Business and community leaders took turns addressing all things Utah Valley yesterday during the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Summit at Sundance.
Here are 10 major positive changes coming to Utah County revealed during the course of the day.
1. University Mall expansion
University Mall and the immediate surrounding area will experience a $100 million master planned expansion.
“This will be the Utah County equivalent of City Creek,” said Coldwell Banker Commercial’s Brandon Fugal.
As part of the soon-to-be major construction project, there will be multiple high-rise Class A office buildings, residential units and additional retail space.
2. Southern Utah County mining
A major mining operation is coming to sourthern Utah County “west of Utah Lake,” according to Utah County Commissioner Gary Anderson.
3. Construction along I-15
Fugal also mentioned a five-story building is in the works along I-15 in Lehi. A company has already pre-leased an entire floor of the building, he said.
4. Utah Valley University growth
Utah Valley University has purchased 100 acres of land west of I-15 from Anderson Geneva Development Inc. and wants to “continue (their) aggressive buildout of the master plan,” according to UVU President Matt Holland.
UVU paid $10 million for the 100 acres.
In the next few weeks, UVU is planning a ribbon cutting on the intramural fields to get their expansion underway.
5. Additional flights at Provo Airport
Allegiant Air, which currently has flights from Provo to Oakland and Provo to Mesa, will be adding a Provo to Los Angeles flight next week. Provo Mayor John Curtis is optimistic for the continued growth out of the Provo Airport.
6. Connecting road on Murdock Canal Trail
A connector road will be built along the Murdock Canal Trail from Cedar Hills’ North Utah County Boulevard to Highlands’ Alpine Highway.
While this $4 million project might seem like any other on the long list of UDOT’s 2014 to 2017 docket, this road will connect Highland residents to Cedar Hills’ Walmart and Lone Peak High School, as well as Cedar Hills residents to Mountain Ridge Junior High and other shopping.
7. Pleasant Grove Embassy Suites Hotel
Five years ago a nine-story, 300-suite Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center was announced for construction near the newly-constructed I-15 exchange in Pleasant Grove. Almost no progress has been made at the site since that time.
“To me, it’s still a matter of when, not if,” Fugal said. “Within the next 12 to 24 months, the project should be going again.”
8. Provo City Center Temple
Provo City Center Temple will be dedicated sometime in 2015 according to Orem Mayor Jim Evans.
9. Nordstrom’s replacement
A tenant for the former Nordstrom location at University Mall is very nearly a done deal, according to Fugal. “This is a deal that should have been done six months ago. It frustrates me,” Fugal said.
10. Midtown Village in Orem
Midtown Village, a major multi-family and retail center located near 400 South and State Street in Orem, will soon have the financial backing to be finished, according to Fugal.
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