flash Technologies, the once-intended Micron facility in Lehi, are a bustling hive of employees.

"They're building out the site and building a fab, and we've also already started production," IM Flash spokeswoman Laurie Bott said. "We have all three of those functions happening at the same time."
"This project has been one of the most aggressive, where we've overlapped the construction process with the attempt to begin the production process," said Scott McLain, in charge of construction.
Construction is expected to continue for about another year. About 60 sophisticated tools are being added each month, each costing between $1 million and $28 million and about $300,000 just to install.

Coming out
The tools and employees are busy producing 12-inch wafers, each containing about 300 fingernail-size die (lay people would call them "chips") of NAND flash memory that will be used in consumer electronics, removable storage and handheld communication devices such as mobile handsets, digital audio players, digital cameras and GPS navigation devices.
Around-the-clock shifts will eventually churn out up to 2,000 wafers per day. The company expects to have a ceremony this week to mark the first wafer out of the plant. All products will go to Micron and Intel to market, although Apple worked out a deal to get $500 million of inventory.
Lehi is one of only two plants in the country, the other being in Virginia, producing NAND flash.
"This plant is being developed to compete on a global scale with Samsung and Toshiba, as well as other competitors," Bott said. "And NAND flash is going to affect anyone who has an iPod, a security system, digital camera, video camera or car computer because of no moving parts, portable power and memory."
But processing NAND flash is no simple task. Each wafer goes through 400 to 500 processing steps, sometimes going through one of the high-tech tools up to 100 times. The steps can take as little as 10 minutes or up to six hours.

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Keith Johnson, Deseret Morning News
Pipe fitter Danny Weaver works in the sub-fab level of the IM Flash Technologies plant.

"You want to reduce the entire process to within 30 days," said Todd Mathews, in charge of fabrication. "That's the name of the game, to do it as fast as you possibly can, while also reacting to process shifts and changes."
Early next year, Mathews said, the company will be able to produce 3.4 million die each week. Workers put down layers of materials and components on each die, each having about 64 access points.
"You need an electron microscope," Mathews said, to see details on the die. "You're dealing with things on a subatomic level, so it's really pretty fascinating."

Delayed exuberance
Observers keeping an eye on the long-empty facility year after year likely would not have described that process as "fascinating." But they're armed with lots of adjectives now.
"It's taken many more years than we initially anticipated, and it's for a slightly different purpose than originally planned, and with a joint venture instead of Micron doing it alone," Simmons said. "But what a wonderful, amazing development it is, with an enormous impact in so many ways, from direct employment to all the industry benefits associated with a plant of this kind and the kind of skilled positions that are needed."
IM Flash is "a fantastic success story that is just now starting to unfold," Nelson said.
"Hiring 2,000 employees in such a short period of time is unheard of in the state, especially with high-paying jobs and a good percentage being engineers," he said. "This is an ideal use for the billion-dollar facility they built many years ago. And it's clearly a long-term commitment to Utah."
But Simmons acknowledges that in the past he wondered if today's activities would ever materialize.

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Keith Johnson, Deseret Morning News
IM Flash Technologies analytical chemists Gabrielle Holladay, left, and Larry Weston analyze data for their products at the Lehi plant. "I think everyone had doubts. As was the case with so many developments in the high-tech industry, you live or die by what is happening in the market, and the market changes so rapidly that you're forced to make decisions that have substantial financial impact and may end up later quite different from what you planned," he said.
"Yeah, no question, there was a lot of doubt in a lot of folks' minds as to what would become of this facility, recognizing that Micron had made a substantial investment but at the same time that market conditions were such that they may never find a way to get a return on what had initially been put into the ground."
Those market changes are hitting Micron again, as Mike Sadler, the company's head of sales, told analysts earlier this month that a collapse in the price of NAND chips due to an industry glut has created a "horrible situation" for the company.
But Micron is still moving forward with its Lehi plans, and those involved in the project remain optimistic.
Stan Lockhart, now government affairs manager for IM Flash, served in a similar role for Micron and was the information point man for journalists, politicos and others inquiring about the plant's status and future. Constantly reminding people that Micron had 500 people working at the facility, he now says it's "easier" to discuss the current ratcheting-up of employment and production.
"It's a great day, not only for IM Flash but for the state of Utah," he said. "We've been working on this now for close to 12 years, and it has become, for me, ... just a matter of having faith and having faith in the ability of Micron and now IM Flash to do what they wanted to do from the very beginning. Because market conditions are so important to the ability of a company to expand, you know, we just had to rely on faith.
"There have been upturns and downturns, and through it all, we've just done the very best we could to create an environment in the state of Utah to allow us to be competitive once we got this facility up and running."

Fulfilling its promise
Available parking spaces near the buildings are scarce, where once there was a sea of emptiness. Construction and chatter echo down hallways. Prospective employees keep filing in, hoping to get a part of the $1.1 billion in salaries the company is expecting to pay over the next decade. Mathews revels in the qualifications of his workers, saying IM Flash has "found a gold vein of technologists."
So different from the scene not so long ago. Mathews recalled that even when chip-testing peaked, it used only 65,000 square feet of space and only one-eighth of the parking area — so open that workers had plenty of room to put up a basketball hoop for pickup games.
"The feeling was difficult from the sense that everything around them was a daily reminder of 'we're not going anywhere, and we're not doing anything,'" he said. "It was all a daily reminder that the potential was always here and that it wasn't coming. From their perspective, they're all extremely excited and so motivated to see this all coming to fruition and see that potential being realized."
For Lockhart, it was a matter of sticking with the vision of what the Lehi facility could be: a base of cutting-edge technology and innovation, a huge capital investment, potential jobs for his children and eventually his grandchildren "and everybody else's in Utah."
"It's been a love affair, and while there have been times when I have been less optimistic than other times, I always had a conviction deep in my heart that Micron, and now IM Flash, would be good for the state and good for Utah County and good for Lehi," he said.
"I think it has been up to now and think it will be for a long time to come."

[delts145]

New edifice to house LDS Philanthropies

By Jeremy Twitchell
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — A fund-raising arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that supports higher education and humanitarian aid is getting new digs in Provo.

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Deseret Morning News graphic

LDS Philanthropies is an organization within the church that is charged with encouraging and facilitating donations to church-sponsored higher education institutions, Humanitarian Services and the Perpetual Education Fund, which provides low-interest loans to students around the world for college and other advanced training.
The organization will be moving to a three-story building planned for construction in a seldom-used parking lot on the northwest side of BYU's campus in Provo, at 1500 N. University Ave.
The building is expected to be operational in spring 2008.
In a statement issued Monday, church officials stressed that funds for the building are coming from within the church and all donations to LDS Philanthropies will continue to be used as designated by the donor.
The new building will house both the professional fund-raising staff as well as BYU Telefund, which employs BYU students to work in a call center and solicit donations from BYU alumni.
In the statement, Bishop Richard C. Edgley of the Presiding Bishopric explained the importance of donations in the church's humanitarian undertakings.
"Whenever I am thanked for what the church, including BYU, does to help people, I respond that it is not really the church, but the millions of members and friends with generous hearts who donate just because they want to help," he said. "Thank you for giving and helping."
The Perpetual Education Fund was established in 2001 by President Gordon B. Hinckley as a way to provide education opportunities for men and women who have served missions for the church, and who may not have other means of obtaining an education.
The fund uses donations from members and friends of the church to provide low-interest loans to students, which are repaid after the student graduates and used to help another student.
The fund is available in 31 countries, and church leaders say they are working to further extend its availability.

[delts145]

:previous:

I'm trying to figure out where exactly this building is being built. From the graphic it would seem like the parking area of Riviera Apts, or would 1500 no. be just south of Riviera in that old UVSC site. WasatchOne, I-215, or anyone know for sure?

[wrendog]

Probably just south of the Riv.. that's my guess

[SmilingBob]

Probably just south of the Riv.. that's my guess

Right now they are east of Riviera Apts., south of the Pizza Hut at 1520 N. Canyon Road. This is in the parking lot of the old UVSC buildings that BYU bought years ago.

Speaking of the old UVSC buildings, when is BYU going to tear them down and build a great looking building there? It's mostly used for storage and seems like a waste of space when BYU is looking for more space for housing.

[delts145]

Speaking of the old UVSC buildings, when is BYU going to tear them down and build a great looking building there? It's mostly used for storage and seems like a waste of space when BYU is looking for more space for housing.

I was just wondering the same thing. Man, something really outstanding could go there. That is one large,very attractivly located piece of property. I would bet they already know what they're going to put there. They are just waiting for the right time.

[delts145]

Spanish Fork/Regional Shopping Center

Spanish Fork OKs shopping center

Council paves the way for deals with retailers

By Jeremy Twitchell
Deseret Morning News
SPANISH FORK — A quorum of the Spanish Fork City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to create a community development project area for 59 acres that include North Park, paving the way for the city to begin converting the land into a regional shopping center.
The center is projected to generate at least $3 million for the city over the first 10 years after its completion, slated for 2009.
"That is one of the driving factors of creating this area," Councilman Matthew Barber said. "That's a lot of money to help offset the cost of the services we provide as a city."
The creation of a CDPA allows the city to reach formal agreements with retailers for the site, which is anticipated to house two big-box stores, three or four smaller stores and a number of smaller retail sites for a projected total of 420,000 square feet of retail space.
Financial advisor Jonnalyne Walker, who has consulted with Spanish Fork on previous projects, presented the findings of a cost-benefit study she prepared to the council at Tuesday's meeting.
The report predicts a lot of green in Spanish Fork's future.
At present, Spanish Fork collects about $3,000 annually in total taxes on the area involved in the North Park CDPA, Walker said. All the tax revenue is from property taxes; there is no retail in the area at present.
According to Walker's study, the city would see an average annual net income of $298,000 from the project once it is completed, based on projections of property tax revenue and the city's share of the sales tax revenue. That figure would mark a 10 percent increase in sales tax income for the city.
But city leaders said Walker's projections are on the extreme conservative end, a "worst-case scenario," as one council member put it. Based on where the city stands each year in the complicated formula the state uses to distribute sales tax to municipalities, Spanish Fork could make up to $6.5 million off the project in the first 10 years.
"To me, this is a much more appealing way to (increase revenues) as opposed to increasing property taxes," said Councilman Wayne Andersen.
The North Park deal has not been without its doubters, however. When the plan was first presented by the city last year, it was met with widespread disapproval from residents who didn't like the way North Park would be redesigned as part of the project — and from residents of a few dozen households that will be displaced by the project.
Tuesday, however, no residents spoke against the plan during the public hearing, and city officials said they had received no written complaints. The only concern raised by residents was over the city offering incentives to potential retailers. But council members said no deals have been reached and any incentive deals will be done in full view of the public.
"We don't like the way the game is played, but we have to play it," Barber said.
Andersen offered a bit of comfort to residents concerned about the incentives deal.
"One thing that's safe to say is we won't give up more than we anticipate getting in," he said.

[delts145]

Provo Canyon Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Scenic tram may be reborn

Scenic tram may be reborn

Bridal Veil owners seek tax bond help from county leaders

By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — Sightseers could soon be taking trips back to the top of Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon if Utah County officials agree to support a plan to resurrect the area's old scenic tram.

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Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning NewsA runner passes the remains of the tram wheelhouse that was ruined by an avalanche in 1996. The owners of Bridal Veil Falls hope to rebuild a tram and resort.

The Grow family, which has owned Bridal Veil Falls since the early 1970s, approached the Utah County Commission on Tuesday with the idea of rebuilding a tram and resort for the falls. But before the Grows can get the project off the ground and get approval, they need to get some money.
Their plan is to ask the County Commission to sponsor a $3.2 million industrial revenue bond that would not tax the interest earned by the bond and would not hold the county financially responsible for paying off the bond. Then, if the county approves the process, the Grows will approach developers and investors — anyone who would be willing to help financially and ask them to buy the bonds and pay off the debt.
"If we can find anybody, anywhere that will buy (the bonds), I think that will solve our finance problem," said Wyatt Grow, who is working with his father, Dave, to get the project approved. "Frankly, I just enjoy the experience that you can only have at Bridal Veil so much that it would be a success in my mind if (the tram) can pay for itself and stay open."
According to Grow, when his family operated the Bridal Veil tram from 1974 until 1996, the attraction usually broke even and occasionally made a profit. It was so well-visited that tourists would sometimes wait two or more hours just to take the ride.
The popular business — known at the time as "the world's steepest tram" — was shut down in 1996 when an avalanche destroyed the cable equipment, concessions stand and wheel house where passengers boarded the tram.
The avalanche was a disaster, but Dave Grow says the result was also a blessing in disguise for the aging tram, which was originally built in 1960.
"In many ways the avalanche did us a favor because it said, 'Guess what? This is history. Kaboom,"' Dave Grow said. "So, now we're excited that it can be re-envisioned today with all of the updates of modern technology."
Since the avalanche, the only reminders of the former tram are some cables, a boarded-over concrete block and a metal building jutting out of the hillside.
Although travelers have continued to ask over the years about the tram and how to take a ride on it, according to Joel Racker, Utah Valley Convention and Visitor's Bureau president, the Grows were never able to gather steam to reclaim the wreckage — until last year.
When Wyatt Grow graduated from college last spring, he spurred his family into trying again.
"I think I'm the fresh energy to get it going," Wyatt Grow said. "We know there is a need in the valley for an affordable but an exciting recreation opportunity. After years of (the tram) lying in ruin ... I think it was just a matter of timing."
The Grows have already completed a $10,000 feasibility study — half of which they hope the county will pay for — of the economic viability of rebuilding the tram. Results of the study will be presented to the county commission on Tuesday.
"I'm interested in seeing what the report shows us," Utah County Commissioner Larry Ellertson said. "I would hope that it would be a positive report and we could make a go of (the project) and it would benefit the community."
Plans for a new tram include a 12-passenger car that will rotate 360 degrees as it heads up the hill for a six-minute ride. At the base of the falls would be a concession stand and at the top would be an observation deck. Ticket costs are estimated to be less than $10.
The base of the tram would also be moved farther from the path of potential avalanches to avoid the same disaster. According to the Grows, the main building will be partly tucked against a hill and triangular in shape, to redirect snow.
"We're very excited about the opportunity to envision and build something the way it should have been in the beginning," Dave Grow said. "We all learn from history."
If the commission approves the bond issuance, Grow says the tram could be back in business by May 2008.

