i don't know you guys...i'm thinking i'm with wasatch on this one....
even though other buildings--HIGHRISES are going in at other parts of the valleys along our little wasatch front, to me, it doesnt mean that those communities are building a central core to their city. orem has some 8 story building in their city, but where is the TRUE center of orem?? i don't consider the "center" of the city, just an address of 5 north state street. to me, the "central" core of orem is :
there is none. some consider univ. mall the "center" because that's where everyone goes. i remember thinking that orem center street was NORTH orem. it seems SOOOO far out of the way. but, you ask about provo, and guess what? it's the center of the city. it's the "downtown" of provo that has that feel. granted, it's a bit older, and rundown, but when developers start to develop in the "center" of town, it feels like a downtown. ...and who says a downtown has to be HUGE? it doesn't. i think when the two or three new highrises are built, more developers will want to come in and add their buildings to the "feel" of "downtown"...and i don't see that happening in PG or Lehi by putting in a GIANT MONOLITH thing that's 40 stories by the freeway.
provo, to me, has a core, and just "slapping" (kudos to wasatch on this one) in a HUGE 30-story highrise doesn't mean that that's the end all of where the city is going. although after a few midrises, a 20-30-story building fits in with those around it. i believe that is where provo is headed. they want a developed core. and by starting with a few 10 story buildings will accomplish that better...then, the airport picks up a commercial carrier: YOU JUST WATCH THE HIGHRISES COME INTO PROVO THEN MY FRIENDS!!!! JUST WATCH!!
there was also talk of a 10-story midrise going in to DOWNTOWN P.G.!!! which, i think, would look TERRIBLE!! at least now. they need some smaller 3-7 story buildings around first, get in some better infrastructure for their downtown, and then the 10-15-story highrises will come and fit in better.
we also have to remember that 20-30-50 story buildings house a LOT of people, and the infrastructure needs to be there to handle a LOT of traffic this type of development creates.
also, provo city is selling the land between 100-200 west and center and 100 south--where that old keiths lunch used to be. i think it's closed now, after changing hands...the city bought it and wants to sell it....i've heard rumblings that NuSkin wants to buy the land and build another highrise: 12-15 stories. and they will also use that land to build another parking terrace...
just my two pence...keep the change
poodledoodledude
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We Americans tend to be an impatient bunch as far as wanting these great visions built now. I know, I'm definately among the guilty. I don't know if both Pleasant Grove and Thanksgiving Point will both see this huge build-up, but I'm willing to bet that one of the two will. I agree with you that many projects sure do seem to take their own sweet time. I do think that the 400 to 600 ft. towers are well on their way, and perhaps a few will be announced in the next couple of years. It's easy to forget how far the Wasatch Front has come in just the last ten years. Man, I remember just a short while ago that we could hardly get any repect on this forum, as a major metro on the move. There were more than our fair share of detractors and snide remarks amongst certain forumers. Now, those same people are often strangely quiet, or begrudgingly acknowledge that the Wasatch must be reckoned with. Before,during,and since the Olympics this Metro has exploded in population growth,labor,transportion and structural development. We have passed many metros in population and a number of key segments, metros who historically have been larger than the Wasatch. We are now poised to catch up with certain other Metro's within the next ten years, and some we will just pass them by. I wouldn't even venture to name which ones, for fear of creating a lot of hand wringing, and a few very shrill posts. Anyway, it couldn't come at a better time,as far as I'm concerned. We have learned much from areas like L.A. and many of the mistakes made during the growth of the 50's,60's and 70's. As much as many are uncomfortable with the thought of The Wasatch soon reaching 3 million, then 4, and then 5 million, at least we will be doing it on the back of mass-transit,vibrant urban cores, and electric automobiles. 
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