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BLUFFDALE — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox often wonders if his generation is going to be the first in the state's history to make life worse for incoming generations, or if they're going to make life better in the Beehive State.
The site of the old state prison in Draper — which is now in the process of transforming into the Point — is a sign, Cox said, that Utah is setting the stage for future generations to prosper.
"This is one of those projects that says that we are not going to be the most selfish generation in history," Cox said. "That we actually are going to give back and make this place better than we found it. I believe that the Point represents the very best of the Utah dream and making that dream available for the next generation."
The Point aims to be a living-working community featuring high walkability — with everything a 15-minute walk from its heart, a river-to-mountain range trail accessible from the community, which will include retail, entertainment, innovation, educational, office and residential spaces all within approximately 600 acres, according to the plan's framework.
On Tuesday, the Point of the Mountain State Land Authority held a groundbreaking ceremony for the extension of Porter Rockwell Boulevard, kicking off the first phase of redevelopment for the massive project.
Located at the heart of the Point, Phase 1 will include the development of approximately 100 acres and includes high-end office space, multifamily housing, premier retail, shopping and entertainment venues, a people-focused main street called the Promenade and a place for the innovation district dubbed Innovation Alley.
Plans also include a large gathering area called the Central Green, an extensive regional trail called the River-to-Range and a new FrontRunner station at the Point, connecting it to the existing regional transit system.
Extending Porter Rockwell Boulevard, development leaders say, will connect the site to the rest of the region.
"Porter Rockwell Boulevard is a good example of why the Point is so important to the future of Utah's prosperity and our quality of life," said Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz. "The Point is unique in that it's owned by all of you and all of you have a say in what it will look and it will pay dividends for generations to come."
Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, and Point of the Mountain State Land Authority board co-chairman, said Porter Rockwell Boulevard would serve as the site's "main road" to connect the Point to the rest of the region, as well as the rest of the southwest corner of the Salt Lake Valley.
"It will provide not only that north and south mobility but also provide convenient access to this site's future amenities," Teuscher said. "The road itself will not just be built for cars. The road is intentionally designed for both vehicular and pedestrian use, including bike lanes and sidewalks, offering an important thoroughfare for commuters while creating convenient paths for pedestrians, cyclists and visitors."
Along with extending this road, the state had to build out "critical backbone infrastructure" to support Phase 1 that included installing major utilities such as water, sewer, gas, electric and telecommunications.
To do this, the Utah Legislature has appropriated $165 million in the form of a loan that will be paid back with interest, through revenues from future ground lease payments at the Point.
"I want to emphasize that the $165 million is a loan that will be paid back to the taxpayer, with interest," Schultz said. "This investment and our development partners are bringing billions of dollars to the table to finance the development and that's just in the first phase alone. I can't think of any other state infrastructure project that has resulted and will result in such a quick (return on investment) for the state of Utah."
Leaders also expressed excitement for the Point to act as an "innovation district" in the state.
"Utah is already the innovation capital of the United States. The innovation that we have here to connect what we have going on in our job centers in Salt Lake City, in Silicon Slopes, across Utah (County), Salt Lake County, Davis County, the universities, the businesses that we have here, is unique and that will be the innovation district that we have here," Teuscher said. "There is nothing like it in the country. It is a generational opportunity and so, I cannot overstate the importance of the work at the innovation district."
With all that being said, leaders — like Cox — see The Point as a pivotal development to solidifying Utah's future.
"The Point will, as the governor said, bring thousands of jobs. It creates billions of dollars in state GDP. It'll provide more housing. It'll offer world-class shopping which will be fun for a lot of people, too," Utah Senate President Stuart Adams said. "Our future is bright. I think it's bright because of what we're doing in Utah and this is one of the projects that makes it bright."
