www.dpz.com/project.aspx?Project_Number=519&P...
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Elim Valley is a new community to be located within the town boundaries of Hurricane, Utah, and comparable in size to its downtown. The site itself presents tremendous opportunities because of its location adjacent to the county’s capital, St. George, and on account of the county’s population growth rate. The city of St. George has been named the second-fastest growing city in America, and the new town will provide approximately 10,000 new housing units. This will help accomodate this population growth without initiating sprawl.
The masterplan of Elim Valley calls for a community made of several neighborhoods, with a mixed-use town center to the north, and a golf course and resort hotel and village forming an island of open space in the center. The body of the town will be located to the south, with several neighborhoods interconnected by greenways and lakes. Each neighborhood will have its own center, as well as greens and canals easily accessible from every home. All neighborhoods will include a mix of housing typologies, including apartment mansions, live/work units, townhouses, cottages, courtyard houses and compounds.
The town center, which will be visible from popular State Route 9, will serve as a major asset to residents and an attraction for visitors. The size of the existing market in the region and the new town will demand warrant large-scale retail development, and so the area will include some Big Box stores on the periphery, and then will transition into a pedestrianoriented, mixed-use Main Street. Outdoor spaces, including a water park and several squares will also be a prominent part of the Main Street experience.
Trails allowing for pedestrian connectivity will also be a major asset to the community, and will give residents additional opportunity to enjoy southwest Utah’s stunning landscape and temperate climate. Designed for bikers, joggers and equestrians, the trails will connect Elim Valley’s various communities, while traversing natural settings, parks, and residential spaces. Though intended primarily for recreation, these trails will ultimately become an integral part of the site’s overall thoroughfare network.