Provo MSA Development Thread

[SmilingBob]

Originally Posted by SmilingBob

New high rises set for Orem
By Todd Hollingshead
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 01/25/2007 02:18:44 PM MST

Posted: 2:19 PM- OREM - Another set of high-rise buildings is on its way to Orem.
The Orem City Council this week rezoned five acres just east of the 1600 North exit for a new business complex that will feature two eight-story, 140-foot tall buildings.
The North Pointe Plaza will join Orem's Midtown Village as the only two high-rise complexes in Utah County's second largest city.
"You're going to know when you're in Orem," said City Councilman Mark Seastrand. "Some twin towers are going up."

This is between the Exxon and Holiday oil gas stations, next to the Leavitt Insurance Building.

This is on the hill across from ModusMedia. With nothing around it more than a couple of stories tall it will stand out like Midtown does on State St.

[DevdogAZ]

There was a thread in the last couple of days where someone posted a video that had something to do with Deseret Towers and what was going to replace them. I couldn't watch it at the time and now I can't find it. Do any of you know what thread that was in or who posted it?

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by DevdogAZ

There was a thread in the last couple of days where someone posted a video that had something to do with Deseret Towers and what was going to replace them. I couldn't watch it at the time and now I can't find it. Do any of you know what thread that was in or who posted it?

It was I-215 I think who post that video. It should be on this same thread, that or maybe it's on the city creek thread when some of us started talking about Demo of the crossroads mall. One of those two threads.

[delts145]

They'll replace camp's aging wooden tents

By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — In the beginning, there was no plumbing, no electricity — only wooden tents — and people still fell in love with the rustic atmosphere of Aspen Grove.


Keith Johnson, Deseret Morning News
A visitor does some cross country skiing near Aspen Grove Lodge in Provo Canyon during a youth conference on Friday.

That was in 1960.
Now, the family-centered recreation camp in Provo Canyon is making plans to remove some of its nearly 90-year-old cabins in favor of new lodging that's more deluxe and less "rough."
"All of the indicators show us that our guests are wanting the nicer facilities more and more and more," Aspen Grove camp director Glen Parker said. "But I'm sure that we're always going to be romantically involved with some of those rustic cabins."
Aspen Grove, which is owned and operated by Brigham Young University's alumni association, used to serve as a summer school for BYU's students in the 1920s. The students went to Aspen Grove during the summer to study biology or other science subjects.
Because there was no plumbing, the students had to heft their water uphill from a nearby stream, and at night, they slept in wooden tents, which were primitive, A-frame, wooden structures.
Since then, the camp has built several newer lodges with individual bathrooms and common living areas, but the rustic wooden tents still serve as housing during the summer time while the family camp is going on.
Parker says the tents are less preferable because the bathroom is shared with other tents, and they are farther away from the main lodge.
"(The tents) were never built with it in mind that they were going to last this long," Parker said. "Originally, they were going to build tent platforms and put canvas tents on them, but then they thought that just for a little bit more money, they can build a wood tent. They lasted much longer than anyone ever thought."
Aspen Grove has several phases of the project that will ultimately result in three new lodges, two new cabins, a remodeled cabin and remodeled main bathroom.
The first phase will start with a new lodge located near the dining hall. The planned three-story lodge, with 12 bedrooms on each floor, will provide housing for 100 guests.
The lodge will ultimately be connected with two other lodges, which, if built according to plans, will be built side-by-side and connected with underground parking.
Although the camp's capacity of 408 guests is already booked years in advance for each summer season, the new lodges will not be adding any more beds, according to county code. Guests do not have to be BYU alumni to attend the camp.
Parker said estimated construction costs are still under wraps, but all of the expenses will be paid with fees the camp generates from its guests each summer.
Construction on the first phase is slated to begin in early June, Parker said.
Ray Beckham remembers what Aspen Grove was like before it opened as a family camp, but he says the changes over the years haven't affected the camp's overall purpose.
During World War II, Aspen Grove closed as a summer camp for students, and by 1960, BYU was considering giving the land back to its original owners. But Beckham had a different idea.
As a member of the BYU alumni association, Beckham had spent some time at the camp with his family, lugging water and sleeping in the wood lodges. He convinced BYU to allow him to transform the facility into a family camp, and from that year on, the beds have been filled.
"Taking care of families has been (Aspen Grove's) priority since the day they opened," Beckham said. "This is still the best place in the world to take your family for vacation. And once you take your family there, they just want to go back year after year after year because it is so good."
Bountiful resident Kenneth Beesley has been traveling to Aspen Grove every year for 12 years, and he says he agrees. The camp has made great improvements since he first started going, Beesley says, but the camp's organization is the reason he has returned with his family.
"Where else can you go that the food is provided and programs are provided for the kids from diaper-age up to teenagers?" Beesley said. "The kids love it, and the mothers love it, why would you choose to go anywhere else?"