Related Story

Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Plan in works to revive Bridal Veil Falls

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KATE MCNEIL - Daily Herald
UTAH VALLEY IS HOME TO MANY, but to many others, it may just be a pit stop on a Vegas road trip. Orem resident David Grow wants to change that.

Eleven years after an avalanche destroyed an aerial tramway resort at Bridal Veil Falls, Grow and the Utah Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau want to bring the tourist attraction back.

"That waterfall and tram is about Utah County's only chance to stop someone from passing by on I-15," he said. "They're not going to stop at the Dairy Queen in Orem."

At a Utah County Commission meeting on Tuesday, Grow will request a $3.2 million industrial revenue bond to pay for construction of a revitalized Bridal Veil Falls tramway and resort. Investors will repay the bond.

The Grow family has owned 22 acres surrounding the falls since 1974. At the time of Grow's purchase, an aerial tramway, built in 1961, lifted passengers to the top of the 607-foot waterfall. An avalanche destroyed the tram base in 1996, but the mountaintop lookout remains vacant, and vandalized.

The proposed revitalization will build a scenic outlook tucked into the peak of Cascade Mountain, about 300 feet from the original lookout. The deck will be five times larger than the previous resort and also act as a hiker's gateway to the Cascade Mountain forest, riddled with wild raspberries in the summertime.

The new tram, once heralded as the world's steepest aerial tramway, will lift 12 passengers from a gift shop at the base nearby the existing parking lot off U.S. Highway 189. It would run from May to October.

"It's really not a rebuilding of Bridal Veil, it's a reinvention of a resort at a proven popular location," Grow said.

Grow thinks the resort revitalization will attract many summer tourists: "Think about it, they go spend an afternoon at the falls and chances are a Utah Valley business will feed them that night and a Utah Valley hotel will house them that night."

The $3.2 million bond will pay for the tram construction, which will be spearheaded by a nonprofit entity, Scenic Canyons Preservation Society. If the bond is granted, Denver-based Outdoor Engineers and Austrian architect Oswald Graber will construct the resort, planned to open in 2008.

When it comes to building restrooms, food facilities and the gift shop, Grow estimates the cost will be more like $5 million. Grow said he is also considering having a fine restaurant at the resort: "We are really open to the idea of a sit-down restaurant. But you only get one shot at that. We're hoping that some really fine operator will look into it."

Grow's son, Wyatt, a project contributor, said once the resort is complete, the lookout point could be used for community dances and other events.

As far as the unavoidable avalanche danger in Provo Canyon, Grow said he is confident in today's construction technology to build a sound structure. The old building was made of timber and concrete, he said. The new building will be tucked in a hill, farther away from the avalanche path, and constructed with heavy reinforced concrete.

"We'll be prepared to have a few windows blown out every few years though," he said.

In September, the Grow family and the visitors bureau received a $5,000 grant from the Utah Department of Community and Economic Development to conduct a feasibility study of the resort rebuild. Lewis, Young, Robertson and Burningham, a Salt Lake municipal securities firm, will present the feasibility study at the commissioners' meeting Tuesday.

"We hope these elected officials will sense the considerable contribution to the quality of life for our local people and the entertainment value for our visitors that this resort will bring," Grow said.

Kate McNeil can be reached at 344-2549 or kmcneil@heraldextra.com.

Included features in Bridal Veil Falls resort plan

Scenic outlook about 300 nfeet from original lookout

Deck, which will also serve as a gateway to the Cascade Mountain forest

12-passenger tram, operating May-October

Gift shop

Other amenities such as restrooms and food establishments

[delts145]

Lehi, Main Street to get facelift


CATHY ALLRED - North County Staff
Pedestrian tunnels, large parks, a TRAX station are a few of the improvements mapped out for a historic State Street core in Lehi.

The City Council unanimously OK'd adoption of Landmark Design's downtown revitalization master plan at its Feb. 13 meeting.

The adoption will permit a Downtown Lehi Conservation District north of Main Street where more than 400 homes are located and some 100 business buildings 50 years or older, many built in the 19th century.

Passage of the plan also establishes a downtown residential business zone.

"I think primarily this is the guideline to supplement the master plan," Councilman Mark Johnson said. He spearheaded the initial study and made the motion to approve the plan as a guideline to be used by the city.

An "attractive" boulevard on State Street, Center Street as a green link between State and Main streets, and building additional parks and greenways in the downtown area are some of the recommendations presented.

"That doesn't mean where we see buildings gone, that it has to be gotten rid of," said Mark Vlasic, Landmark Design vice president. "We take those opportunities as they present themselves and we run with it."

Classic said the purpose of the almost year-long study was to take a critical look at downtown Lehi to establish a vision that would help preserve the downtown history and character of what was the heart the community.

"We had to take a critical look at transportation issues and that is what drove the rest of the plan," he said. "The plan is predicated on those (transportation) improvements happening."

The study area included the neighborhood east of 500 West to I-15, south to 200 South and north to the freeway.

Pedestrians tunnels are shown on the map under I-15 and State Street with a large park spilling over from Dry Creek Regional Park north of the freeway south to Lehi Elementary School and a TRAX station and line in what is called the State Street Historic core. Trees and other traffic calming devices line the boulevard on Center Street joining the historic core with the Main Street district.

"Now we have a plan to follow which we haven't had before," Mark Johnson said. "We can focus on some of the quality issues. I know some of the merchants down there have been looking forward to this."

[delts145]

Highland

Thursday, February 22, 2007
Highland wants consistency with sign ordinance


CHRISTIE DALLEY - North County Staff
In an on-going process, the Highland Planning Commission got a little closer to the completion of a sign ordinance on Feb. 13.

The ordinance would be applied not only to the new Highland Marketplace but also to the Town Center across the street. The stipulation of having both a wall sign as well as a monument sign for any business closer than 50 feet from the road was considered.

The businesses farther back would also be listed on free-standing signs which could be between 18 and 20 feet high including the base. There would be one of these signs on each of the two major roads for both shopping centers.

Resident Anne Sward Hansen said, "I have seen shopping centers around the country where the signs were consistent, harmonious and tasteful."

Chair Larry Mendenhall said, "I would like to incorporate that in Highland. I do not want Highland's roads to resemble the Las Vegas Strip with neon flashing from huge signs everywhere."

John Montgomery, of Thomas Fox Properties representing the developers of the Highland Marketplace, said, "I do not want to see the signs to even look all hodgepodge like those along State Street in Orem. If we use consistent building materials I don't think the signs will feel as if they are thrown at you. Every business has a right to a sign on two sides. If there is harmony plus consistency it will make it possible to accept more signs than you believe you wanted. We just need signage not advertisements for businesses."

However, Commissioner Bruce Dixon noted since the ordinance includes the Town Center the materials may vary there.

Commissioner Brian Braithwaite said, "We need to be consistent on both sides of the road."

The ordinance will get another hearing at the next commission meeting.

COMMUNITY NOTES

Highland

Alpine Credit Union gets approval -- An Alpine Credit Union will soon be added to the growing Town Center in Highland. Located at 10825 N. Alpine Highway it will be the second credit union in the city.

The credit union president Jay Stokes said there would be no conflict between the two institutions. "The Utah Community Credit Union, UCCU, was started to serve those who were affiliated with Brigham Young University," he said. "They expanded and got a federal charter so they can serve anyone in the entire state. We were originally chartered as a credit union for those who worked at the Alpine School District and have only expanded our original charter to include Utah County residents. We are a consumer-based organization. We do not issue construction loans and we service any loans we make. We do not sell them. The UCCU and the Alpine Credit Union each have their own niche."

He said one fifth of the 5000 members of the credit union live in the Highland-Alpine area so even though there is a credit union on East State Street in American Fork this one is needed and will be beneficial to Highland.

Concerns about the landscaping, signs and lighting were discussed. The Highland Planning Commission recommended on Feb. 13 a conditional use permit be granted.

[wrendog]

so, reading that Lehi article, I have a question about TRAX in utah county. Is light rail something that has been talked about in UC? Did they just mess up and mean a commuter rail station? It seems many people think commuter rail and TRAX are the same thing...

[delts145]

^^^

You're right Wrendog, they often do confuse the two. In that particular instance at Lehi involving the historic area around State Street, "TRAX,Light Rail" is the correct term. Both TRAX and Commuter Rail are slated for Utah County. Maybe I-215 can post a map of the two proposed lines. LOL Actually, you probably already know and are just being polite.

[wrendog]

the only instance of TRAX i have seen is a spur from Draper down to the Gehry project in Lehi.. I didn't know there was talk of and actual light rail system in UC though..

[delts145]

Big-D wins pact to build Cannon Center at BYU

Big-D Construction announced it has won the contract to build the BYU Cannon Center.
The $15 million, 45,000-square-foot building will serve as the dining facility for students and faculty at Helaman Halls at Brigham Young University. Construction began this month, and completion is expected in 24 months.

[i-215]

:previous:

Oh! So that explains why they shrunk the parking area. I used to drive across campus to eat because I was lazy, but now I walk because they tore out a huge parking lot next to the existing Cannon Center. I figured they were probably just re-constructing the parking lot.... but a whole new Cannon Center will be cool.

As for the DT site, they've taken down the demolition barrier fence, and I walked on the site, which is still oretty muddy. Doesn't look like they're going to do anything with it anytime soon.

[delts145]

:previous:

Oh! So that explains why they shrunk the parking area. I used to drive across campus to eat because I was lazy, but now I walk because they tore out a huge parking lot next to the existing Cannon Center. I figured they were probably just re-constructing the parking lot.... but a whole new Cannon Center will be cool.

As for the DT site, they've taken down the demolition barrier fence, and I walked on the site, which is still oretty muddy. Doesn't look like they're going to do anything with it anytime soon.

215, So have they finished taking down the towers and are just waiting for Spring now?
I have a lot of great Summer memories of the Cannon Center when I was a kid. Great youth conference experiences.

[DevdogAZ]

I think one of the previous articles posted said that the rest of DT won't be taken down until after this semester (or possibly even after summer terms). Has anyone seen any plans for what they're going to put in its place, when construction will start, and how long it will take?

[i-215]

That's the disappointing part. They have no plans to replace anything on the DT site. I'm sure they have something on their minds, but aren't saying. They've demolished most of the hold houses between the Marriott Center and campus, near DT, so I think something will be announced soon, although I get the feeling it probably won't be housing on that site. I think they'll build new housing on the 800 North parking lots, and probably replace those lots with new lots on the DT site, at least that's my theory. Most classes are on the south end of campus anyway, so why not put the housing down there?

[delts145]

UVSU

UVSC eager to make switch to a university


Legislation now awaits Huntsman's signature

By Erin Stewart and Laura Hancock
Deseret Morning News
Utah Valley State College students already had Utah Valley University T-shirts on Tuesday afternoon, just minutes after a vote by the Senate clinched the fate of the Utah County school.

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3860283.jpg
Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning News
UVSC students walk past a mural with the school's name, which is set to change to Utah Valley University in 2008.

A bill to transform the college into a master's degree university passed out of the Legislature with a unanimous vote Tuesday in the House and concurring vote in the Senate. The bill now awaits the governor's signature.
"It's exciting for students. For university to be on our diploma helps everyone," said senior Andrew Stone, student body president at UVSC. "We now have a diploma that reflects the education that we received."
SB70 changes UVSC into UVU on July 1, 2008, with about $8 million to back up that switch. That's $2 million less than the $10 million in ongoing funds that school leaders estimate they need to become a full-fledged university.
"We still have a $2 million shortfall, but this gives us the green light to go ahead as a university," UVSC President William Sederburg said.
Sederburg added that he originally expected the bill to take two years to get passed. Making the move now, however, helps students to get that university label on their diploma sooner, he said.
"It sets students at a disadvantage to have the word college instead of university on their degree," he said. "University is the standard throughout the country and the world."
UVU would be a Type II institution, initially offering up to four master's degrees in high-demand areas such as education and nursing. The university would continue to offer two-year degrees and an expanded array of bachelor's degrees and would be on par with other state schools such as Weber State University and Southern Utah University.
"Even with this funding, it is still the most efficient educating institution we have in Utah," said Rep. David Clark, R-Santa Clara.
Clark added UVU would continue to focus on its two-year degrees and operate as a "lean, mean, educating machine."
The move to make UVSC a university faced little opposition this session, except for a few initial concerns over whether the school would lose its unique mission as a comprehensive community college.
Rep. Stephen Clark, R-Provo, said that mission needs to change to keep up with the changing economic needs and educational demands in Utah County. As Brigham Young University becomes more internationally focused, Utah County's students are often left with few alternatives, he said.
"This is going to provide opportunities for young people to graduate with a university diploma from a great school that will continue to grow and is going to fulfill the needs for young people all over the state," said Stephen Clark, who called SB70 a "momentous and historic bill."
Sederburg said the real work now begins at UVSC to become a university. About $1.1 million of the $8 million state investment would go towards new graduate degrees, with the remainder strengthening current undergraduate offerings, he said. The school also needs to pare down its reliance on adjunct faculty, increase advisers and lessen the teaching load of full-time faculty.
The campus will celebrate its new status when Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. visits March 19 to ceremoniously sign the bill, college spokeswoman Megan Laurie said.
On campus Tuesday, students voiced support for the school's new status.
"I think it'll open opportunities for people who want to stay local but don't want to go to BYU," said Valeria Garcia, a sophomore studying community health. "They (now) have to travel to the U."
The word "university" will "look better on my transcript," said Blaine Awerkamp, a sophomore studying health.
Nancy Rushforth, a professor of humanities and integrated studies, hopes the $8 million will be used to hire more full-time faculty.
"We were concerned about getting the status without the funding," Rushforth said. "That will put us in the position of getting a task without the possibility of achieving it."
UVSC's budget director Linda Makin said the goal with the $8 million is to reduce the number of adjunct faculty from 50 percent to 46 percent.
"To do that we'll be hiring about 60 new salaried faculty," Makin said.
Surveys have shown that many Utahns do not know UVSC offers bachelor's degrees. The word "university" attached to the name will reduce such ambiguity, said Brian Whaley, an English and literature professor.
"I think it's an exciting moment to be part of this place as it's in transformation," Whaley said.

