Cities aiming for more jobs, less blight

The motivation behind two multimillion-dollar revitalization projects in West Valley City and Taylorsville can be boiled down to two simple things: more jobs and less graffiti.

Thanks to the cooperation of Salt Lake County, the Utah State Board of Education, Granite School District and other public and private entities, both cities have taken major steps toward getting what they want — and having a way to pay for it.

In the past month, both West Valley City and Taylorsville approved the creation of two revitalization projects that will pump $34.8 million and $12.8 million, respectively, back into the two cities over 15 years. West Valley City approved the creation of an Economic Development Area near Bangerter Highway and 2100 South that could potentially generate 3,600 high-paying manufacturing jobs. Taylorsville approved an urban renewal project at a retail center near 5400 South and Bangerter Highway that will clean up the area and deal with issues like graffiti, garbage and general blight.

"Our biggest concern is blight, and it's an area that is kind of tired," Taylorsville Mayor Russ Wall said. "Some of the areas have less pride than they used to, so we're hoping to re-energize the area and make it a local shopping community where people will spend their money instead of driving by."

This is Taylorsville's first renewal project to receive approval, but Economic Development Director Keith Snarr says it probably won't be the city's last. The taxing entities associated with the land have agreed to defer millions of dollars in increased property tax values over a 15-year period in order to help support the project, but the city still needs the help of a private developer that could pitch in another $15 million.

All totaled, the city's redevelopment area will generate $22.8 million in tax increments over the next 15 years. Some of the money will be infused back into the city to promote affordable housing, some of the money will be passed on to the taxing entities and a majority of the money will be used to provide incentives to developers who will improve the area.

The economic development area recently approved by West Valley City isn't the city's first, but it is its largest. At 233 acres, the project has a potential that has only been partially realized, with the participation of a private developer who will contribute more than $284 million to build a manufacturing complex on 115 of the available acres.

"West Valley City is becoming more known all the time as a manufacturing city ... and we're proud of that," said West Valley City business development manager Nevin Limburg. "We have a lot of great manufacturers in this city ... it's our legacy as a city. What it does for our city, too, is it creates tax base."

Although the city expects some 3,600 jobs to be created by the project, that doesn't include the number of construction jobs or other jobs that will be generated as a byproduct of having the new economic center, Limburg said. The first manufacturing complex is expected to break ground this spring.

"We'll just watch this piece of ground, that's just got snow on it right now, come out of the ground," Limburg said. "It will be exciting to see because this area has the potential of being a center point, a magnet for West Valley that puts us on the map with any other industrial park in the state of Utah."

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