Commercial developments slow in Davis County

The site work continues at Station Park in Farmington. In Clinton Park Plaza, buildings are going up.

But it's going to be a while before the two commercial centers are bustling hubs of economic activity.

Station Park has pushed back its opening date by about a year because national retailers have halted expansion into new markets, while contract negotiations have slowed for the buildings going up in Clinton.

And the economy is still to blame.

Farmington Mayor Scott Harbertson said his city has had to trim its budget for projects and for hiring new personnel because the city had expected fees from building permits to begin rolling in during this fiscal year.

No buildings mean no fees, which could have been in the neighborhood of $650,000.

"We've done a lot of trimming," Harbertson said, adding that department heads were asked to comb their budgets for cuts to make. "We have not had to go through any type of personnel cuts."

That's fortunate in a sinking economy, because you'd rather have people employed, Harbertson said.

Also fortunate for Farmington are low fuel costs, because the city slashed its $160,000 fuel budget in half, he said, without losing service.

Clinton will also see some benefits through this economic rough patch, said Spencer Wright, a principal with Park Plaza's developer, Wright Development.

Patrons continue to frequent the Lowe's, which opened this year, and Kohl's, which is expected to open in the spring, continues to ready its adjacent store.

"We're lucky those two deals were done before things got bad," he said.

Fast-food restaurant Carl's Jr. has applied for a building permit and is expected to have final approval within the next week.

But the slow economy means other developments are hurting, Wright said.

Development is tied to consumer spending, he said, and when people lose jobs and spending slows, retailers become more cautious about their expansion plans.

When consumers begin spending, retailers start coming back.

Wright anticipates Park Plaza, located at 1800 North and 2000 West, will be complete in 2010.

In Farmington, Harbertson said he supports Station Park developer CenterCal's construction delay, even though it means a tight time for the city.

"I don't want the project to open up and go dark a year later," he said.

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E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com