[DevdogAZ]

So does this mean I can change UVSC on my resume to UVU? ;)

(As if I list my jr. college attendance on my resume.)

[delts145]

So does this mean I can change UVSC on my resume to UVU? ;)

(As if I list my jr. college attendance on my resume.)

Ya know though Devdog, as funny as that sounds you bring up an excellent point. :yes: HMMMMMMM ?.........

[delts145]

Thanksgiving Point to build $20M children's museum

Thursday, February 22, 2007
Thanksgiving Point to get $20M museum PDF | Print | E-mail


CATHY ALLRED - North County Staff
Thanksgiving Point will be adding a man-made, indoor rainforest, a sailing ship and kid-sized town to it's list of attractions.

All three are slated to be part of a $20 million, 30,000-square-foot children's museum which will be build next to the Children's Discovery Garden.

"The vision of Thanksgiving Point has long included plans for a Children's Museum," said Mike Washburn, Thanksgiving Point Institute CEO, when he shared plans for the museum with the Lehi Area Chamber of Commerce at a Feb. 6 meeting.

Jennifer Stevens, institute director of development, will oversee developing the museum project, Washburn said.

"Jennifer's experience in fundraising will be crucial as we begin funding and developing this resource for our community," he said in a press release.

Part of the fundraising has already begun. An anonymous donor from American Fork gave an undisclosed amount to make it possible to begin the project, Washburn said. The institute will be seeking more donations to help facilitate project construction.

But while Washburn is talking about the project, he said he isn't ready to announce anything yet.

"We are making a quiet, quiet announcement," he said. "We still have the fundraising to do."

He did tell the Chamber of Commerce members that the target age for the nonprofit venue will be from 3 to 12 years old. Architect Frank Ferguson is designing the building.

"There will be a 'Waterworks Voyage' in the museum with a sailing ship and lots of opportunity to get wet," Washburn said. "The Kidopolis Life' will allow them to be a firefighter, a banker, a construction worker, a myriad of careers."

A three-story-high tree as part of a manmade rainforest with lots of jumping and climbing for children will be another of the museum attractions, he said, adding that the new children's museum will complement the institute's existing North American Museum of Ancient Life museum.

He said the Thanksgiving Point Institute hopes to have the museum open sometime in 2010. The overall reaction to his announcement at the Chamber meeting was positive.

"I thought it was fantastic, a wonderful thing for families to do that is right in our back yard," Chris Belcher, Lehi Area Chamber chair, said. "I see it as bringing people from around the state to the city and as a result more restaurants would evolve, more gas stations, more exposure to local businesses."

[jedikermit]

:previous:

Cool...the Thanksgiving Point Gardens, Farm Country, and Museum of Ancient Life are already three of the best things around for kids--we've made it a point to go down there every year for the last three years or so. If this museum is up to those same high standards, it'll be fantastic.

Hope it's done before my boys are too old to go!

[wrendog]

30,000 sq ft doesn't seem that big. Is it?

I know Thanksgiving Pointe has a TON of land. Does anybody know what their master plan is?

[delts145]

:tup: Wal-Mart redesigned to fit Cedar Hills

By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret Morning News
CEDAR HILLS — City Council and Planning Commission members met Tuesday to look at changes to the proposed Wal-Mart in Cedar Hills — and so far, they like what they see.

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/mart030207.jpg
Deseret Morning News graphic

After a meeting last week during which planning commissioners essentially said they didn't like the exterior design of the proposed 123,000-square-foot supercenter, the project's architect, Mary Kell, regrouped and came back with some hand-sketched changes.
"This is the nicest Wal-Mart in Utah," said Kell, who works for BSW International, an architecture and engineering firm.
That also means the store probably won't be the cheapest Wal-Mart has ever built in Utah, either. Kell's sketches feature cupolas, canopies and concrete quoins with a slate roof and brick exterior.
The look is unusual for a Wal-Mart, and even Shell MacPherson of Pacland, the development company in charge of creating the project, said he was surprised Wal-Mart was willing to make the changes.
"This is really Wal-Mart's way of reaching out to your community," MacPherson told council and commission members on Tuesday. "I was quite shocked that they were willing to take a step beyond where we were ... Thursday night. They were telling us, 'No more,' so we're happy to be here tonight to present this and say that they're on board."
After a four-hour discussion last Thursday, during which planning commissioners discussed how the project could be better, both groups voiced their positive opinions on Tuesday.
"Architecturally, (the building) has a little bit of a different look to it," Councilman Jim Perry said. "We have a colonial theme going down there (in that part of town), and the new look on the sketches just fits the colonial theme better and it gives it even more of an upscale, high-end look. That just seemed to really hit the nail on the head as far as what we were looking for."
Perry said Kell left the meeting on Thursday and studied more colonial architecture so she could alter the building's appearance. The project received a preliminary approval from the Planning Commission, but the approval was subject to updating the exterior to be more colonial.
The building is proposed to be on a plot of land between Redwood Drive and 4800 West. Some residents in the area have raised concerns about the building's size and potential traffic congestion and are skeptical of the project.
One resident in the audience called the meeting a "lovefest," although council members did say they would wait to voice the extent of their opinions on the project until the proposal is an item on the City Council agenda.
The City Council will have a public hearing on Wal-Mart at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, at 3925 W. Cedar Hills Drive, Cedar Hills. A public hearing on businesses that will be located next to Wal-Mart will take place at 7 p.m. this Tuesday at 3925 W. Cedar Hills Drive in Cedar Hills.

[delts145]

http://www.uvsc.edu/images_homepage/campus_shot2.jpg

UVSC preps for 2008 university status


KATE MCNEIL - Daily Herald
So, UVSC, what are you going to do now that you've got university status and $10 million from philanthropist Ira Fulton?

Well, for one it's definitely not going to Disneyland. Until its status becomes official (July 1, 2008) the little college that could will be hard at work, approving graduate degrees, recycling lots and lots of business cards and updating its Wikipedia entry.

The Legislature unanimously approved the name change on Tuesday to Utah Valley University, and along with that, $8 million to fund the change. After the bill passed the House, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. committed to UVSC administrators that he will sign the bill into law on UVSC's campus at 11:30 a.m. on March 19 , said Cameron Martin, chairman of the University Transition Task Force.

As part of the transition, Martin has drafted a document of nine guiding principles outlining UVSC's big switch to help answer community questions.

His two most frequent questions: Will my tuition go up now that I go to a university? ("We are not going to raise tuition dramatically next year. Students are already paying a university tuition, Martin said.) And, is UVSC still committed to open enrollment and two-year programs? ( "Absolutely, we are still a community college serving the region," he answered.)

"As much as this represents change, things won't change," Martin said. "We are who we are. We are an institution dedicated to student success. That is our core mission and that will be our core mission."

Martin said there's something "really scary" about the switch: "When we change our name to university there will be some who think, well, I can't go to a university. We are still this region's community college. We are completely dedicated to the two-year mission and the open enrollment. We are and we will be."

Senate President John R. Valentine, R-Orem, said he saw UVSC as a university long before it became one. "I was just excited," he said. "(Wednesday) was such a great day."

In 1993, Valentine spoke to the state board of regents and gave what he called his "dream" speech. "If you build a state college, they will come," he said. And so with Valentine's legislative efforts, Utah Valley Community College became Utah Valley State College in 1997.

A few years later, Valentine could see a change in Brigham Young University's role in Utah. The private LDS school was looking outside of Utah and the United States for it's students, leaving Utah County high school graduates behind.

Enter Senate Bill 70, and now Utah Valley University -- Valentine's vision actualized.

But many questions remain about what the transition will be like. President William Sederburg has the answers tomorrow at a "What's next for UVSC?" discussion on UVSC's campus.

For those who will miss the speech, here's a rough outline of major points that will be discussed:

A graduate of UVSC (or Central Utah Vocational School, Utah Trade Technical Institute, Utah Technical College at Provo or Utah Valley Community College for that matter) will be reissued a diploma with Utah Valley University on it, if they wish.

T-shirts and sweatshirts are not legal documents, so students can get their UVU hoodies soon. As far as business cards and official documents, that will wait until July 1, 2008.

The earliest a graduate degree will be offered is the fall of 2008, but will most likely be after that.

Tuition will not be significantly raised, neither will it be used to fund the switch to university status.

A university image committee has been established to find design firms to create the school's new logos.

The legislative act changed UVSC's name and not mission. The mission change must be approved through the board of regents.

Kate McNeil can be reached at 344-2549 or kmcneil@heraldextra.com.

If You Go

What: President Sederburg discusses university status: What happens now?

When: Today, 10 a.m.

Where: Ragan Theater, Sorensen Student Center

[wrendog]

dang.. how many walmarts is that for Utah County now?

Payson, Springville, Orem, PG, Cedar Hills (to be built), AF, Saratoga Springs (to be built)

7 seems like a ton for a metro of 500k...

[DevdogAZ]

I live in Mesa, AZ (pop. 450,000) and we have at least that many (in about 1/10 of the area of Utah Valley), plus several Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market grocery stores.

[wrendog]

well, you are right.. that seems to be the norm.. I just did a quick check on two metros in the MW that are similar to UC in size. Boise has 7 and Colorado Springs has 7. oh and 8 in Mesa, just an FYI.. ;)

[SLC Projects]

Walmart is taking over the world. :worship:

[i-215]

I feel something morally wrong about Wal-Mart....

....until I saw this shirt I'm wearing for $6. And those cassette tapes for $2.97.....

Ugh. So much for "causes."

[SmilingBob]

Walmart is taking over the world. :worship:

The epitome of Suburbia.:hell:

[Wasatch_One]

I feel something morally wrong about Wal-Mart....

....until I saw this shirt I'm wearing for $6. And those cassette tapes for $2.97.....

Ugh. So much for "causes."

Casette tapes? ...people still buy those?

[i-215]

If I'm still "people" than ... yes, there's at least one. (Blank cassettes)

[delts145]

http://www.go-utah.com/UT/images/photos/provo-tb-downtown-2.jpg


NATALIE ANDREWS - Daily Herald
Wanted: That place for young, old and middle aged alike who seek a walkable, shopable community where eateries are close by and entertainment is closer.

Aiming too high? City planners in Provo say not so.

And they aren't building a new multi-use Gateway-style shopping center either. Instead, Paul Glauser, director of the redevelopment agency of Provo said that residents need to look no further than the historic blocks of downtown.

A city-funded study done by Economic Research Associates, or ERA, showed that downtown is anchored by several stable employers -- Nu Skin, the courthouse, and the municipal offices of Provo -- that also attract people to the area. Soon, the performing arts center will do the same.

When people come to downtown, they need to eat -- or maybe it's that they come downtown to eat. Either way, it makes for a balanced diet for business.

Whether it's bagels or sandwiches for lunch in a building that is possibly 100 years old or fine dining at Ottavio's Ristorante Italiano along the street, Glauser said that one focus of the study was dining and retail.

With a performing arts center under construction and a dance club planned -- The Vault is under contract at the Wells Fargo Building -- that pre-entertainment meal may soon have an impact as well.

The study states that dining and retail can be a "chicken and egg" problem with revitalizing downtown. Amenity producing retail and restaurants can't survive without market demand, but they have to create it for each other. Empty store fronts and new stores along University Avenue and Center Street illustrate that.

Still, new stores aren't afraid to try. Rebecca Neely just opened up her dream store, Mode on University Avenue.

It's not a typical mall store, and that's exactly why she chose to locate in the downtown area. She wanted to stand out.

The store boasts character, with baby leg warmers and square plates and a T-shirt bar. They feature local clothing designers.

"People come in all the time and say, 'I do this, would you be interested?' " Neely said of stocking her store. The store stocks vintage clothes as well.

"It's not our style," she said of going to a mall. "Our store is totally unique. You don't find it anywhere else."

Glauser said that's exactly what makes downtown great. He uses the flag store on University Avenue as an example, saying that it's not a typical mall store, but it's great because it's original.

"Here's something that we don't have anywhere else in the county," he said.

But for photographer Bryant Livingston being downtown creates some challenges. He moved his studio to his University Avenue location 13 years ago.

"Downtown was a lot different then than it is now," he said. "It's a hard place to stay in business. The people who survive here are destination businesses."

He said he operates by appointment because people don't shop along the street. And parking is difficult because the curb outside his business is painted red. He wishes the city would advertise that just behind the University Avenue businesses and the Wells Fargo building there are hundreds of free parking stalls.

"There's all kinds of parking, it's just not 15 feet from the door," he said.

Still, he loves the character. He loves that when he looked at property records, he saw that in the 1950s, there was another photographer in his same office.

"These places have character, history," he said.

The long-term goal for the downtown area is to make it accessible for pedestrians, according to the ERA study.

It helps support retail and restaurants alike if a pedestrian is strolling by because one is more likely to stroll into, say the Mode on their way to Los Hermanos, if people see downtown as a pedestrian-friendly area instead of a destination fight-for-the-closest-parking-place area.

