Comments about ‘Cottonwood Mall site still in development, attracting national retailers’

The artist renderings appear to be missing sufficent parking to draw shoppers ... There is going to be parking, right?

So the only factual news is that the developer says everything is rosy and the city pretty much has to just shut up and take whatever they get, and extend the tax breaks further and further down the road. It's all "confidential" or as far as we know, "make believe."

The only ones benefitting are the developers, and the taxpayers are getting hosed over. Again.

Government should not be "incentivizing" businesses. Either projects are economically viable or they are not. If they cannot make it profitable, then let someone else develop something that is viable, without taxpayer funding.

The best incentives are low taxes (for individuals, property and business) which leads to a thriving economy, and solid revenues (with higher totals from more activity at lower rates) rather than trying to have high rates and stifle economic activity.

This is hype designed to string along potential financial and retail allies.

This article contains less facts than most news stories I have read. Where is the evidence that anything is happening behind the scenes? I live by the mall site and the only thing developing there is a bird refuge! It appears to me the developer is successfully using the Deseret News as a free publicity machine. The reporter needs a refresher course on basic reporting skills such as PRESENT FACTS, NOT HERESAY.

I have been following this since the beginning.

In this story, there is no mention of the money that was given to general Growth through a development grant from the Granite School District. (This was done to prevent a District Split like the one that occurred between Jordan and Canyons, when JSD refused to give development money to the Soccer Stadium.)

Why is the City allowing the current property owners to hold onto the land until the economy picks up, when they used Millions in tax payer dollars to fund the destruction of the Mall, and then declared Bankruptcy?

Now there a Story!

There is some relevant history to this story. First, Holladay was incorporated in part to take advantage of the generous sales tax revenue from the mall stores. Then a few years ago the City of Holladay announced to great fanfare on the Fourth of July the General Growth Properties plan for the mall site. This was done with full support and tax breaks from the city. The mall was torn down, then GGP became "overleveraged". That is, GGP borrowed more money than they could afford and they went bankrupt.

The Holladay City Council has had at least one opportunity since then to revoke the tax breaks and force development of this large dusty hole that once was a thriving mall. They declined (except for Barry Topham, the only one with any sense at all), believing that GGP would recover and proceed with their grandiose development plans. Guess what! GGP is no more. They are now "Howard Hughes" something or other. The mall site remains a big dusty hole while the new company "works behind the scenes." It's time for a new policy and a little reality check for the Holladay government.

This is not Holladay government's fault, but due to the condition of the economic environment.

The mall will get built when it gets built. The economy will dictate demand and scheduling.

As such, the issue shouldn't be why it isn't built yet, but what policies are being enacted (locally and federally) that is hampering our economy?

Corporate Welfare.