[delts145]

Costs create affordability gap for would-be buyers

By Tad Walch
Deseret Morning News
PROVO — From Santaquin to Alpine, the housing market is hot.
How hot?
Three years ago, a $250,000 home was a premium home in Utah Valley. Now, the average sale price of a Utah County home is $254,000.
In fact, the number of valley homes sold for at least $500,000 jumped from 95 three years ago to 368 last year.
Real estate expert Kevin Call now tracks the valley's high-end housing market by counting the million-dollar homes: 44 sold last year, 73 on the market right now.
The surge is raising prices at the bottom end of the market, too, great news for homeowners but bad news for would-be homebuyers who now can't afford most of the homes in Utah Valley, said Call, executive vice president for the Utah County Association of Realtors.
How bad is the affordability gap?
Only 3 percent of homes on the market right now are listing for less than $160,000. And 90 percent of all homes on the market this week list for $200,000 or more.
"That's an affordability problem in our marketplace," Call told the Provo Kiwanis Club on Tuesday. "If you are a schoolteacher in the Alpine School District with five years' experience and a master's degree, you can't qualify for 90 percent of homes on the market unless you have a second job or a spouse that works."
Don't expect new construction to ease the problem, either.
"You can't find a new construction home for under $160,000," Call said. "Even downtown Eagle Mountain has passed that threshold."
The reason is a stark leap in lot prices. For example, in 2004, a lot in the Val Vista subdivision in American Fork sold for $75,000. Last year, a nearby lot that was the same size sold for $149,500.
The lowest-priced, developed single-family lot listed Wednesday in Santaquin, one of the most affordable cities in the valley, was $67,000 for .17 acres.
The affordability situation is compounded by a low inventory: Only a small supply of homes are for sale for less than $160,000 or even up to $200,000.
"The group that can handle the least competition is facing the most competition," Call said of lower-income homebuyers.
The good news is that homeowners are seeing an excellent return on their investments.
Last year, half of all single-family homes in Utah Valley sold for more than $213,075 in 2006, and half sold for less. That median sale price was up 33 percent from $160,000 at the end of 2004.
The median price in Orem jumped from $151,525 to $180,000 over the same period. In Provo, it went from $143,450 to $170,000. The highest appreciation was in the Highland-Alpine area, where it grew roughly 23 percent last year alone.
"I expect 2007 to be approximately the same in unit sales as it was in 2006," Call said. "I expect prices to increase, but certainly not at 22 to 24 percent. Our market is beginning to settle, to stabilize a bit. I believe that's healthy for our market."
One reason is new construction. More building permits were issued in Utah County in 2006 than ever before. Even Provo hit an eight-year high, Mayor Lewis Billings said recently.

[delts145]

Orem has high-rise vision
City rezones to accommodate new North Pointe twin towers
By Todd Hollingshead
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 01/26/2007 11:47:56 PM MST


This is a model of North Pointe Plaza, an eight-story high rise that will be built at 1275 W. 1600 North in Orem.