And maybe people won't have to worry about parking if all goes as planned. Glauser said the city wants people to live downtown, too. Residential living is one of the factors in the ERA study. Provo is well on it's way, with an estimated 32,000 people living in a one-mile radius of the area.

It's not just university housing either, though Provo compared itself to other college towns in the study, such as Palo Alto, Calif., and Boulder, Colo.

Housing at the Wells Fargo building is all leased or under contract, said David Runells, sales and marketing manager for Prudential CRES.

Glauser said that the housing has attracted the affluent, older crowd. For the most part, he said that those who live downtown are young families and young professionals, according to a study done by Dow Jones and Associates.

"To say we're just going after this demographic or that one is a little bit short sighted," he said.

Now that the study is complete, Glauser said that the city begins marketing the downtown area to businesses, and residents. It's the if-you-build-it the business will come and the pedestrians will follow philosophy. The city hopes to build a convention center to add to the Marriott Hotel and fill in the vacant gaps east of Center Street along University Avenue to keep that "downtown feel."

Natalie Andrews can be reached at 344-2548 or nandrews@heraldextra.com.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1.

[wrendog]

so, is there any news of the huge mall at traverse mountain? The Terrace at Traverse Mountain, I think it is called.. Google only gives me articles from november of 05 when it was announced. Forest City developments was supposed to create this project, but the Terrace is nowhere to be found on their website. This mall was supposed to be finished in 09.

Any word?

[SmilingBob]

[quote=delts145;2664519]NATALIE ANDREWS - Daily Herald
Wanted: That place for young, old and middle aged alike who seek a walkable, shopable community where eateries are close by and entertainment is closer.

Aiming too high? City planners in Provo say not so.

. . . Glauser said the city wants people to live downtown, too. Residential living is one of the factors in the ERA study. Provo is well on it's way, with an estimated 32,000 people living in a one-mile radius of the area.

It's not just university housing either, though Provo compared itself to other college towns in the study, such as Palo Alto, Calif., and Boulder, Colo.

Housing at the Wells Fargo building is all leased or under contract, said David Runells, sales and marketing manager for Prudential CRES.

Glauser said that the housing has attracted the affluent, older crowd. For the most part, he said that those who live downtown are young families and young professionals, according to a study done by Dow Jones and Associates.

"To say we're just going after this demographic or that one is a little bit short sighted," he said.

Now that the study is complete, Glauser said that the city begins marketing the downtown area to businesses, and residents. It's the if-you-build-it the business will come and the pedestrians will follow philosophy. The city hopes to build a convention center to add to the Marriott Hotel and fill in the vacant gaps east of Center Street along University Avenue to keep that "downtown feel."quote]

We've heard this talk for a long time, but little has happened besides the Wells Fargo building. There are at least 5 projects I've heard about and nothing happening with any of them.

I know many people who are interested in living around downtown Provo, but have very limited options. A couple of developers have talked about building more condos in downtown Provo, but Provo City is making them jump through more and more hoops. Provo needs a nice 15 story building like the Wells Fargo building with a mix of retail at stree level, office/commercial for 3-5 floors and the rest residential. Provo City could work harder to make this happen, but the seem to be too busy arguing between the city council and the mayor.

[SLC Projects]

finally some news...






[B]Provo Council to mull huge complex tonight

Deseret Morning News
PROVO — One city leader bills the proposed Joaquin Village apartment complex, with rooms for 952 Brigham Young University students, the largest project Provo has seen or will see for years.
"It's huge," City Council Chairman George Stewart said. "It's a big deal. It's the biggest project we've considered in a long, long time. There just isn't another property big enough in that high-density housing area for another project that size."
The 5-acre property only went on the market because the Provo School District decided to shut down and demolish Joaquin Elementary School at 500 East and 500 North and sell the land for $6.5 million.
Tonight, the City Council will hold a public hearing on Joaquin Village. Neighbors are expected to express concerns about increased traffic and whether the new five-story building will have adequate parking, even with 600 underground stalls.
Two other public hearings on tonight's agenda could also draw interest from residents.
One will deal with the ordinance vetoed last week by Mayor Lewis Billings.
Billings disapproved a 4-2 City Council vote to require all homes built west of I-15 to have at least 1,800 square feet.
But Billings really used the veto to complain that the City Council's land-use subcommittee holds closed meetings.
Stewart said he will recommend a change tonight.
"We will come to a definite conclusion," he said. "There will be a new process."
The council can overturn the mayor's veto with five votes. Midge Johnson was absent for the last vote.
The other potentially high-profile public hearing is related to Joaquin. The City Council is poised to create a second way for neighborhoods to qualify for an on-street parking permit program.
Provo now allows neighborhoods to apply if a study shows that a large number of commuters clog street parking.
The new proposal would allow neighborhoods to apply if a study shows on-street parking is continuously used by residents who have inadequate parking on their property.
The language would help neighborhoods deal with landlords who have too many tenants or don't provide enough parking.
Stewart doesn't expect an outcry tonight, but he said public hearings later this year will be packed after a parking program is proposed for neighborhoods south of BYU.
"The program will be controversial, without question," he said.
That program could include parking meters on a three-block area of 800 North.
Tonight's meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at 351 W. Center. It isn't clear how long the meeting will last.
"It could be short or it could be really, really long," Councilmember Cynthia Dayton said. "It depends on the issues that come up" and the number of residents who show up to comment.
Discussion about Joaquin Village certainly will take some time.
The village will have parking spots for about 65 percent of residents. The site is 150 yards from the south edge of BYU and city staff and the planning commission — both of which recommended that the City Council approve the project — believe the proximity to campus will reduce the number of students with cars.
They believe that combined with a future parking permit program, the parking will be adequate.
A city traffic study estimated the project would generate 3,000 more car trips a day.
A memo says those trips will lead to "intersection failing movements" at 500 North and University Avenue and 700 North and University Avenue, pushing traffic off main routes and onto local streets as motorists attempt to avoid delays.
Also, the addition of 1,200 trips a day to 600 North will push the roadway over the environmental capacity limit for a local street.
The same could happen on 600 East.
The City Council could approve the project tonight and leave those issues to be resolved by city staff later.

[SLC Projects]

ok so this project would include:
• Floors — 5
• Apartments — 238
• Students — 952
• Parking spaces — 720
• Height — 55 feet
• Square feet — 592,546
• Acres — 5
• Trees — 145

[delts145]

^^^
Thanks for the update SLC.

[i-215]

I'm going to the Joaquin Village meeting tonight. I'll post the details tonight after the meeting.

[DevdogAZ]

I'm very interested in hearing what happens with Joaquin Village. If it's approved, does anyone know the timeframe for construction? I went to Farrer Jr. High right down the street from there, so I know the area well. It will be a prime spot for students to live and since it's close enough to campus, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people live there without a car.

However, if the rents are high enough that only the rich students can live there, these are also the students with cars, so that could create a problem.

[i-215]

wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people live there without a car.

They're gonna have to. They are 200 parking spots short of the number of people living there...

...oh, and "coincidentally" the city of Provo is planning to put in parking meters on the same street as the project.

[i-215]

THE UPDATE ON JOAQUIN VILLAGE

After a FOUR HOUR meeting, the Provo Municipal Council voted unanimously to approve Joaquin Village creating a new zone just for this project that allows the developer certain exemption they'd normally have to comply with R5 zoning.

For starters it allows "some" commercial.

Second, it allows the developer to only put in 65% parking instead of the 85% normally required by zoning laws.

However many residents were quick to point out that SCAMP has failed to bring to promised walkable community (read "retail") that most people end up driving to get to. They said they'd still bring their car anyway.

Provo was quick to address that saying it's studying a proposal that would require a permit to park on-street. Although details weren't given, it appears that the permit will be for "owner occupied residents."

Traffic enginner for Provo said that 700 South and 500 South at University Ave will both fail as a project, even with the assumption that only 600 cars will exist for the 900 student project. No motion was given, but an attitude of "oh well, we'll deal with that if something happens" pushed the bill through a unianmous vote after four hours.

Anyway, I'm tired, befuddled a bit by zoning lingo, and a bit frustrated with Provo's Pollyanna attitude toward planning.

I am never living in Provo after I graduate. This city is a joke.

[delts145]

Old library gets new face for arts

By Tad Walch
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — If you ever borrowed books from the old Provo City Library building on Center Street, you won't recognize it when its extreme makeover is complete in two months.

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3885610.jpg
Jason Olson, Deseret Morning News
Members of the Provo City Council get a tour of the city's new arts center, which has been remodeled from the old city library.

The Deseret Morning News tagged along Tuesday as the Provo City Council got a sneak preview of the $8.5 million Provo Center for the Performing Arts — and found the remodeling, marked by skeletal metal scaffolding and dusty raw materials, taking shape.
Librarygoers never could use the building's Center Street door. It was really a fake entrance. Now 425 W. Center will have an area for cars to pull up and drop off theatergoers in front of stained-glass windows leading inside to a winding grand staircase.
"It will be lit up like Broadway, downtown New York City," promised Kathryn Allen, executive director of the Provo Arts Council.
Inside, where hundreds of thousands of books once lined shelves, is a hall with the largest proscenium, or stage opening, in Utah — 25 feet by 50 feet.
The hall will hold 670 seats and be home to plays, recitals, concerts and more.
As the tour group looked out over the hall from the balcony, where there will be more than 200 seats, Allen said, "It doesn't look anything like the library anymore, does it?"
No, it doesn't. In fact, the balcony is on the upper floor where the former checkout desks and fiction section could be found. From the balcony, theatergoers will look down and across more than 400 seats where the children's section and administrative offices once were.
The layout creates a cozy hall.
"No seat will be farther than 60 feet away from the stage," Allen said. "There is not a bad seat in the house."
The rest of the facility will have a secure art gallery where lectures and book readings can be held. There also will be enough space for a board room, administrative offices, recording studios, dance studios, green rooms and dressing areas.
Stained-glass windows will also adorn the lower and upper south entrances, along 100 South, where most of the parking will be, just as it was when the building served as a library.
The box office, downstairs on the east end, might be recognizable as the place where the restrooms next to the children's library once were. And the steep indoor stairway on the south side that once linked the two floors still remains, but elevators will serve those who need them.
And speaking of restrooms, the new arts center will have twice as many for women as for men, Allen said.
City and construction workers are targeting a June opening, but no acts are booked or events scheduled yet, Allen said.
Uncertainty in the completion of the building led to cancellation of a Utah Valley Symphony event in May. That now will be held in the Provo Tabernacle.

[SLC Projects]

Provo City Council Approves Joaquin Village Housing Complex
March 7th, 2007 @ 12:23pm

(KSL News) Plans for a massive new BYU student housing development WILL move forward.

Last night the Provo City Council approved a zone change to allow the school to build on land once occupied by Joaquin Elementary.

Joaquin Village will house close to 1,000 students when it is completed. It is being called the largest construction project in city history.


.............................................................................................................................
Largest construction project in city history?...Is this project really that big? :shrug:

[i-215]

It may not be the biggest "commercial" development, but maybe residential. Although I'd say DT was pretty ambitious back when it was originally built.

I'm still upset over the parking. Either Provo needs to go forward with SCAMP and make the area walkable, or else plan for cars and make the developer put in enough spaces. The idea of trying to make it easy for the developer, easy for the city, but hard for the students really upsets me.

[delts145]

Provo Council OKs Joaquin project

By Tad Walch
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — Pop the corks on that sparkling cider: The Provo City Council has approved the Joaquin Village project that, when done, will house nearly 1,000 Brigham Young University students.

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3885756.jpg
Arrowstar ConstructionThe Joaquin Village Project in Provo will house nearly 1,000 Brigham Young University students.

But many neighbors don't feel like celebrating.
More than a dozen residents of the Joaquin neighborhood just south of BYU implored the council to postpone or reject the project, but the seven council members instead voted unanimously late Tuesday night to approve the apartment complex.
BYU and Provo leaders agree with folks in the neighborhood who say that students should be lured away from houses — "student hotels," to some — below 500 North into apartments between 500 North and 800 North, the southern border of campus.
Slowly, that is beginning to happen, and families are returning to the homes, but residents worried openly that even though Joaquin Village is between 500 and 600 North, it isn't yet a perfect fit for the strategy.
They said it is:
• Too tall. At five stories, it will ruin views and tower over homes to the south, east and west. To Charmaine Thompson, "It's like looking down the barrel of a gun."

• Too big. Putting 952 students across the street from the homes and families in the area adds 3,000 new vehicle trips to surrounding streets.

• Too small. The 720 parking spots aren't enough to keep students from parking in the neighborhood.

Joaquin neighborhood chairman Kurt Peterson said the city should have slowed down and dealt with those issues before approving the rezoning.
"Are we going to provide a true divide between student-friendly north Joaquin and family-friendly south Joaquin?" he asked. "Where is the traffic abatement plan? Where are the traffic slowdown measures in north Joaquin? Where is the family-friendly zoning?"


Council members said the developers had resolved the necessary concerns as they revised the plan nine times for the Planning Commission, city staff and council.
Tuesday night's vote changed the zone from public facility — it had been the site of Joaquin Elementary School — to a specific zone named for Joaquin Village.
The vote also authorized Mayor Lewis Billings to enter into a development agreement with Arrowstar, which will have to follow the language in the specialized zoning ordinance and the agreement.
"Now Arrowstar will work with us and the Planning Commission to get final approvals on hundreds of details," Community Development Director Gary McGinn said.
Those details will address some of the neighbors' concerns, including how the city will deal with the new traffic.
McGinn and Arrowstar consultant Dave Gardner said the developer will pay for changes through a traffic-impact fee. Gardner envisions dedicated left-turn lanes on some streets.
"We're going to make sure no intersection fails," Gardner said. "If that costs us money, we'll pay it. That's standard procedure. The cost will be our cost. We understand that."
Arrowstar won't be able to build until the Planning Commission approves the solutions to those issues.
The parking issue isn't over either, though the number of underground and on-street stalls won't change.
Joaquin Village is designed to be a pedestrian-friendly complex that will entice students to live near BYU without cars. The landlord will offer reduced rent to students who don't have cars.
Planners hope the proximity to campus will encourage students to take campus jobs and a small shop will provide basic foodstuffs meant to reduce the need for students to make multiple trips to grocery stores.

