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Letter: Proposal for Cottonwood Mall site is good for Utah’s future

(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) View from the north looking south of the old Macy's building at the old Cottonwood Mall site near 4800 S. Highland Drive in Holladay on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. It's the last remaining building on the property.

I have lived in Utah for 30 years of my life. After living in eight cities in and out of Salt Lake County, my wife and I have settled in Holladay area and decided this is where we want to raise our five kids.

Our kids have come to know the Cottonwood Mall site as a wasted field. They often ask, “What used to be there?” and “Why don’t they build or do something with it instead of having it just sit there?”

Once we heard the news that Ivory Homes and Woodbury Corp. were proposing to develop the property, we were overly excited at the opportunity for a local homebuilder and local developer to build up the property. After seeing their numerous proposals and concepts, we could not be more excited for a place in Holladay to call our own.

My wife and five kids are in full support of this development. We trust the local developer’s judgment on what works and doesn’t work in today’s market and economy. Holladay needs more retail, dining and living options for its residents — especially the for next generation, like our children.

I would much rather see a mixed-use development like the one being proposed that will generate income for the city, give residents a place to gather and spend their dollars, than more multimillion-dollar private homes built that are unattainable for younger families.

Drew and Leah Whitehead, Holladay