Former Orem Mayor Joseph Nelson had a vision that one day people would be greeted by a high-rise as they enter Orem.
Nelson isn't here to see it - he died during his term - but his vision is coming true.
Times two.
The Orem City Council this week rezoned 5 acres just east of Interstate 15's 1600 North exit for a new business complex, which will feature two eight-story, 140-foot-tall buildings.
North Pointe Plaza will join Orem's Midtown Village as the only two high-rise complexes in Utah County's second largest city.
"I remember [Nelson] expressing that he hoped someone would come along and build something nice and high-rise along the freeway corridor," said North Pointe project engineer Roger Dudley.
But a new office building simply wasn't feasible as little as three years ago because of a surplus of office space in the area. Today, office vacancies in Utah County are low, due to the rise in corporate expansion along the Wasatch Front, which has gobbled up available space
"There is a need for office space - especially Class A [top of the line] space" in Utah County, said James Bullington, an office and retail specialist with commercial real estate brokerage Commerce CRG.
North Pointe's two conjoined glass office towers will be the tallest buildings in Orem. Midtown Village, located at 300 S. State St., will be less than 100 feet tall.
"You're going to know when you're in Orem," City Councilman Mark Seastrand said.
Developers have been authorized to go forward with North Pointe's site plans and probably will start construction by the summer, Dudley said. The development will offer roughly 120,000 square feet.
The plaza - including a curving, three-story parking garage around the east and south edges - likely will be finished in the spring or summer of next year.
Because of the steep slope at the project site, roughly 1275 West 1600 North, developer Bruce Dickerson said the buildings may not appear as tall as Midtown Village.
But Dudley said Provo Canyon will be visible from the top two floors.
"This would give [the area] some depth and some personality, and I think that was the hope," Dudley said.
City planners say more projects like North Pointe Plaza and Midtown Village - developments that go up rather than out - are on their way to Orem.
The city of more than 90,000 people is almost built out.
"You're going to see a few more of [the high-rises] pop up down State Street," city planner Jason Bench said.
North Pointe's developers mailed 204 notices to residents within 300 feet of the property. Fewer than a dozen attended this week's council meeting and none had much concern with the project.
---
* Tribune reporterLESLEY MITCHELL contributed to this report.

[delts145]

We've talked about building up Orem's core around the new Village complex. While I definately want to see alot more of the same in that area, I'm wondering how much traffic the Center Street corridor is equipped to handle. While State Street is an excellent route,the access from the freeway to a large downtown type office cluster is very limited from I-15. Center Street from I-15 to State Street is quite a distance and cannot be expanded further. While 800 no. is currently being expanded and will serve the area well, it is quite a distance north from The Orem Village Center. Really, Orem has no sensible drop-off I-15 access to the Village as a major downtown core, like Salt lake from I-15 to its downtown.

This 1600 north area has excellent immediate I-15 access, and is surrounded by the vast empty areas of the former Geneva Steel. I have long had this vision of a glistening skyline in this area where the once grotesquely ugly Geneva once stood. Given that Ut. Valley's portion of I-15 is about to receive a major overhaul, and also the valley wide transportation hub will be here, and adjacent to the new regional power generating facitlity, "this would get my pick for the skyline center of Ut. Valley." Can you all imagine a spectacular skyline on the shores of a beautifully restored Utah Lake with Timp as a magnificent backdrop. It would be one of the most stunning skyline locations in the country

I'm not at all against this happening for downtown Provo. I think Provo also has excellent I-15 access and will have a bright mass-transit future. But as someone who has the psyche of a developer I see 1600 No. as overwhelmingly attractive to future highrise development. Most of this is because of large,attractive, bulk land issues at the 1600 no. site, which would be very difficult to duplicate in and around downtown Provo.

[SmilingBob]

Originally Posted by delts145

Orem has high-rise vision
City rezones to accommodate new North Pointe twin towers
By Todd Hollingshead
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 01/26/2007 11:47:56 PM MST


This is a model of North Pointe Plaza, an eight-story high rise that will be built at 1275 W. 1600 North in Orem.

These buildings are going to look massive sitting halfway up the hill off 1600 N. I like the idea, but the location makes me wonder if it will truely fit with the surroundings.

This location is on the hillside east of I-15. The elevation is probably 100' higher than I-15's elevation making it visible from very far away. If you think about the elevation difference this building will look like it's 240' tall from I-15 level or out toward Geneva.

Sounds like a great place to move into when completed next year. Just about the time we'll need to move!