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/provo030807.jpg
Deseret Morning News graphic

Arrowstar bought the land from the Provo School District for $6.5 million.

[wrendog]

5 stories will ruin the views.. lol..

[DevdogAZ]

It may not be the biggest "commercial" development, but maybe residential. Although I'd say DT was pretty ambitious back when it was originally built.
I was going to reply and say that downtown was not all built at the same time so it doesn't really qualify as a "development" but then I realized you were talking about Deseret Towers. I'm so used to DT meaning downtown on this forum.

[DevdogAZ]

Joaquin Village is designed to be a pedestrian-friendly complex that will entice students to live near BYU without cars. The landlord will offer reduced rent to students who don't have cars.
This is a good idea. Hopefully lots of students take them up on this and they don't have to worry about the 200+ lacking parking spots.
Planners hope the proximity to campus will encourage students to take campus jobs and a small shop will provide basic foodstuffs meant to reduce the need for students to make multiple trips to grocery stores.
A "small shop?" That's it? :eek: When I first heard about this plan (several years ago), I thought it was supposed to include all kinds of retail on the first floor, basically giving students everything they would need right in the complex. I thought there would be a grocery store, restaurants, entertainment, etc. That would make a lot of sense considering the lack of retail in that area. How many students are going to be happy with "a small shop?" My guess is that the inflated prices in that small shop will more than justify paying the extra rent for a parking spot so you can go shop at Smith's or somewhere else that's cheap.

[wrendog]

This isn't SCAMP, devdog..

SCAMP was to be like you described, this is just a big apartment complex..

[DevdogAZ]

I'm not talking about SCAMP. I'm talking about the first proposal for the Joaquin site, which was long before SCAMP. I figured that any developer worth anything would be extremely smart to build retail into any development on that site. With that many students in the area, it would simply be a prime place to locate a bunch of student-oriented businesses, and I can't figure out why they wouldn't be jumping at the chance for this.

[i-215]

The said at the meeting that the rent would be "about $375." It is a private bedroom, but a shared apartment (with 3 others probably). That doesn't add in the cost of the parking pass (or rather, opting out of the "no car incentive").

And they're gonna get 900 students to live there?

Really. If somebody HAS $375/mo for a bed, they probably can afford a car.

If they can't afford a car, they can't afford $375/mo.

[delts145]

^^^
It's a little strange to those of us who grew up in places like the Mountain West and have come to depend on a car like an attached appendage. And yes, I'm one of them. But to many international students now attending BYU,(I'm not sure how many,but remember BYU is rated at the top of the list for Universites where you can get the highest quality bang for your buck.) are quite comfortable not having a car. I think many students from large U.S. metro areas such as L.A.,East Coast,etc. or International Mega Metro's such as Mexico City or London would prefer not having to have a car and also 375.00 will seem comparably reasonable to many.
I do hope they will turn south campus into more of a student village like Westwood for UCLA.

edit;just a related side note added regarding big bang for the buck.

Y. business school ranks 8th in BusinessWeek poll

By Tad Walch
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — Brigham Young University has a Top 10 business school for undergraduates, according to new rankings from BusinessWeek magazine.
BYU is ranked eighth this year, the same as it was last year when the magazine began to determine "The Best Undergrad B-Schools."
"We're really excited. We're in among some great schools," said Joan Young, director of BYU's undergraduate management program. "You look down the list and it's outstanding."
The University of Pennsylvania ranked first for the second straight year, followed by the University of Virginia. UC-Berkeley debuted in the Top 10 at No. 3, followed by Emory, Michigan-Ann Arbor, MIT, Notre Dame, BYU, NYU and Cornell.
Texas-Arlington (13th) and Indiana-Bloomington (18th) dropped out of the Top 10.
BusinessWeek used five measures — a survey of 80,000 business majors, a poll of recruiters, teaching quality, job placement and facilities and services.
BYU has ranked No. 1 and No. 2 among recruiters the past two years.
"They like our students, and our students are going out to really great jobs," Young said.
BYU also ranked first for return on investment among private schools.
"Our tuition is much, much lower so the students go out with good salaries and get a really good return on what they spend at BYU," Young said.
Even among public schools, which generally are cheaper, BYU would rank second.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints subsidizes tuition at BYU, where annual undergraduate tuition for church members costs $3,260. Others pay $6,520.
The Marriott School of Management has 1,640 undergraduate students.
The middle 80 percent of SAT scores for those accepted to the undergraduate program are between 1140 and 1310, according to BusinessWeek. The same range of ACT scores are between 24 and 29.
The complete rankings are available in the March 19 issue of BusinessWeek, which went on sale Friday.
Expanded information, including average class sizes and comments from BYU students in the program, is available online at www.businessweek.com/bschools/undergraduate.

[delts145]

Commission to tackle future of Utah Lake

By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — A truck bed full of lifeless carp might not be a pretty sight, but to the newly ratified Utah Lake Commission, the glassy-eyed fish are a symbol.

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3897821.jpg
Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning News
A fisherman launches his boat onto Utah Lake. The newly formed Utah Lake Commission will work toward the betterment of the area.

In fact, as Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. ceremoniously signed a document inside Utah Lake State Park headquarters Friday, making the Utah Lake Commission a state-sanctioned reality, the fish were right outside, a reminder of one of the tasks the commission will have to tackle.
"I knew things were getting pretty darn serious when (Provo Mayor Lewis Billings) came into my office and he said, 'We run the risk, in the not-too-distant future, of having the carp as the symbol of our city,"' Huntsman joked to an audience of city dignitaries who attended the signing on Friday. "There was probably a look of seriousness in his eyes, but I know he didn't mean it."
Reducing the number of carp in Utah Lake is one issue the Utah Lake Study Committee — now known as the Utah Lake Commission — has discussed during the three years it's taken for the group to become an official entity. But the commission's overall goal is to bridge a gap between all of the different parties who have a stake in the lake — and work together for the betterment of the area.
During the recent legislative session, the Senate and House approved HCR1, a House Concurrent Resolution that allows Utah's Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Environmental Quality and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District to participate in the commission. Huntsman signed the resolution on Friday, as Rep. Stephen Clark, R-Provo, and Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, voiced their support for the committee.
"All I know is this, we don't get things done in this state unless we're all coming together around a common vision and a common set of goals," Huntsman said. "I think all of those who have thought about the future of this lake probably could have told anybody in this room that we're not going to make much progress until such time as we're all coming together around this with a common vision and a common sense of destiny."
In addition to HCR1, local cities and the County Commission have also agreed to participate in an interlocal agreement to form the lake commission. All of the participating entities, including state-funded departments, will contribute financially to the commission in order to vote.
So far, officials in Genola, Lindon, Lehi, Orem, Provo, Springville, Mapleton, Saratoga Springs, American Fork and the Utah County Commission have committed to the new panel. Leaders in Vineyard, Woodland Hills and Pleasant Grove are still considering joining the commission.
"What we are doing today has been attempted on other occasions for entire decades without success," Billings told the audience. "Any one of us alone, I think, would not be successful in doing what has to be done, but all of us working together, I believe, without question, will."
The commission will have its first meeting at 7:30 a.m. April 19 at Utah Lake State Park, and its first order of business will be to "get organized," said Utah County engineer Clyde Naylor, who is involved on the commission's technical committee. The commission will be looking to hire an executive director who will oversee the functions of the commission on a daily basis.
The commission plans to develop a master plan to promote multiple uses of the lake, protect the environment, increase and maintain recreational access to the lake, and work with developers, municipalities and land owners who have interests in the lake.
"I think the point is that it brings everybody together, so when you need funding, it will be easier to get when you have everyone behind you," said Kris Beulow, a coordinator with the Central Utah Water Conservancy District who is working to reduce the number of carp in the lake. "It's exciting. This is a chance to sit down and make sure you do the right thing."

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3898755.jpg
Deseret Morning News graphic

[SmilingBob]

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3788090.jpg

[A 3-D model shows the North Point Plaza, which is planned for 1600 North in Orem just east of I-15. The two towers are to include offices and a restaurant.

I'm hoping they'll release some different renderings soon.

Drove by today and saw that L&T Construction has put their office trailer on-site, and it's looks like they are going to start doing something soon. Surveyors were out doing their thing.

Also put a sign up for Curtis Miner Architecture, but I can't find their website for updated renderings.

The company I work for needs to move to bigger accomodations, and this work be a great location I think. Some "One" doesn't like the idea of 8 story office towers in this location. ;) Worried about the view from Geneva east to Mt. Timpanogos? :haha:

[delts145]

:tup: Bob, As far as a centralized location goes you couldn't get much better for Utah Valley. And wow, the views from your office looking East would be fantastic. Hey, even the views to the West now will be great with Geneva's rusting hulk all cleaned up. Let us know when you hear anything more about this project, I for one am pretty enthusiastic about it.

[delts145]

Citizens group wants to hit the brakes on corridor

By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret Morning News
LEHI — Like hundreds of headlights shining down the highway, it's not hard to see the complaints of landowners living in the way of a potential Mountain View Corridor.
But the formation of Citizens Organized for Smarter Transportation, which has heard from some 2,000 residents opposed to a six-lane freeway running through their neighborhoods, could come as a surprise to Utah's Department of Transportation, which has proposed the road as part of the corridor.
The citizens group plans to hold a rally Wednesday — the day before a scheduled UDOT Mountain View Corridor open house — to gain support for its cause.
"(COST) is a very, very neat organization," said developer Dave Klock, a developer who helped form the action group. "You have so many diverse groups that are joining hands. You've got developers and landowners and you've got conservationists and hunters and fishermen. You've got a whole wide variety of people here who are supporting what we're supporting."
UDOT has been having — and will continue to have — open houses to gather public comment about the proposed corridor, but until recently no Utah County-based organized opposition to the road has come forward.
In Salt Lake County, however, Utahns for Safe and Efficient Transportation, a group created by several mayors of cities in western Salt Lake County and the Utah Trucking Association, surfaced about six months ago. The group is opposed to the possibility of making the Mountain View Corridor a toll road.
As part of an ongoing environmental-impact study, UDOT officials are planning the open house Thursday to "get the public up to speed on what's happened in the last couple of months," Mountain View Corridor project manager Teri Newell said.
For almost a year, UDOT has presented several different options for the Mountain View Corridor in Utah County, one of which proposes alignments that could mean the relocation of 97 homes in the area and run through government-protected wetlands. Other options could affect fewer homes, but UDOT has not selected a preferred option.
Until one road is identified as the preferred option, Newell says UDOT will continue to look for public input about roads as they are being considered. It's important to keep the public updated and gather input as different options for the road are explored, Newell says, but ever-changing information about the project is something that concerns Klock. As issues arise with different road alignments, new locations are considered and presented to the public.
"The UDOT plan is all over the map," Klock said. "As far as I'm concerned, they're like a bouncing ball, and that's very unfortunate and unfair for the people who are having to suffer through not knowing whether their house is going to be razed or something."
Within the last two months, UDOT has narrowed its plans to three basic options for connecting Mountain View with I-15: a seven-lane freeway at 2100 North, a seven-lane freeway at 1900 South or an arterials option that includes three smaller boulevard-type roads in the north and south.
UDOT is also considering a suggestion made by Lehi city to build a freeway connection at Point of the Mountain, rather than at 2100 North, a few miles south of Thanksgiving Point.
"Our suggestion to UDOT is, 'If you're willing to push the whole alignment north, would you consider pushing it even further north?"' Lehi City Administrator Jamie Davidson said. "That's an alignment we're comfortable with, and (people with) environmental concerns would also be comfortable with it as well, because it wouldn't pose the same environmental challenges that building (Mountain View) close to Utah Lake would."
Klock says COST agrees with Lehi city's alignment suggestions to UDOT. The group has invited Davidson and Lehi officials to attend Wednesday's rally to "say to the City Council, 'You guys are on the right track, and we want to pat you on the back for that,"' Klock said.
Although UDOT has not been invited to attend the rally, Klock says COST's own independent transportation consultant, who is looking for other road options, will make a presentation on alternative road options at the meeting.
So far, all of COST's expenses — hiring a consultant, sending thousands of mailers to residents and maintaining a Web site (www.costutah.org) — have been paid for by developers, like Klock, who became involved with the group early on.
Klock is the owner of a new development near Utah Lake called Spring Creek. Like other new construction developments in the area, Klock's development is at risk of being affected by Mountain View Corridor if it runs too close to Utah Lake.
Independently of COST, Klock has also hired his own attorney to represent Spring Creek against the Mountain View Corridor, but Klock says he's just being cautious.
"We're not suing anybody, but we're preparing ourselves for a fight to protect the interests in that area," Klock said. "This is not about legal battles, this is about finding good solutions for the future of Lehi and the future of north Utah County."

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3907975.jpg
Deseret Morning News graphic

[wrendog]

narrowed down to three options? 2100 N, 1900 S and arterials? what happened to 1500 S? Wow, if it's 1900 S, I'm screwed!

[i-215]

:previous:
:previous:

Stop the corridor: OVER MY DEAD BODY

I've wanted this freeway so badly for so long that if these NIMBYs stop it, I'll get out there myself with a bulldozer and build it!

[i-215]

narrowed down to three options? 2100 N, 1900 S and arterials? what happened to 1500 S? Wow, if it's 1900 S, I'm screwed!

Check out the UDOT page. They may have updated the aeral view maps, in which case you can see how close it'll get to where you live.

BTW the NIMBY comment wasn't directed to you Wren, it was to directed at the peitition drive to halt the freeway.

