This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
West Valley City • Little by little, the City Center project is being pieced together, and officials think its future looks bright.
Negotiations are under way with a major chain to bring in a seven-story hotel. A development company is assisting with plans for an office tower. A pedestrian promenade is on the drawing board.
The project has drawn the interest of developers to the area around City Hall at 3600 South and 2700 West, according to Brent Garlick, West Valley City's redevelopment director. Contributing to the interest is Valley Fair Mall across the street, which has added numerous stores and restaurants in the past few years and expanded its square footage.
"You can't beat the location," Garlick said.
The City Center project, envisioned to create a downtown for West Valley, involves the urban renewal of the area surrounding and to the west of City Hall, 3600 S. Constitution Blvd. (2700 West).
The planned development includes residential, retail, office and green space next to a transportation hub. A wide pedestrian promenade would connect the area to a TRAX station scheduled to open this summer near 3500 South and 2700 West.
The West Valley City Council has taken several steps in the past month to move the project forward, including:
• Approving an agreement for a traffic impact study of the project area. Avenue Consultants will assess the current and projected traffic flows and make recommendations on how to effectively handle increased traffic in the future. The compensation cannot exceed $52,200.
• Selecting Hines, an international real-estate firm based in Houston, to provide office development services. The company, which has a Salt Lake City office, will work to get tenants into the future Class A space. Class A is defined by the Building Owners and Managers Association as the "most prestigious buildings competing for premier office users with rents above average for the area."
• Approving the purchase for $140,000 plus closing and broker costs of a home on Lehman Avenue. West Valley now owns more than 20 acres around City Hall that is in the project area.
Mayor Mike Winder also has proposed adding a new post office to City Center, possibly as part of an apartment building or within City Hall. He faces an uphill battle: Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said he's getting ready to introduce legislation to reduce the number of post offices in response to the Postal Service's dismal financial condition.
Feugiat euismod ut wisi enim sed diam feugiat
(30 words) Olendrem eugiamet dio dip et verit, vulpute cor amet velent am volesto odiamcommy nim dipit ut ullamcorper. Iril irilis alis et, sim nostis autem duisi. Gait at w.