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by delts145

It looks like a cake. LOL


Anyways Sounds like a good idea, Glad to hear that there will be a three story parking. Wish it would be closer to Midtown Village.


City planners say more projects like North Pointe Plaza and Midtown Village - developments that go up rather than out - are on their way to Orem.
The city of more than 90,000 people is almost built out.
"You're going to see a few more of [the high-rises] pop up down State Street," city planner Jason Bench said.


I can't wait to see what other projects are in store for Orem. Hope these other projects will near both North point and midtown village projects.

[SLC Projects]

oh and as for the roads, The roads now are busy enough without these new projects. I don't even want to think about how bad state street or the other roads will be once these new office towers will go in the area. With 90,000 people in Orem and the fact that Orem is build out and needs to build up I think it's time for Orem to start thinking about putting in Light rail in their city.

[jedikermit]

I really want to like those buildings...they're just so...squat.

[delts145]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

oh and as for the roads, The roads now are busy enough without these new projects. I don't even want to think about how bad state street or the other roads will be once these new office towers will go in the area. With 90,000 people in Orem and the fact that Orem is build out and needs to build up I think it's time for Orem to start thinking about putting in Light rail in their city.

The main tranportation terminal is planned to be just below No. Pointe Plaza If North pointe projects were to congregate around the current Village Center in Orem, traffic would become a nightmare. Northpoint is an area that is far more viable for high-rise density.

[DevdogAZ]

Originally Posted by delts145

I'm not at all against this happening for downtown Provo. I think Provo also has excellent I-15 access and will have a bright mass-transit future. But as someone who has the psyche of a developer I see 1600 No. as overwhelmingly attractive to future highrise development. Most of this is because of large,attractive, bulk land issues at the 1600 no. site, which would be very difficult to duplicate in and around downtown Provo.

I think your idea of a "core" of sorts in the 1600 N. area is interesting, but I've got to wonder about your sanity when you say Orem Center St. is bad freeway access but then you say Provo's downtown has "excellent" access to I-15. Have you ever driven Provo Center St. from I-15 to University? If there is ever any kind of employment core downtown, that corridor will be a nightmare. Downtown Provo is kind of a puzzle, because it has kind of a cool feel with all the old stores, but in order to get more people down there, they'll have to condemn all those stores to widen Center Street.

[delts145]

I'm sorry, I should have been more specific. I guess I just assumed that I was talking to locals who had a better understanding of the area. I was referring to the University Ave. access further southeast along I-15. The south portion of Univ. Ave. is many times more relevant to a developer of traffic generating density than the limited access of Center Street in Orem.
I'm a huge proponent of historical preservation, and would loathe any destruction of Provo's historic district. I would like to see the area to the south and southeast, in the old warehousing and railroad district developed as more of a mid and hi-rise style gateway district, much like the Depot district in the west portion of downtown Salt Lake.

[urbane]

Originally Posted by SLC Projects

oh and as for the roads, The roads now are busy enough without these new projects. I don't even want to think about how bad state street or the other roads will be once these new office towers will go in the area. With 90,000 people in Orem and the fact that Orem is build out and needs to build up I think it's time for Orem to start thinking about putting in Light rail in their city.

Very true, if they plan to build up instead of out they are going to need to plan for effective pulic transportation, such as light rail. Has Orem of even Utah County joined UTA yet? Did the sales tax bill pass?

[SmilingBob]

Looks like we're going from very little as far as convention space to hundreds of thousands of square feet with the PG and Lehi projects. It seems like we'll have a race to see who can get their convention center/hotel up first.

I wonder if this will affect the plans to build a convention center and hotel in downtown Provo. Most likely it will be built, but how large is the question. I've heard it's somewhere between 80,000 to 100,000 feet of convention space, but haven't heard much about the hotel.

It will be interesting when Provo announces. We really will have some exciting projects to watch.

[delts145]

ASHLEY FRANSCELL/ Daily Herald Ira Fulton watches dancers and performers during a celebration at UVSC Thursday, February 1, 2007. The celebration was to publicly thank Fulton and his wife, Mary Lou, for their donation of $516,000 a match to money raised by the students at UVSC.