[wrendog]

I'm all for the freeway, I just don't want it to go through my living room.. :)

[SLC Projects]

We all need this freeway. I'm all for it being build. :tup:

[i-215]

Dare to think, but act soon PDF | Print | E-mail
Daily Herald

Lehi Mayor Howard Johnson's proposed road plan is visionary.

The mayor, an engineer by trade, recently endorsed the idea of building a bridge to connect Provo and Orem to the west side of Utah lake. He also wants to see a tunnel that would move traffic past Camp Williams more efficiently and another bored straight through West Mountain into Cedar Valley from the Provo side. He'd like to see the Mountain View Corridor routed through Cedar Valley and connected to Interstate 15 near Nephi, creating a major alternative to the existing freeway and spawning west-side development.

Planners project that Utah County's population will double in the next 30 years, and the most logical place for that growth to happen is on the west side of Utah Lake. The east side is nearly built out, and further growth is blocked by the lake. In short, there is no place to go. The west, by contrast, has greater potential for development.

It is not inconceivable (in fact it should be expected) that cities will spring up on the west side.

Thinking long-term, therefore, planning a freeway through Cedar Valley makes a great deal of sense. In fact, a Cedar Valley freeway would function in relation to I-15 much the same way as California's Interstate 5 now functions as a high-capacity alternative to Highway 99, which brushes past all the little communities of California's Central Valley. Highway 99 -- the older route down California's spine from Canada to Mexico -- was subject to heavy congestion before the construction of Interstate 5, just as Utah's I-15 is now facing the same problem.

I-15 will always be necessary to serve Utah Valley communities between the lake and mountains, but it may not be the best place to funnel traffic and heavy trucking bound for points south. California has done many things right with regard to transportation, and Interstate 5 was one of them.

While some elements of Johnson's concept, such as the Utah Lake bridge, are borrowed from Mountainland Association of Governments, other elements are more original. The tunnels, for example, would dramatically shorten commutes into Cedar Valley.

It would be easy to dismiss such concepts as grandiose, but Johnson and others who dare to dream should be encouraged to think grand thoughts. They're a good thing. The trick is to get them translated into reality, and the time for reality -- for making concrete choices -- has come.

Firm plans will help new cities, as well as existing ones, to develop better in light of the growth. By knowing where the major highways will be, for example, cities can lay out residential and commercial zones and provide for more orderly development.

We hope more people like Mayor Johnson will let their creative juices flow. But the final decision-makers in the state Legislature and highway department should not sit around contemplating the universe of alternatives for long. Tough choices need to be made without undue delay.

There is no reason not to make those choices soon and to commit to a firm plan. We applaud the progress that has been made in road planning and mass transit to date, but the process must accelerate if we're going to have a real chance of saving Utah County's future.

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/212719/3/

[SmilingBob]

Check out the UDOT page. They may have updated the aeral view maps, in which case you can see how close it'll get to where you live.

BTW the NIMBY comment wasn't directed to you Wren, it was to directed at the peitition drive to halt the freeway.

Mtn. view corridor photo/map path:

http://udot.utah.gov/mountainview/downloads/Exibit_for_Public_Meeting.pdf

[SmilingBob]

Come and give input on 2100 North as a potential Mountain View Corridor alternative and see how it may affect you.The Utah Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration are conducting an Environmental Impact Statement on the Mountain View Corridor, a proposed highway and transit corridor in western Salt Lake County and northwest Utah County. As part of the EIS process and in response to concerns that have been raised, UDOT is reviewing the alternatives in Utah County.2100 North is now under consideration as an additional freeway alternative. The public is invited to attend an open house to review and to discuss all alternatives with project team members.

Open HouseThursday,March 15 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.Sego Lily Elementary School550 East 900 North, Lehi

Can't attend the meeting?


Get more information on the web at udot.utah.gov/mountainview.


Give your input online or call 1-800-596-2556

[delts145]

Falls tram may rise again

By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — Nearly 12 years have passed since the Bridal Veil Falls tram was so popular that people waited in two-hour long lines for a trip on the "world's steepest tram."

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3911463.jpg
Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning NewsBridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon is the site of a once-popular tram that attracted thousands.

But if the nostalgic ride, which stopped functioning in 1996, is resurrected in 2008, its attendance could reach higher numbers than ever with almost twice as many visitors as before, according to a recent feasibility study by Lewis, Young, Robertson and Burningham, a Salt Lake City-based investment banking firm.
"We feel there would be some heightened interest in the first year (that the tram starts running again)," said Susie Becker, a representative for Lewis, Young, Robertson and Burningham, who presented the study to Utah County Commissioners on Tuesday. "We know there are many people who remember the good old days, and there may be people coming back to revisit Provo that may have some interest."
The Bridal Veil Falls tram originally functioned as a family business in Provo Canyon for about 22 years under the Grow family until 1996, when an avalanche destroyed the resort and its aging cable car.
In 1993, at the height of the tram's popularity, the Grows say they had about 27,000 riders during their short operating season of May to October.
But with a faster tram that seats more people, an increase in population in Utah County and a lack of available entertainment opportunities, Becker says a new tram could bring about 42,000 visitors to Provo Canyon.
"I think that one of the really big pluses of this is that you have an experienced management team who has already been successful with this," Becker said.
Wyatt Grow — whose father, Dave Grow, owned and operated the previous tram — is attempting to bring the ride back in as soon as 2008, but he's asking the commission to sign off on a $3.6 million industrial revenue bond to help the project get started with basic tram construction.
If Grow's request is approved, the county will not financially be responsible for paying off the money with public funds, but Grow will obtain the benefit of receiving a tax-exempt bond that is only available through municipalities. He plans to repay the bond through private investors.
With ticket prices estimated to cost between $9 and $12 per person, Becker said the business would likely break even within the first or third year, but the Grows say gaining a large profit isn't a main goal.
According to Dave Grow, the family plans to contribute a portion of the earnings to the Scenic Canyons Preservation Society, a nonprofit organization that works to improve Provo Canyon.
"Any profitability from the tram itself will be reinvested into Provo Canyon, in building up the parkway and trails and so on," Dave Grow said. "We expect to make some money eventually off of the gift shop, food operations and so forth, but the tram itself is committed to make a profit and spend it appropriately for a nonprofit."
The Grows commissioned the tram's feasibility study with a grant from the Economic Development Corporation of Utah to demonstrate to the commission the resort's potential financial viability, but Wyatt Grow's attachment to the tram goes beyond getting money.
"(The tram) approaches some sort of mysticism with the general public," Wyatt Grow said. "Anyone that has lived in (Utah Valley) going to school or working has some memory of the tram and Bridal Veil Falls."
Although the commission has not yet made a decision on approving the bond request, Commissioner Gary Anderson voiced some support for the project Tuesday.
"It's indicative and exciting and symptomatic of what's happening in Utah County," Anderson said. "Utah County is really moving in the tourism and economic development area, and I'm ecstatic about it."

[i-215]

All I ever remember about the Bridal Veil Falls tram was going up there with my father on Saturdays and having him say, "back in the day this place was really something. There was even a resturant on top."

But whenever we went the place seemed to get worse and worse. Didn't the old tram eventually fall off?

[delts145]

^^^
Yeah 215, it just seemed to go further and further down hill. Then finally a huge avalance pretty much finished it off.They did use to have some cool parties and dances up on top,even after the restaurant closed. It would be cool if the city and private concerns get behind bringing it all back. It could be one very cool entertainment and tourist option.

[SmilingBob]

^^^
Yeah 215, it just seemed to go further and further down hill. Then finally a huge avalance pretty much finished it off.They did use to have some cool parties and dances up on top,even after the restaurant closed. It would be cool if the city and private concerns get behind bringing it all back. It could be one very cool entertainment and tourist option.

If the government shouldn't be helping with the RSL stadium, then we absolutely shouldn't be financing the Bridal Veil Tram.

Even if all the government does is guarantee the bonds.

Bridal Veil Falls is a great looking waterfall, and the tram was kind of cool, but not millions of dollars cool.

[delts145]

^^^
Falls tram may rise again

By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — Nearly 12 years have passed since the Bridal Veil Falls tram was so popular that people waited in two-hour long lines for a trip on the "world's steepest tram."

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3911463.jpg
Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning News
Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon is the site of a once-popular tram that attracted thousands.

Wyatt Grow — whose father, Dave Grow, owned and operated the previous tram — is attempting to bring the ride back in as soon as 2008, but he's asking the commission to sign off on a $3.6 million industrial revenue bond to help the project get started with basic tram construction.
If Grow's request is approved, the county will not financially be responsible for paying off the money with public funds, but Grow will obtain the benefit of receiving a tax-exempt bond that is only available through municipalities. He plans to repay the bond through private investors.
With ticket prices estimated to cost between $9 and $12 per person, Becker said the business would likely break even within the first or third year, but the Grows say gaining a large profit isn't a main goal.
According to Dave Grow, the family plans to contribute a portion of the earnings to the Scenic Canyons Preservation Society, a nonprofit organization that works to improve Provo Canyon.
"Any profitability from the tram itself will be reinvested into Provo Canyon, in building up the parkway and trails and so on," Dave Grow said. "We expect to make some money eventually off of the gift shop, food operations and so forth, but the tram itself is committed to make a profit and spend it appropriately for a nonprofit."
Although the commission has not yet made a decision on approving the bond request, Commissioner Gary Anderson voiced some support for the project Tuesday.
"It's indicative and exciting and symptomatic of what's happening in Utah County," Anderson said. "Utah County is really moving in the tourism and economic development area, and I'm ecstatic about it."

:koko: I don't ever remember being anything but supportive of the stadium funding. Still, you're not even close to apples and oranges here.

[SLC Projects]

Downtown Provo to get two new highrises?



Big changes in store for downtown Provo

2 high rises may soon be announced; condos popular
By Tad Walch
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — The changes coming to Historic Downtown Provo aren't cosmetic touch-ups. This isn't a Botox injection or two — it's a face-lift, tummy tuck and liposuction job all rolled into one long-running procedure.
Image (Deseret Morning News Graphic)
Deseret Morning News Graphic
The next few months could see two major announcements about new high-rise buildings downtown, one being the long-expected expansion of the new Wells Fargo Center on University Avenue. The other could be a similar project from Zions Bank Center, which has been considering the idea for more than three years.
Those buildings would become key moorings in the city's strategy to create anchor attractions that lure not only visitors downtown but people who want to live in the Central Business District.
And those downtown dwellers are coming soon. The Wells Fargo Center has sold all of its condominiums, and developer Richard Astle broke ground Thursday on The Huntington, a downtown condominium project with 61 units on the corner of 100 West and 200 South.
Astle also plans to build 32 more residential condos in the Freedom Pointe Townhomes project he is pitching at 300 North and Freedom Boulevard. That would be a true mixed-use development, with 5,000 square feet of retail space on the ground level and condos above.
Astle has built two similar complexes in downtown Salt Lake City, including University Condos across the street from the new library, and he is convinced The Huntington will succeed. "We've done absolutely no marketing except for a sign on the lot, and we already have 41 or 42 verbal reservations," he said.
The 1,000-square-foot condos are expected to cost $200,000 to $225,000, Astle said. They should be completed in one year, with sales beginning in about six months.
Provo leaders have a major feasibility study that says such projects should succeed.
Economics Research Associates found that downtown Provo should attract 380 to 1,060 new housing units in the next 10 years as Utah Valley's population expands and as young couples, single professionals and those older than 55 flock to downtown living.
"The study stressed the importance of housing to a successful and revitalized downtown," said Paul Glauser, director of Provo's Redevelopment Agency.
More buildings that combine commercial and residential uses are in the early planning stages for the Center Street block across from City Hall between 300 and 400 West, and for the block just to the north and east.
More new anchors are expected, too:

• The Provo Center for the Performing Arts is expected to open in June next to City Hall;

• Harmon's Auto Center, which has been in downtown Provo since the 1930s, is staying now that the city has agreed to close half a block of 400 West so the car dealer can stretch from 300 West to 500 West;

• The county and city are moving ahead with plans for a new Utah Valley Convention Center one block west of the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center;

• Across the street from the hotel to the north, an expansion of the 4th District Courthouse is expected in the near future.

"We have an opportunity now perhaps like none we've ever had with the economy as strong as it's ever been to reinvent the downtown area," Glauser told the Provo Kiwanis Club during its weekly meeting Tuesday.
That reinvention includes more company offices like Nu Skin to bring workers downtown during the day and more residents to fill the business district at night.
"The idea is to get some people living in the downtown community so they can get out of their cars and onto their shoes, walking to businesses and restaurants."
Ground was broken Thursday for The Huntington condominiums at 100 West and 200 South in Provo. The project will have 61 units. (WPA Architecture)
WPA Architecture
Ground was broken Thursday for The Huntington condominiums at 100 West and 200 South in Provo. The project will have 61 units.
The city isn't idly sitting by, waiting for developers to be convinced by the Wells Fargo Center and Astle's condominiums. The City Council will meet Tuesday night to consider purchasing several properties on 100 North and another on 300 West.
Some of the land is owned by the Food and Care Coalition, which is moving to a new building in Provo's East Bay business area. The city hopes to tear down the buildings at 265-295 W. 100 North and 60 N. 300 West to make way for the planned convention center.
The other property is 303-333 W. 100 North, where the city anticipates mixed-use development.
Meanwhile, Provo's Economic Development Department is preparing to test a new "cityscape" for downtown. A block on 100 South between 100 and 200 West will soon have new planters and other landscaping and new lighting. If city leaders like the look, it will be used up and down the Center Street business district.

[delts145]

:previous:

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3919640.jpg

It's great to see the many positive developments in store for Provo. It would be fair to say that the Wasatch is among a small hand full of the most beautifully situated metro's on the continent and none has more stunning immediate surroundings than Provo, especially now that Geneva is being dismantled and redeveloped by people like Anderson. Between Downtown Provo,BYU itself, South Campus, North Provo, and West Provo there's a lot going on.

