Lots of shops in store for N. Utah

The District. The Terrace. The Gateway.

The Wasatch Front is home to a spurt in retail development, mixed-use development, downtown redevelopment. No fewer than three shopping complexes are under way or in planning stages in southern Salt Lake County. A massive project, not scheduled to break ground for another two years, is already causing a buzz in northern Utah County, and ideas for at least two others are being bandied about.

This is in addition to the still-growing Jordan Landing in West Jordan, The Gateway in downtown Salt Lake City and the much-anticipated, multi-use downtown development by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Developers say expected population growth, household income growth and shifting shopping trends called for new shopping alternatives. But can the Wasatch Front absorb so many new facilities? What will happen to the older ones?

"Are we doing too much? Potentially," said Jeff Thredgold, economic consultant to Zions Bank and head of Salt Lake-based Thredgold Economic Associates. "But I think that you're looking at the same mindset with a retail developer as you have with a homebuilder. Even if there is the potential for excess in the housing market, the ones they build will sell, and sell at a profit. There's a natural optimism among builders, whether it's developers, homebuilders or retailers."

That said, Thredgold — who travels frequently for work — said the kind of building going on along the Wasatch Front is hardly unique to Utah.

"They're springing up everywhere," he said. "There seems to be a ton of expansion taking place all over."

Seeing a need

Rick Horst, city manager of South Jordan, said the flurry of development there has a few main roots: population growth combined with the current scarcity of available services and a higher-than-average household income.

"The (retail development) market in South Jordan certainly is not saturated," Horst said. "In fact, we don't have much of a market at all. Primarily for the first 70 years of our existence, we have served as a bedroom community and have watched our residents go off to work and play in other cities."

Wade Williams, director of retail development at The Boyer Co., said new projects reflect growth, to be sure, but also a change in the experience of shopping. The Boyer Co. has several projects under way in the southern part of the valley, including The District and South Jordan Town Center in South Jordan.