Ten million dollars could buy a ton of chili for Utah Valley State College students, but philanthropist Ira Fulton is more worried about getting the word "university" on their diplomas.

UVSC students lined the halls of the Sorensen Center to get a free bowl of chili, oh, and thank Fulton for his nearly $500,000 donation to the school at the "Fulton Celebration" Thursday.

Giving is contagious for the Arizona construction mogul.

After matching Utah Valley State College's donations 1:1 for a total amount of more than $1 million, Fulton announced Thursday he also wants to raise $10 million by the end of this month to jump-start UVSC's switch to university status.

"I want to raise 10 million by the end of this month. I will match it if you raise it," promised the CEO of Fulton Homes in Phoenix. "Just don't tell my wife I made another commitment," he joked later.

"Let's go before the Legislature at the end of this month and challenge them," Fulton said.

SB 70 proposes a base-funding increase for UVSC of $10 million per year. Currently, UVSC has a budget of $100 million a year, with 51 percent coming from tuition and the other 49 percent coming from the state. The additional funds will add more salaried faculty, reduce the student to teacher ratio and add graduate degrees -- all steps toward a university status.

The one-time Fulton gift would be an added bonus to the cause, one that UVSC believes will entice legislators to pass the bill this legislative session.

"Private donations will really help the university status to really come into its own," said Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, who is sponsoring the legislation that would upgrade UVSC's status.

Legislative appropriations go for ongoing needs like salaries and utilities, while one-time money like a large gift is best used for expenses like books, computer equipment and building upgrades. Lawmakers know the difference, and the fundraising drive shouldn't affect the appropriations process, Valentine said.

"We'd show them we are putting our money where our heart and mouth is, and we hope for them to do the same," said Cameron Martin, assistant to the president at UVSC.

Martin said historically the Legislature has responded favorably to causes in which people have done their part of the fundraising.

Fulton also announced Thursday he'll do another fundraising challenge -- like last year's -- after the first goal of $10 million is met.

Last April, the Fultons challenged deans and administrators at the college to establish fundraising goals for their divisions. For those that reached the mark by Dec. 31, the Fultons agreed to match up to $1,000 per donor. The effort that raised more the $1 million for the college.

President Sederburg, overwhelmed by the couple's generosity, noted: "It isn't the money. It's the spirit (they) bring to UVSC and higher education."

The 74-year-old and his wife were listed in the top 50 most generous philanthropists in 2006 in Business Week. From 2002-06, the Fultons have given $234 million, or 60 percent of their net worth, mostly toward higher education.

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

The Fulton Money Trail

What is going where

Athletics Department: $121,435

School of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences: $70,390

Wasatch Campus: $57,771

School of Business: $48,526

School of Science and Health: $47,125

Associated Students: $39,521

Student Affairs: $38,183

General Scholarships: $31,280

School of Education: $19,744

School of General Academics: $11,792

Center of Ethics: $11,000

School of Technology & Computing: $8,888

Continuing Education: $7,095

Total: $512,750

*Numbers are based on fundraising efforts within each department. The Fultons matched each donation 1:1 for a total raised of more than 1 million.

[delts145]

With the growth in this area I was wondering when we would see this. If anyone can get a pic of the design that would be great.



Council gets first look at high school design


CATHY ALLRED - North County Newspapers
Saratoga Springs council members got their first glimpse of the new high school design on Jan. 30 during a work session.

Resembling a airport terminal, the two-story high school building design spans out with two wings behind the main structure and entryway.

"They look like pliers," Mayor Tim Parker said.

The council did like the fact that Alpine School District had let the city have a say in much of the school's layout. A chain link fence like that dividing the Lehi High School parking lot from Lehi's Main Street won't stand a chance at the Saratoga Springs school. The parking lot will have 30 feet of landscaping surrounding it.

Another plus will be the cooperation planned between the district and the city in building some of the sports fields.

"We're discussing with the city having a shared campus," Holdaway said. "We talked about sharing the recreation facilities with the city."