[delts145]

Provo planners favor closing road segment

Elementary to be built on the expanded site

By Laura Hancock
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — The Provo City Planning Commission voted Wednesday night in favor of closing a portion of 600 West, paving the way for the city's school district to rebuild Timpanogos Elementary.

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3919631.jpg
Deseret Morning News Graphic

The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the street's closure between 400 and 500 North.
The mayor or a designee of the mayor will make the final decision on the street's closure at a future hearing. A date hasn't been determined.
If the mayor or designee approves vacating the street, then the school district can demolish the school and begin rebuilding on the expanded site. Demolition is tentatively scheduled for June, Provo School District administrator Greg Hudnall said Tuesday night.
Timpanogos Elementary School was built in 1892 and enlarged twice before 1938, when it was torn down and rebuilt on an adjacent lot, 449 N. 500 West.
Since then, the school has deteriorated. In June, residents approved a tax increase to allow the Provo School District to issue $35 million in bonds — with $11.3 million of that going toward the new Timpanogos Elementary.
"We have spent the last year in the process of purchasing all the homes on (600) West (between 400 and 500 North)," said Hudnall at the Planning Commission meeting. "We own all of them."
The five homes will be razed, and that portion of 600 West will be part of the new school's property.
"It'll be a three-story building, and we need all of the green space that we could get, and we want to make it a nice neighborhood park," Hudnall said.
Most of the houses had been purchased last summer. Two homeowners held out, and the school district began the process of eminent domain — purchasing the houses for fair-market value but forcing the owners out — in January.
One of the homeowners had told the Deseret Morning News he wanted $150,000 — even though Utah County records valued his house at $93,300.
In the end, he got his asking price. The school district closed with the two homeowners two weeks ago for $150,000 for each home.
The remaining residents in the neighborhood did not protest the school district's plans Tuesday night. Documents provided by the city showed they felt the new school will enhance the neighborhood.
"What a marvelous redevelopment project," said Planning Commissioner Roy Peterman.
The new school is expected to be complete in fall 2008.

[delts145]

"UVU" :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:


http://graphics.fansonly.com/schoolslt/utva/graphics/utva-header-06.gif

Its Official,New era starts for UVSC

By Laura Hancock
Deseret Morning News
OREM — It's official: Utah Valley State College will become Utah Valley University on July 1, 2008.

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3936229.jpg
Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning News
President Thomas S. Monson of the LDS Church's First Presidency and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. attend Monday's ceremonies.

To the roll of a timpani drum, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. on Monday signed into law SB70, which will give the 23,000-student school university status and $8 million in additional yearly funds.

http://graphics.fansonly.com/schools/utva/graphics/auto/FallCampus_web.jpg
Balloons of the school's colors — green, white and yellow — dropped from the ceiling of UVSC's ballroom after the signing, and the bill was whisked to the state Capitol in Salt Lake City.
Prior to the signing, the governor reminded students of the responsibility associated with the prestige of a university degree.
"Now more than ever before that sense of (ethical integrity) will be expected out of the students," he said.
More than 1,000 students, faculty, community and church and business leaders celebrated the bill's signing with cake and soft drinks.
About a dozen people spoke at the event. Messages of appreciation went around, jokes were told and the audience gave several standing ovations.
"As you transition to a university, leadership matters," Huntsman said. "I want all of you to know what a great president we have in our midst."
The governor credited UVSC President William A. Sederberg, who arrived in Orem in 2003 from Michigan's Ferris State University, for pushing university status by courting lawmakers and selling the idea to the community.
The school, which will become the state's fifth university, offers 54 bachelor's degrees. The first graduate degrees will likely be in instructional education, nursing health sciences and business, Sederberg said.
President Thomas S. Monson, a member of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said that in his world travels, he meets people with family members who work and study at UVSC.
He said he's happy it will soon be Utah Valley University.
"I see great things, a bright future for this great institution," President Monson said.
President Monson attended the 1975 ground-breaking for the location of the Orem school. He formerly served on the governor-appointed Utah State Board of Regents, which oversees the state's public colleges and universities.
President Monson and LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley also were present to commemorate the construction of the LDS Church's Orem Institute of Religion, a building adjacent to UVSC that offers religion classes to college students.
The Orem institute is one of the biggest in the church's education system.
"You see," President Monson said, "we knew this would be a university."
Justin Davies, who will be a student body officer next year, said students' degrees will have more value with the word "university." And they soon won't have to leave UVSC if they want master's degrees.
"There's a swelling pride here at UVSC," he said.
While SB70 provided $8 million in additional ongoing funding for the school, it was $2 million less than Sederberg sought.
Jeff Alexander, a former House majority leader, predicted the Legislature will come through in the future with the rest of the money.
"When I was first elected to the Legislature in the early 1990s, you had to educate people — even me — about UVSC," Alexander said.
Now, however, people know UVSC well. Utah Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert said Monday his children have attended school there.
"I think having two universities here (in Utah County) will make this valley shine even more," said Ira Fulton, a philanthropist who recently helped raise $5 million for the college and matched it with $5 million of his own money.

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site297/2007/0320/20070320__ut_school_uvsc_0320~2_Gallery.jpg
Justin Davies, student government executive vice president-elect, right, presents President William Sederburg a Utah Valley University sweatshirt during the bill signing celebration that will change Utah Valley State College to Utah Valley University. (Photos by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

[jedikermit]

...celebrated the bill's signing with cake and soft drinks...

:cheers:

[delts145]

:previous:

:cheers:

:haha: LOL

[delts145]

Mayor's plan for corridor: Head west

By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret Morning News
LEHI — As citizens groups and Utah's Department of Transportation haggle over Lehi's traffic problems, Lehi Mayor Howard Johnson says he has a few ideas that might make most folks happy — but probably not any time soon.

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3951322.jpg
Keith Johnson, Deseret Morning News
Vehicles make their way through the Lehi roundabout. The mayor and others are seeking ways to ease traffic woes.

Last month, Johnson mailed a map with 17 different road projects to residents with their city utility bill. The map includes roads that have been proposed by mayors of nearby cities, UDOT and Mountainland Association of Governments, Utah County's transportation planning organization.
The map also includes two segments of the Mountain View Corridor that Johnson thinks could be a good solution to complaints that the road would sever the city and destroy neighborhoods.
"All I'm doing is taking this whole scenario (of proposed roads) one step further," Johnson said. "You've got the problem of (Mountain View Corridor) going through Lehi, you've got the problem of putting all of that traffic on I-15, which is overloaded. So let's take (Mountain View Corridor) and go south until we're past the traffic jam and then hook up with I-15 ... down to the west of Nephi."
Johnson is proposing making a Mountain View Alternate Corridor that would split off of the main corridor in Bluffdale, travel down the west side of the valley — through Camp Williams and past Cedar Fort — then rejoin I-15 in Nephi.
For convenience, Johnson suggested making the corridor a tunnel as it travels through Camp Williams, similar to a tunnel MAG is considering through West Moun- tain.
But he is quick to point out that the idea is merely "hopeful" and "visionary."
Although the west side of the valley is growing rapidly, MAG planning director Andrew Jackson says there aren't enough people to justify such a remote road — yet.
"We're going to have to grow in that area and see that area growing first," Jackson said. "We really haven't done any modeling there because we're looking at a 2030 time frame, and it's not anything we're seeing in a 2030 time frame."
Jackson says such a road on the west side of the valley probably couldn't be built until about 2040, but that doesn't mean it's too early to start talking about the possibility.
"I'm not discounting what (Johnson) is doing," Jackson said. "There's definitely going to be needs out there in the future, and we know the population is going to continue to grow ... but we're not sure what that time frame is."
Johnson says he doesn't expect UDOT to immediately build an alternate corridor, but he thinks the number of trucks that currently use I-15 could justify a west-side route in the near future.
"Utah has an abnormal amount of interstate trucking going through it because of I-80 and I-15," said Utah Trucking Association executive director David Creer.
According to Creer, thousands of interstate trucks — the number of which is estimated to increase annually by 6 percent — pass through Utah County on I-15 on a daily basis.
Exactly how many trucks actually need to stop along I-15 is hard to identify, so Johnson wants to raise money to study how many trucks would use a western corridor if they didn't have to stop in any of Utah County's major cities like Provo, Orem and Lehi.
Johnson says the study could possibly be conducted by tracking the license plate of a truck as it passes through Santaquin, and timing how long it takes for the truck to make it to Lehi.
"If I can get the money to do the study, and the study comes out the way we kind of think it will, we can show the (alternative corridor) would be cost effective," Johnson said.
For Creer, a western route would be a welcome alternative to driving through Utah Valley.

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3946370.jpg
Deseret Morning News Graphic

"I think it's absolutely really-forward thinking," Creer said. "It's really solving a problem now that's going to be there in the future, no matter what happens. ... This would take a large percentage of your truck traffic off of I-15. I think the more the public knows about this, I would think they would think the same thing."

[delts145]

Lehi residents worried about impact of road

By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret Morning News
LEHI — About 300 Lehi-area residents attended a recent Utah Department of Transportation open house to learn about new changes to the Mountain View Corridor plan.
Usually, UDOT open houses draw closer to 100 people, but lately, the meetings about the proposed Mountain View Corridor have drawn more attention from residents and citizens groups who are concerned about the impact the road could have on their neighborhoods.
"I think the community down here is involved in the process, and they're very concerned about what might happen," said Nile Easton, spokesman for UDOT. "We're not seeing one overall consensus here; there's definitely a lot of different opinions about what transportation solution is going to be the best."
UDOT is considering three alternative options for the Mountain View Corridor, which will connect to I-15 in Utah County.
The options are: a freeway at 2100 North; a freeway at 1900 South; or three arterial connections, at Porter Rockwell Boulevard, 2100 North and 1900 South.
It is estimated that if UDOT builds a freeway on 2100 North in Lehi, 30-40 homes and businesses would need to be relocated, and 10-20 acres of wetlands will be impacted. UDOT estimates construction of the road — which would most likely carry up to 145,000 vehicles per day — will cost between $400 million and $500 million.
A freeway on 1900 South would impact between 70-80 acres of wetlands, UDOT estimates, and necessitate the relocation of 130-140 homes and businesses. The road is projected to carry up to 100,000 vehicles per day, and construction costs are estimated between $600 million and $700 million.
The arterials alignment could impact 60-70 acres of wetlands and require the relocation of about 80 homes and businesses, UDOT estimates. Together, the three roads could carry up to about 155,000 vehicles daily, according to UDOT.
According to Mountain View Corridor project manager Teri Newell, UDOT will now add the three alternatives to a draft document, which will summarize the project's two-year environmental impact study and help to identify a preferred alternative.
The draft document should be finished by fall, Newell said.
For each potential neighborhood that stands to be impacted by the road, there are residents who are upset by the possibility of living next to a six-lane highway and frustrated by the process of choosing a road.
At a recent meeting, a board was covered with large sticky notes written by residents who attended the meeting. There were a smattering of sentiments, one of which said, "I don't care where you put (the road), just start tomorrow."
Bonnie Clark, who has lived near 2100 North in Lehi for more than 30 years, said the timing of the road has almost come too late.
"I think the city should have prepared for this 15 years ago," Clark said. "I wish we had planned better as a community than we did. ... What they need is a permanent solution, and they need to get on it."

[wrendog]

2100 N! 2100 N! 2100 N!!!!!!!

[i-215]

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3946370.jpg

MAN! That guy is my idol!

[SLC Projects]

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3946370.jpg



Sounds like a good plan. #15 on that map is new to me. ( Lake Crossing ) I wonder how people will feel about that one?

[delts145]

Residents discuss corridor

CATHY ALLRED - North County Staff

Two Lehi police officers were called in to be a "visible presence" at the UDOT Mountain View Corridor open house at Sego Lily March 15 and a sign was posted warning guests that foul language would not be tolerated at anytime.

While most of the visitors at the meeting were courteous to one another, the comment board revealed the depth of emotion residents felt regarding UDOT's proposal of a freeway through Lehi.

"Just say No 2100!" "Chuck the freeway at 2100 North ... go Arterials!!" "The issues in Saratoga Springs are NOT my problem!!" and "We vote Lehi Alternative Plan!" were some of the tamer comments written on the board.

Gina Bell was one of a few hundred who came to the meeting to express an opinion.

"Any option of the UDOT plan is crazy. Lehi's master plan is the best," she said.

Bell said her father-in-law is dying of cancer and two weeks ago she and her husband had decided to sell their home to move in and care for his dad. Then UDOT announced its proposal for a 2100 North freeway 300 yards from their backyard.

"Now what are we going to do?" she asked.

Previously UDOT staff had been eyeing 1900 and 1500 South corridors for a Mountain View freeway route. The results of an environmental study and an organized protest from COST, Citizens Organized for Smarter Transportation, has motivated the agency study team to look elsewhere for a east-west route to I-15 from east Saratoga Springs.

In response to UDOT's shift of focus to that area, Lehi City staff and officials presented a proposal in early March designed in 1997 for a freeway at approximately 4400 North where the gap between the west and east benches are at the narrowest point.

"At this point it won't be in our draft but we will look at it," said Teri Newell, UDOT project manager. "We're still in discussions on that ... we have some concerns about the height and span of the bridge."

The night before the UDOT open house a citizen's road rally was hosted by COST at the Legacy Center with some 300 people also attending this meeting.

"I want to point out UDOT is not the enemy," said David Klock, COST member and developer. "We just think we have a better plan."

COST's "better plan" supports Lehi City's master transportation plan which calls for wide tree-lined boulevards at 1900 South and 2100 North. Guest speaker Lucy Gibson, a Smart Mobility engineer, flew in from Vermont to address the crowd. She said boulevards were less expensive to build, took up less space, were more attractive, served more types of transportation, lowered air pollutant emissions and made less noise than a freeway.

