The nonprofit planning group Envision Utah met with elected officials this week as they start to brainstorm ways to develop a huge swath of land at the southern tip of Salt Lake County.
The project site is made up of 700 acres of state-owned land at Point of the Mountain, and up to 20,000 undeveloped acres surrounding it.
Utah’s state prison is vacating the land over the next few years and the state is eyeing potential development to transform it into a strategic hub along the booming I-15 corridor.
Robert Grow, president and CEO of Envision Utah, says stakeholders first need to come up with a vision, including factors such as infrastructure, design and business climate.
“And it has questions like branding in it,” Grow told members of the Point of the Mountain Development Commission during an update this week.
“Is 'Silicon Slopes' the right name? It’s certainly the name that is sticking. But, for example, is that what you want to call it over the next 30 years?”
He says phase one will include a transportation and environmental assessment as well as in depth real estate and financial analysis.
Most importantly will be gathering input from all the various stakeholders, which includes municipalities, private developers and the public.
To that end, Grow envisions one large stakeholder meeting where individuals can break up into their niche interests.
“For example, I think it’s appropriate that the water people get together. Where does the water come for this long term? Does it come from Central Utah project? Through Jordan Valley? ...How does all of that happen over the next 50 years?”
Envision Utah is proposing an initial stakeholder meeting sometime in mid-December. The public can also chime in with thoughts for the project at pointofthemountainfuture.org.
