Provo MSA Development Thread

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by delts145

Stalled projects: Utah County

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705296663/Stalled-projects-Utah-County.html


Construction of Orem's Midtown Village halted in 2008. The developer couldn't get financing to finish the project. Stuart Johnson, Deseret News


Stuart Johnson, Deseret News
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That was just a poor location to begin with. Whow would want to pay $300k to $700k for a luxury condo on yucky & somewhat blighted State Street in Orem anyways?

[Orlando]

If you guys haven't seen this incredible building on your way down to Provo, it is definitely worth checking out. This building is built on the old Geneva Steel site, and is built by old Geneva Steel parts and from the old Coca Cola factory roof from 950s. 300w. in SLC.

Check out this video and article from Utah Stories:

http://www.utahstories.com/harley_timpanogos.htm

[shakman]

Originally Posted by Orlando

That was just a poor location to begin with. Whow would want to pay $300k to $700k for a luxury condo on yucky & somewhat blighted State Street in Orem anyways?

Perhaps why it is being built at its location would be to eventually "un-blight" State Street with incentives for developers?

[delts145]

When I think of blighted I think of dirty, grimey, rundown, allot of grafitti etc. This area is hardly fitting of the classic definition of urban or inner-city blight. Granted it is still lined with small, family style business, but it's orderly and clean, with incredible views of the surrounding Wasatch. I do agree that this project was not well thought out enough to attract the level of clientele it's prices were demanding. Hopefully another developer will be able to step in soon at a good price, finish it off and charge the correct per-unit price.

Also, looking at the actual finish on the project, notice the difference that say a few sophisticated council members can make. Take for instance the Cedar Hills council and a Walmart, and the Orem council with this ridiculous finish on what is suppose to be a luxury residential tower.

Future Mayor, I hope you're making sure that Payson doesn't make the same kind of mistakes, LOL.

Orem City also needs to make a conserted effort to follow-up with multi-level residential/commercial along the immediate State Street corridor. Orem is an unusually clean and one of the most beautifully situated cities in the West. It's high time it became more than just another peaceful bedroom community. Now that Geneva is gone and FrontRunner is on the way, the potential for Orem to stand out is enormous. It has an excellent grid for the most part, which could handle a well thought out urban center.

Spanish Fork announces start of new North Park

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705299555/New-North-Park-in-Spanish-Fork.html

SPANISH FORK — A new North Park is expected to begin taking shape this year just south of its previous location on 1000 North and U.S. 6.

In its former location a new multi-million commercial development is to house a Home Depot and another big box store, not yet named. The relocated 9.85-acre park is tucked to the south and behind the future stores.

City officials promise a much nicer park with a grand pavilion, nearly a half-mile of walking trails, more than 4.7 acres of grass, splash and play areas, a sand volleyball court and other amenities.

It is to have 279 trees and 5,824 shrubs. The city is looking for volunteers to plant the shrubs

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[John Martin]

I don't think the village is really that bad. It makes the area look like it's ready for more urbanization. It's so big that I don't think the surrounding businesses would really affect the likelihood of people moving there that much. I mean.. with all do respect, what area would be more appropriate? It looks like a freaking resort, you'd be certainly pissing someone off if you put it on a better piece of land. It's almost heart-breaking to see it sitting there collecting dust though, really hope someone finishes it while it's this close to completion.

[delts145]

I actually like the shapes and configuration of the village allot. My only complaint is the very bland looking finish on the upper floors.

[poodledoodledude]

It has an excellent grid for the most part, which could handle a well thought out urban center.


Delts-- i don't know about this statement...it seems to me orem has NO grid-- nothing but filled in orchards. from south of center street, main street is to the west, but north of center it transitions to the east. very confusing...also, they have more dead end streets in orem than all of utah county combined!! (k, maybe not, but can you tell i deliver for a living?!) everytime we have a delivery for orem, i have to hop on mapquest just to get simple directions! i don't think orem has a well planned out grid by any means!

now, delts--you know how to take this!
i'm just trying to say that orem is still the little sister to provo. one that steals everything provo gets, but which provo can't seem to hang on to! orem seems to be a leach from provo in a lot of ways.

university mall
orem owlz (was provo angels)
car dealerships
university pkwy corridor businesses

provo needs to step up to the plate and start getting in some good development in smart ways or provo will no longer be the big boy in the neighborhood.

poodledoodledude

[delts145]

^^^ LOL, I guess it will be interesting to see where Provo and Orem are in twenty years

I will always like Provo. I think it's making some good progress. At the moment it's a little hard to gage things in the valley as far as where the next 'it' place will be. The next boom could easily turn Lehi into the place to be. Who knows.... Although the Provo/Orem combination in tandem is a pretty good one.