The new high school serving west Lehi, Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain, Fairfield and Cedar Fort is scheduled to open its doors to students in fall 2009. By that time, the projected student population at Lehi High School will be 2,600 students.

How the boundaries will be set will depend on the student population at Lehi High School, Willowcreek Middle School and Lehi Jr. High, said Jim Hansen ASD director of budgets.

"If we look at Willowcreek and we look at the current projections, it would be around 1,500," Hansen said. "You would hope it would be divided somewhere in half so they would be divided equally."

Located on the gentle slope two blocks west of Redwood Road just south of Saratoga Springs' Center Street and future Pony Express Way, the nearly 50-acre campus site will boast a 300,000 sq. ft. building designed by Sandstrom Architect Associates.

"It's a totally new design," David Holdaway, ASD physical facilities director, said. "It's quite a bit different -- a different design, a different concept."

He said there will be a sunken gym with a running track surrounding the perimeter above the gym. The auditorium will have an orchestra pit and fly loft. Designed for a capacity of 1,800 students, the building will be two-stories throughout except for its front administrative offices.

Fast facts

Location: 200 W. Pony Express Way (Center St.), Saratoga Springs

Campus: approx. 50 acres

Bldg. size: 300,000 sq. ft.

Budget: $41 million

Capacity: 1,800 students

Opens: Fall 2009

[delts145]

Looking north toward Lone Peak from a Cedar Hills front yard. Some really incredible views from this city.



Proposed Wal-Mart concept approved


CALEB WARNOCK - Daily Herald
Cedar Hills planning commissioners approved the concept for a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter on Thursday evening, though they attached a list of requirements.

City planner Rod Despain called the concept approval "a warm and fuzzy," indicating the city wants to do business with Wal-Mart but is not entirely happy with the plan the company brought forward. The vote requires Wal-Mart to re-tool the plan and return to the Planning Commission.

Councilman Jim Perry asked commissioners to hold a special meeting to speed up the process. The Planning Commission only meets once a month.

Commissioners required Wal-Mart to return with an updated traffic study focusing on peak traffic from 5-6 p.m., a new landscape plan that eliminates 30 parking stalls and adds more greenery, a noise study showing how the store would bring noise at the property edge to lower than a speaking voice, and a plan for signs.

Commissioners did not require Wal-Mart to bring back a smaller building size but encouraged the company to do so.

Twenty residents spoke for and against the proposed store during a public hearing Thursday night. Residents filled the commission chambers and the hallway outside, trying to hear the meeting.

"I'm excited Wal-Mart is back," said former Councilwoman Melissa Willie. "I'm pleased to see them come back with something different. It's still not perfect, but I believe the opportunity for our city is great with employment, convenience and the tax base we need.

"I would like to see it smaller, but I understand the perfect little country store a lot of people desire is not going to be possible for us."

"I spend 95 percent of my discretionary money at Wal-Mart," said resident Teri-Lyn Wiles, who noted that her husband works at a Wal-Mart. "I know they give us good jobs because he gets paid well for what he does."

"Some of you remember me from 2003," said Shell MacPherson of PacLand, the development company representing Wal-Mart. In 2003, Wal-Mart ultimately withdrew a proposed store in Cedar Hills after public outcry because of the size of the building and traffic.

In the plan proposed Thursday, one acre in the northeast corner of the 18-acre site will be used for storm water drainage and turned into a park, which may be given to the city, MacPherson said. The supercenter will have groceries, general merchandise and a garden center but not a tire and lube center.

The supercenter, its landscaping and 591 parking spaces would take up 14 of the 18 acres at the site, with three sites for small businesses to come later, he said. Twelve- to 14-foot trees were proposed, and the building was to feature varying roof heights and faux second story windows to break up the facade of the approximately 132,000-square-foot building.

The building also will feature skylights to reduce the need for electric lighting, be constructed from recycled steel and plastic and feature a white roof, which will reduce heat there by 10 percent, he said.

"The way I see it, you could replace this one building with five others and then you end up with five redundancies with trucks loading and unloading and space," said Commissioner Donald Steele. He noted that residents would not visually be able to tell the difference between a 100,000-square-foot building and a 132,000-square-foot building.

