Think The Gateway. Only Chihuahua-sized.
Because of population growth to the northwest - and the approaching advent of commuter rail - "now is Clearfield's prime opportunity to take advantage," said City Manager Chris Hillman. "The planets are lining up in Clearfield's favor, and now is the time to act."
Hillman emphasizes there are no deals yet, just "eating-a-hamburger" talk with developers and the City Council.
Sites with the most potential are near the city's future commuter-rail hub at 1250 South and State Street, or somewhere in the Legend Hills area, Hillman said. Other possibilities include land across from City Hall, or north of the industrial Freeport Center.
At least one mixed-use developer, Larry Myler, is taking a look at Clearfield's demographics. He wants to see if the city could support a structure like the one he built in Utah County called Midtown Village.
The council recently visited that eight-story structure to get an idea of what could be coming to their town.
Should plans go through, Clearfield would be on the forefront of such developments in Davis County.
"We're trying to do something more unique, something different, so we're not necessarily competing with other cities," Hillman said.
Currently, Layton is its biggest competition.
"The retail market in Clearfield is not as strong as it is in Layton," said Joe Florence, a broker at Commerce CRG's Clearfield office.
In fact, the commercial real estate firm reports that retail vacancy in Clearfield is "a little above average."
"It's not terrible vacancy, but it's not great," said April Hartzell, who tracks properties for the company. Just up the road, there are brand-new retail spots that have been "un-tenanted" for about a year, she added.
Even with commuter rail expected to improve the situation, Councilwoman Marilyn Fryer expressed concern.
"For me, I'm thinking, do we have that kind of support here?" she said. "We don't need any more empty retail spaces."
But Hillman said much of the vacant retail space is in outdated properties which weren't necessarily developed wisely.
"There's been a whole shift in market conditions," he said. "You have to be smart with what you create."
tpeterson@sltrib.com