[poodledoodledude]

you know, the more i think of it, the more i seeing south county growing a LOT in the next 20-30 years. there is SOOOO much land south of provo to develop and SPACE!!!

already, the freeway around springville/spanish fork is developing as farmers sell off their land for development. similarly what happened in salt lake county 15-20 years ago. i remember when i would drive to salt lake as a kid and it was busy around murray and north...now, all along the freeway from draper north is busy and developed!

anyway, lehi and north county are enjoying the boom now...but i think as far as density, provo/orem will be on "top" for awhile.

...but let's just watch south county--seems with all the new high schools going in, lots of development will spur others to develop their properties around that.

what do you all think?

poodledoodledude

[delts145]

I look forward to that day Poodle, because as South County grows, the pressure to build towers will happen in Provo.

[Future Mayor]

The area of the Governors Office that predicts growth, estimated that by 2040 the south county will have 400,000 people, it now has roughly 100,000. The goal is to accomodate the population growth while preserving land as orchards, other agricultural uses and open space. The people are going to live here, the challenge is to house them in a more responsible way than has occurred in south SL county

[wrendog]

Pretty cool video of the new pioneer crossing road currently under construction in Lehi. The intersection at the freeway is insane...

http://www.udot.utah.gov/pioneer/

[delts145]

Wow, very cool. Thanks for the post Wren. For a second I was getting motion sickness at that new interchange, LOL. That's crazy, but I think it will be an awesome resolution.

[cololi]

that freeway intersection is a complete nightmare for pedestrians. I asked one of the designers at a conference how pedestrains would move through it and they said they had not really considered the pedestrian. Good ol UDOT.

As far as the rest of the road, they continue to make the same mistakes: limiting the number of intersections to a select few at signalized points, which increases traffic and limits transportation options to the private vehicle. There is a comment a few posts up about avoiding the inappropriate growth in the southern part of Utah Co, but the northern part seems to want to grow in the same way as any other suburb.

[i-215]

Although Pioneer will have a multi-use path, it will be a limited-access road, designed for cars (no businesses along the road).

Most pedestrian traffic would probably cross at Lehi Main, where the businesses are.

[cololi]

Thanks for the info. I honestly don't know much about the area, rare that I get to Utah County and even more rare when I get off the Interstate.

The way that the path integrates with the intersection strikes me as funny though. They go through the effort to include the path, but then don't really care about the integration of the two.

[jtrent77]

Originally Posted by cololi

that freeway intersection is a complete nightmare for pedestrians. I asked one of the designers at a conference how pedestrains would move through it and they said they had not really considered the pedestrian. Good ol UDOT.

Hmm I see crosswalks throughout the project that should integrate just as well as crosswalks at any other freeway interchange...so not sure why this one is any different. Additionally, at present there isn't any pedestrian traffic that would cross from the Lehi side to the AF side of the freeway because there really aren't that many houses in that area of Lehi presently--you kind of have to know the area before you can start complaining about it.

[Happy Valley Freak]

Umm actually some pedestrians DO use that overpass. I would know, because I do! There is a bus stop on the Lehi Side of the freeway, at which I sometimes get off and walk over the overpass to the Meadows shopping area.

[delts145]

Lindon opens $10 million water park

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/no...2e281de-74a7-5679-93ae-6695cfe13ab5.html



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[delts145]

Microsoft to hire in Lehi, Company's office will open in August

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705311095/Microsoft-to-open-office-in-Lehi.html


Paul Mayfield, Director of Engineering for Microsoft, talks about the company's decision to open a software development center in the new Thanksgiving Park office complex in Lehi Wednesday. (Jason Olson, Deseret News)

...Microsoft tested the waters (in Utah) for a while. ... They loved what they saw in this place — the talent and the opportunity," he said. "We didn't even offer incentives from the state for Microsoft to come here."

Perry said the state's low cost of doing business and well-educated work force compared to other nearby states attracted the company to Utah

"It's really hard to do business in places like California now," he said. "As taxes start increasing, as red tape starts increasing because of it, they start looking for other locations."

Perry added that his agency has six or seven other projects that they are working on that could bring even more jobs to Utah. Announcements about those projects could be given during the next couple of months, he said...

Microsoft opening Lehi office, Economy » The software development giant brings 100 new jobs that will boost state's high-tech sector.

http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_12613001?source=rv


Utah Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony at Thanksgiving Point June 17, 2009. Microsoft is opening a software development center at Thanksgiving Park that will employ about 100 people. (Chris Detrick / The Salt Lake Tribune)