If five smaller buildings were constructed instead, city ordinances would allow those to be a total of 185,000 square feet, MacPherson said.

"I appreciate you guys coming here, we need you guys," said Commissioner H.R. Brown. "I never thought it would be 132,000 square feet. It seems too large for what our town is looking for. I don't want to lose the deal but there must be a way to downsize and still maintain a viable store.

"It seems like this is just a big parking lot. I just envision walking through with my wife and daughter with a path and picnic tables and Maggie Moo's, but maybe I'm an idealist. I don't want to chase you off, but this is not what I envisioned downtown Cedar Hills looking like."

[delts145]

Instead of a strip plan only, American Fork's huge new Meadow's Commercial Center is organized over a vast expanse of land with many islands of businesses punctuated by large wetland area's and attractive bridges and roundabouts.
one of the many little business islands at "The Meadows"


Here's some interesting comments regarding Northern Utah County and it's growth. Something we've been discussing a lot in light of the Gehry/Andersen project.

Merchants to address growth issues


BARBARA CHRISTIANSEN - North County Staff
As American Fork continues to grow, so will its business, industrial and retail sectors. That's according to a study done by Lewis, Young, Robertson & Burningham, Inc. and presented to Main Street American Fork in January.

Representatives of the group met to look at what that growth is expected to mean to the city as a whole and the downtown area.

They plan to meet Tuesday to address the issues raised and how they will approach them. The meeting is open to the public and is at 4 p.m. at the Bank of American Fork, 33 E. Main, American Fork.

As Utah County continues to increase in population, the north end of the county is expected to increase at an even greater rate. In 2005, north Utah County had about one-third of the population of the county, with central Utah County (Orem and Provo) 46 percent. By 2050, those numbers are expected to more than reverse, according to the study.

North Utah County is projected to have 49 percent of the population, with only 23 percent in the central area. Lehi and Eagle Mountain are projected to lead that growth. By 2050, they are expected to be 101,000 and 100,000 population, with American Fork around 50,000.

Susie Becker represented the Utah Main Street Program, which works with individual members communities throughout the state. She said there were some ideas which had been presented which the Main Street Program supported.

"One of the ideas things to promote American Fork would be to make a civic center," she said. "We could tie things in together visually. This (the downtown area) needs to be the heart of your community."

Mayor Heber Thompson concurred.

A member of Downtown American Fork, Inc., (Main Street American Fork's predecessor) before he was elected as mayor, Thompson said he still supported the group.

"I am very supportive of Main Street American Fork," he said. "I support any effort you make to connect and work with what the national levels of Main Street programs."

Thompson suggested strategies he would recommend to improve the downtown.

They included working with UDOT to maintain or improve traffic flow and routes, improve parking, do sidewalk repair, create a civic plaza, work to permit a mix of commercial and residential uses and create an inviting look for downtown.

Although the projects had Thompson's support, he said the city did not have funding available.

"We do not have the financial capability to sponsor all these things, and we shouldn't be," he said. "We should be a cooperative partner."

Walton said the group would address the UDOT plans

"We will start talking about UDOT and their proposal that will impact Main Street," she said. "Until that is decided, we will hold off making any big decisions."

Merchants learned about the term "leakage," which is used to show the amount of business residents are taking to other communities instead of shopping in their home town. It can be expressed in positive or negative figures, the negatives showing funds leaking to other cities, the positives indicating money from neighboring residents being spent in American Fork.

In 2005, American Fork had positive leakage -- which is considered a negative -- in building materials, food stores, apparel and accessories, furniture and electronics, miscellaneous retail and business services.

The same year, on the positive side, there were outside dollars spent in American Fork in general merchandise, fast food and restaurants, personal services, and amusement and recreation.

Becker encouraged the merchants to continue to build on successes.

"You need to find your strengths and build on them," she said.

Main Street director Linda Walton told the group about a survey that was taken two months prior and had just been compiled.

The downtown merchants identified their major concerns as competition with The Meadows, increased traffic problems, lack of parking, the poor condition of the buildings and the streetscape, apathy of the community and problems with speeding and its effect on pedestrians.