"It seems to have stayed on top," he said. "It has not gotten into the aquifer, and it's not a major source of contamination."

Other problems with the development have included land purchasing and utilities. The city could have used eminent domain in the project but lost that ability in 2005. It has been working with individual property owners for years but now has only one property left to acquire, Fitts said.

Getting water and electric companies on board has also been problematic, Fitts said. Holladay water doesn't currently have the funding to build new lines in the project, and Rocky Mountain Power has said it won't have the resources to put underground power lines in the area for some time.

The city believes underground lines are vital to the project.

Holladay has published a project update on its Web site at www.cityofholladay.com. The project master plan and redevelopment agreement, which promises $23.5 million in tax increment funds, is also available online.

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E-mail: rpalmer@desnews.com