Bingham Junction
by the numbers
l 130 acres of mixed-use development
l 500 units of single-family housing
l 250 units of multifamily housing
l 600,000 square feet of retail
l 60,000 square feet of office space
l 11 acres of wetland
Once home to smelters, 130 empty acres in mostly built-out Midvale has been sold to California-based Mercer Development, signaling that work can begin soon on the long-awaited Bingham JuncÂtion.
Now that the taint is gone from the Midvale slag property, Mercer's plan for the former Superfund site includes homes, condos, eateries, a river walk, small shops and big-box retail.
"You should be able to see dirt moving by spring," said Mercer principal Larry Wallenstein. "We would hope - and this is optimistic developer talk - that in 24 to 30 months you should be able to walk into a store and buy something."
From environmental eyesore to megastores and homes is quite a leap for the land that earned the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund designation in 1991. The Sharon Steel property to the south received the Superfund tag in 1990.
Smelter contamination led to the labels, and cleanup has been under way for more than a decade to restore the hundreds of acres to productive use.
"This is probably one of the more complicated and difficult projects for a developer because of the level of due diligence and interaction with so many government agencies," Wallenstein said.
That said, the real estate has an attractive upside.
"It's an absolutely dynamite piece of land in a terrific location," Wallenstein said.
The Mercer land extends from 6600 South to 7200 South and the neighboring Sharon Steel property from 7200 South to 7800 South.
Both lie between 700 West and the Jordan River.
"This is the first development on that property," Midvale City Administrator Kane Loader said about Bingham Junction. "We're very excited. It signals to us that something is finally taking place out there."
Wallenstein expects Bingham Junction to become the flagship for the Superfund concept, which takes land that otherwise wouldn't work and makes it usable.
Longtime Midvale resident Colleen Costello, a member of City Council since 1997, is thrilled with Mercer's proÂgress.
"My father worked at the smelter for many years before it closed in the late 1950s," Costello said. "For years, these areas have been idle, just waiting for something. I'm excited and impressed by Mercer's plans."
Sharon Steel's environmental cleanup is expected to be completed this spring.
A mixed-use development dubbed Jordan Bluffs is proposed for that site.
cmckitrick@sltrib.com
