Council members amended the city's transit-oriented development ordinance Tuesday to include optical and dental laboratories, features that could someday be included in the new Station Park site.
But they postponed - until Thursday at 5 p.m. - approval of two agreements with California-based developer CenterCal Properties, one with the city and the other with the Redevelopment Agency.
The city plans to become partners with CenterCal - the same developer that built Salt Lake County's massive Jordan Landing complex - to establish more than 1 million square feet of entertainment, retail, residential and office space - all cozily adjacent to the city's planned commuter-rail station.
This prime piece of real estate lies at the juncture of Interstate 15, U.S. 89 and the new Legacy Parkway - three key thoroughfares that link communities along the Wasatch Front.
" I'm really anxious to be in a partnership with this developer. We are a mighty force that can make a fun project there," said Councilman David Hale.
"We're just working on a final few paragraphs" in the agreements, said Tom Ellison, a Salt Lake City attorney who represents CenterCal.
The land, currently owned by Farmington resident Rich Haws, was approved as a city redevelopment project in 2005, Ellison said. RDA projects enable developers to benefit from various tax incentives.
"There are several obligations being discussed as conditions in obtaining any tax increment," Ellison added.
CenterCal's Web site predicts that the three-highway junction someday will "enjoy the highest daily traffic counts to be found in the state of Utah."
A major hotel, theater, several restaurants, and multiple retail outlets are planned to populate the triangle of land south of Farmington's Park Lane.
About 30 percent of the development will be a mix of residential units.
Jean Paul Wardy, senior vice president for CenterCal, said he's been working on the project for about nine months.
He hopes that groundbreaking ceremony can occur by fall 2007 and Station Park can open to the public by spring 2009. That's the year commuter rail between Salt Lake City and northern Weber County is expected to open.
Sale of the land by Haws to CenterCal should be finalized by the end of this week.
"It's an exciting piece of property I've been working on developing for 11 years," the landowner said.
cmckitrick@sltrib.com