The Lehi council and mayor attended the meeting in show of support for COST.

"We need to stand united that we don't have a freeway going through our community," Councilman Stephen Holbrook said.

[Utaaah!]

Residents discuss corridor

In response to UDOT's shift of focus to that area, Lehi City staff and officials presented a proposal in early March designed in 1997 for a freeway at approximately 4400 North where the gap between the west and east benches are at the narrowest point.



A high, arching bridge over the Jordan Narrows could look pretty cool -- perhaps like the New River Bridge in West Virginia:

http://home.dacor.net/norton/moto/hsta/star2003/nriv/nriv.jpg

Also, it would require less pavement because the gap between the two freeways would be smaller at that point, and there are likely no houses or wetlands in the way. I like this idea.

[wrendog]

2100 N! 2100 N! 2100 N!

215... that causeway over the lake has been a pipedream for many many years.

[SLC Projects]

A high, arching bridge over the Jordan Narrows could look pretty cool -- perhaps like the New River Bridge in West Virginia:

http://home.dacor.net/norton/moto/hsta/star2003/nriv/nriv.jpg

Also, it would require less pavement because the gap between the two freeways would be smaller at that point, and there are likely no houses or wetlands in the way. I like this idea.



I like that idea. :yes:

[delts145]

:previous:

I think that the bridge would be a great idea. It would definately look incredible at that location. That whole huge bench area West of Lehi and Thanksgiving Point is going to be a major area of housing development in the near future. Already the homes are creeping toward that direction. The West bench itself is a perfect gradual slope for accomodating jaw-dropping views of The Wasatch,Thanksgiving Point golf course and gardens,Gehry's upcomimg skyline, and Utah Lake.

[delts145]

Saratoga Springs to landscape city


CATHY ALLRED - North County Staff
Saratoga Springs leaders are hoping to distinguish their city from the rest of the north Utah County flock, with an egret monument and a boulevard and intersection landscaping design.

They have had design guidelines for the commercial crossroads called the Gateway engineered by Alfred Soffe Wikinson & Nichols AIA. Combining the landscaping plans with several versions of a distinctively designed logo of an egret, officials say they hope to set the city standard in the area.

"I think it looks really nice. I think it will set our city apart from others," Spencer Kyle, city assistant administrator, said. "It will be a very prominent feature in our commercial area."

Last fall, staff and officials reviewed the design by ASWN and will be incorporating some of the planned expense for the project into the city's 2007-2008 budget. The council and mayor will be discussing funding during the upcoming budget discussions in the spring.

"We haven't started our budget for the year," Kyle said. "We haven't really looked at that yet."

Phillips Edison Company, a developer for the southeast corner of the crossroads, is using the new guidelines to develop its landscaping at the Saratoga Town Center, Labrum said.

The guidelines specify a 35-foot wide landscape strips along the boulevard. Smiths and Top Stop have already adopted the guidelines and concept with their landscaping and design.

"Generally it requires some berming so as you approach the intersection the berms increase in height," Clark Labrum said. "And the landscape plantings become more dense and more elaborate."

The logo of an egret was designed two years ago.

"It was very professionally done," Kyle said. "I think they've done a good job of incorporating the features in the city into the logo."

The city has had several spin-off designs made for logo street banners, signs and a monument. The designs are all a part of a plan for a boulevard and entry at the crossroads of SR 73 and Redwood Road.

"That's probably all we will see right now but in the future the city will adopt some signage, logos," Clark Labrum, city planning director, said. "We're kind of trying to get some identification for the city center and eventually we'd like to get a monument."

The more than 10-foot high monument of the city's logo, an egret, will have a water feature and be placed in the southwest corner of the crossroads intersection.

[SmilingBob]

Lehi residents worried about impact of road

By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret Morning News
LEHI — About 300 Lehi-area residents attended a recent Utah Department of Transportation open house to learn about new changes to the Mountain View Corridor plan.
Usually, UDOT open houses draw closer to 100 people, but lately, the meetings about the proposed Mountain View Corridor have drawn more attention from residents and citizens groups who are concerned about the impact the road could have on their neighborhoods.
"I think the community down here is involved in the process, and they're very concerned about what might happen," said Nile Easton, spokesman for UDOT. "We're not seeing one overall consensus here; there's definitely a lot of different opinions about what transportation solution is going to be the best."
UDOT is considering three alternative options for the Mountain View Corridor, which will connect to I-15 in Utah County.
The options are: a freeway at 2100 North; a freeway at 1900 South; or three arterial connections, at Porter Rockwell Boulevard, 2100 North and 1900 South.
It is estimated that if UDOT builds a freeway on 2100 North in Lehi, 30-40 homes and businesses would need to be relocated, and 10-20 acres of wetlands will be impacted. UDOT estimates construction of the road — which would most likely carry up to 145,000 vehicles per day — will cost between $400 million and $500 million.
A freeway on 1900 South would impact between 70-80 acres of wetlands, UDOT estimates, and necessitate the relocation of 130-140 homes and businesses. The road is projected to carry up to 100,000 vehicles per day, and construction costs are estimated between $600 million and $700 million.
The arterials alignment could impact 60-70 acres of wetlands and require the relocation of about 80 homes and businesses, UDOT estimates. Together, the three roads could carry up to about 155,000 vehicles daily, according to UDOT.
According to Mountain View Corridor project manager Teri Newell, UDOT will now add the three alternatives to a draft document, which will summarize the project's two-year environmental impact study and help to identify a preferred alternative.
The draft document should be finished by fall, Newell said.
For each potential neighborhood that stands to be impacted by the road, there are residents who are upset by the possibility of living next to a six-lane highway and frustrated by the process of choosing a road.
At a recent meeting, a board was covered with large sticky notes written by residents who attended the meeting. There were a smattering of sentiments, one of which said, "I don't care where you put (the road), just start tomorrow."
Bonnie Clark, who has lived near 2100 North in Lehi for more than 30 years, said the timing of the road has almost come too late.
"I think the city should have prepared for this 15 years ago," Clark said. "I wish we had planned better as a community than we did. ... What they need is a permanent solution, and they need to get on it."

I don't think the people get what's going on here. UDOT is going to add East/West roads. It's a matter of where, not if. I still don't understand why they are talking about a MVC road at 1500 S. or 1900 S. and an expressway at 1000 S. and a road at 2100 N.

What did the people of Lehi think was going to happen when Saratogo Springs and Eagle Mountain were announced. That traffic has to go through some part of Lehi to get to I-15.

Personally I like the idea of taking it across the lake, but the environment obstacles to this are insurmountable--(in Utahn, ain't gonna happen).

I do like the idea of an expressway or 4 lane highway on both sides of Lehi. Scrap the plans for it to be a freeway, (although federal matching dollars might require it to be a freeway) and build the current roads out into bigger 4 lane roads. Build 2100 N., 1000 S., and 1900 S. into wider roads. I don't want a freeway running parallel to i-15 from Lehi to PG.

[delts145]

Pleasant Grove, Rec center update


LAURA GILES - North County Staff
PG City and high school work together for Rec Center

Pleasant Grove City and Alpine School District are working on a plan that would benefit both Pleasant Grove High School students and members of the community.

"We are revisiting the idea of the recreation center being located on school property," said Deon Giles, the city's leisure services director. "This seems to be the best location."

In October the city announced plans to build the new recreation center in the Grove (formerly the Gateway) area of the city, near the I-15 interchange.

"We visited about a year ago with the school district about the recreation center and at that time, they weren't interested. When the bond passed, they wanted to revisit the idea," said Giles.

Now the city and school district staff are waiting for preliminary drawings of the proposed center before presenting the plan. Public hearings on the proposal will follow at a date that has yet to be determined.

One of the advantages of putting the center near the school would be that students could use the facilities during the day.

"The schedule hasn't been decided, but we would be able to use one of the gyms, the aerobics room and the spinning room for classes," said Pleasant Grove High School principal Jess Christen.

"I think both locations are good, but by putting the center by the high school, it is more accessible to the community," said Pleasant Grove recreation manager Jay Dee Nielsen.

The plan would include a land swap between the city and the school district. "The two properties are equal in size," said Giles "The high school wants to use part of Battlecreek Park for their new practice and soccer field." According to Giles, the city does not currently use this portion of the park for any recreation programs.

The recreation center would be located on property now owned by the district. The proposed area for the center is located southeast of the Pleasant Grove Veterans Memorial Pool, which is at 570 E. 300 South.

According to Nielsen, the new recreation center will include many new amenities.

"We're hoping to include three full-size gymnasiums, an indoor running track, several classrooms, multipurpose areas, the recreation offices, an aerobics room, weight room, cardio area, locker rooms and a childcare area."

"We'll have a complete athletic mall with our expansions and the recreation center," said Pleasant Grove High School assistant principal Dan Weishar. "Our kids are their kids and their kids are our kids. We'll have a great relationship with the city," he added.

"The idea of an athletic mall is that we're trying to get all of our athletics in one area. The south side will be all athletics," said Christen. The school will have a new stadium, eight-lane track and a field house.

According to Giles, a public hearing will be held after the agreement for the land swap is drafted with the school district.

"Once we get the property agreement, we can start the design phase," he said.

That design phase will take approximately three months. Then, construction will begin, which will take 12-14 months.

"We're looking at having the center finished 15-16 months down the road," said Giles.

[SLC Projects]

speaking of Pleasant Grove. Is there a update on when crews will breakground on the new highrise hotel for that area? :shrug:
Last I heard ground could be broken this spring?

[delts145]

^^^
I understand they are on schedule for this Spring. Drove by there yesterday on my way to Provo.
Something of interest just across the Freeway on the South side, A new office building is taking shape and its quite attractive. A lot of higher end materials being used on the exterior.

[delts145]

Church gets a reprieve

Preservation group has till April 19 to come up with $1.2M

By Tad Walch
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — Call it a miracle of St. Francis, call it good government, call it a win-win ... call it whatever you like, but it appears the old Catholic church building on Provo's 500 West Street will escape the wrecking ball.

http://www.deseretnews.com/photos/3991861.jpg
Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning News
The church is the only example of 20th-century Spanish Mission-style architecture in Provo.

Somehow, late Tuesday night in the middle of the Provo City Council meeting, four factions negotiated a deal that will give a preservation group 15 more days to raise $1.2 million to buy and save the building or remove all obstacles to tearing it down.
The City Council unanimously agreed to wait until 5 p.m. on April 19 to remove the building from the city's landmarks register.
The developer who offered the church $1.2 million for the land agreed to step aside if the preservation group delivers that amount, plus $50,000 for work done by the developer, before the deadline.
The chairman of the Historic Provo Preservation Foundation, BYU music professor Douglas Bush, said the group would have the money in time.
Bush also agreed along with the chairman of the Provo Landmarks Commission to influence anyone considering a lawsuit to stop demolition of the building to forgo that option because of the agreement.
An increasingly rancorous meeting evolved into a real estate negotiation that several area Catholics said made them uncomfortable before it took a sudden turn.
Adam Ford, an attorney representing the developer, made a promise to the council that he said was legally binding: If the foundation delivered $1.25 million in two weeks, the developer would accept it and step aside.
Mayor Lewis Billings jumped on the offer and suggested a deal like the one that saved the former BYU Academy Square a decade ago.
If the developer would stand by the offer, and the preservationists agreed not to sue if they failed to deliver on their promises, the sides would agree to a 16-day deadline.

"If they come up with the money, we're good," Ford said. "If not, they've committed to no lawsuits."
Council Chairman George Stewart called a 10-minute recess and the sides hammered out the details.
The St. Francis of Assisi Parish has tried for 10 years to sell the building. It left the site seven years ago to worship in a gymnasium the parish built in Orem next to the plot where it planned to build a new church — if it ever sold the old building in Provo.
Without the parish's permission, the building was placed on the city's landmarks register in 1996, as was an off-campus BYU building.
The Council removed the BYU building in 2002, and the Catholics said they just wanted equal treatment.
"We just want you to treat us the same way you treated BYU," said Julie Boerio-Goates, a parishioner and a BYU chemistry professor. "As a member of the minority, that's a really important feeling to have."
Offers have come and gone, but the parish took new hope when a developer offered $1.2 million if the parish could get the City Council to take the building off the city's landmarks register.
The Provo Landmarks Commission balked, and the City Council voted in February to give the foundation two months to come up with an offer the Catholic Church would accept.
"We'll accept the offer as it stands now," said the Rev. Michael Sciumbato, the parish pastor. "We'll see what happens on April 19. I hope that's a historic day for the Catholic Church in Utah Valley."
That skepticism was born in part by an offer the foundation made in May that fell apart, and then miscommunication on counteroffers.
The biggest miscommunication of all happened Monday night. Bush drove to Salt Lake City with an envelope that contained a letter about a $1.2 million offer, a non-refundable check for $50,000 and a contract.
But Bush didn't realize he hadn't placed the contract in the envelope, and none of the church leaders were at the Salt Lake Diocese to hear his offer verbally.
"I was stunned," Bush said of learning of the blunder. "I really thought I'd included the materials. I'm very grateful for the result we reached.
"This is a helpful thing for those people who have pledged funds because it provides a timetable. It also helps those who intended to help. It's imperative they contact us immediately."
He said the deal "absolutely" would get done.
Bush delivered the contract to church representatives in the lobby of the city center just before Tuesday's meeting, and reactions by some members of the two groups grew heated.
An attorney representing the diocese said the council agreed to remove the building from the register if no offer was made in time, and he argued that no offer had been made.
Then Ford and Billings stepped in and Bush and Landmarks Commission Chair Stephen Hales stepped up.
After the deal was reached, all sides hailed the decision with applause in the council chambers.
The church building will be automatically removed from the register if the deal isn't consummated by the deadline.
"Now we go to work," Bush said.
The first part of the building was built in 1923 and the rest in 1936. The building is the only example of 20th-century Spanish Mission-style architecture in Provo.