Developers planning 2 million square feet of office space at Geneva site

Developers of the former Geneva Steel site have announced plans to build 2 million square feet of office space as part of its 100-acre mixed-use project.

Construction on the project, approved in January 2011 by the Vineyard Redevelopment Agency, is set to begin this summer.

Plans for the site at 800 North and Geneva Road call for 7,500 residential units and 2 million square feet of office space. The total site covers more than 1,700 acres along a 1.5-mile frontage on the east shore of Utah Lake. Deseret News

Proposed high-rise apartments cause concern in east Provo

Two proposed high-rise apartment complexes have some Joaquin neighborhood residents and property owners concerned that too many cars and not enough parking places will cause more parking and safety issues in an already beleaguered area.

During today's municipal council meeting, the council will entertain two motions to have a zone change from residential conservation to campus high density residential. The first is for a seven-story mixed use development that would provide approximately 700 beds plus main floor retail space. The second project would feature 316 beds.

The first development seems to fit the bill for students and the city; developers would only need to provide seven parking spots for every 10 beds. However, if more than 70 percent of students bring cars, they're going to be left parking on the street. Add to that more cars in the area and more pedestrians and the area gets less safe as well.

That could be accomplished, given how close the buildings are to campus, according to one planner. Andrew Jackson, executive director of the Mountainland Association of Governments, said communities are getting back to the neotraditional style of walking communities and shops on each corner similar to Europe or the eastern United States. These types of design could eliminate the need for everyone to have a car, if done correctly.

With limited land to build out, Provo is looking at high-rises like these two developments and others being built downtown. Daily Herald

Affordable Housing Industry

Photo: Courtesy Anita Crane

Prestige Senior Living Center in Heber City, Utah held a grand opening in November. Developed by the Wasatch County Housing Authority and Mountainlands Community Housing Trust, the property was constructed for residents 62 years or older with incomes between 25 and 49 percent of the AMI. The property’s 21 units come equipped with a washer and dryer, dishwasher, garbage disposal and central air conditioning. There is also a community game room available for residents. The Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund granted a $380,000 low-interest construction and permanent loan through the State of Utah and Mountainlands Association of Governments helped purchase land through a $150,000 Community Development Block Grant. WNC provided $2.3 million in LIHTC equity. Journal of Tax Credits

Signal from City Hall Panel Jeopardizes Kimball Art Center Expansion

The Park City Planning Commission on Wednesday night signaled it did not want City Hall's development rules loosened to enable some property owners to break height restrictions in Old Town, a line of thinking that jeopardizes the Kimball Art Center's ambitious expansion ideas.

The panel did not cast a vote, but the comments by Planning Commission members pointed toward an eventual recommendation barring property owners within the historic zones of Old Town from putting up taller buildings than are allowed by the rules.

The Planning Commission is considering a change to the Land Management Code, a document that details the development rules. It appears the members want a prohibition on exceptions to the height restrictions within projects known as master planned developments. Those sorts of projects are typically given more flexibility.

The discussions are critical to the Kimball Art Center's expansion idea. The expansion blueprints could call for an addition reaching to 80 feet in height. The rules now, though, restrict the height of buildings at the site to 32 feet. A project like the one the Kimball Art Center envisions would be rejected based on the restriction, meaning the organization would need to alter the proposal to fit the rules or seek a variance to those restrictions from a separate City Hall panel. Park Record

Henry Walker Homes acquires Saratoga Springs development

Henry Walker Homes and sister company Strategic Capital Group have announced the acquisition of the largest portion of Fox Hollow, a 3,230-unit residential development in Saratoga Springs.

The deal give Henry Walker approximately 300 acres at Fox Hollow, including 250 improved single family lots, 420 unimproved lots and 20 acres zoned for high density multi-family and commercial use.
Salt Lake Tribune