"There's just a lot to our area, to our culture, to our people that encourage businesses to want to be here," he said, including the Salt Lake area's proximity to freeways, the airport, railways, an educated work force and lots of bilingual residents.

Researchers at the University of Utah have predicted 106,000 jobs will spring up along the west bench, with the entire project, including construction and other off-site jobs, generating as many as 262,000 new jobs in the county.

Davis said he is already liking what he has seen from Kennecott Land and its ability to set a framework for that growth.

"I think Daybreak, for example, is very good at master-planning, being able to go in and anticipate what's coming, and build into their model an opportunity for walkability, for there to be parks, schools, churches, affordable housing and a variety of housing," he said.

He said Utah's largest hurdle in the past has often been outsiders' skewed perspectives of the culture, but he sees that changing.

"The world will recognize Salt Lake as a good place to raise families and even non-traditional families," he said.

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E-mail: dsmeath@desnews.com