WEST JORDAN — In an attempt to give their struggling downtown a face lift, West Jordan officials will be one of several cities to shape their downtown around a future TRAX station.
In addition to bringing back the old-fashioned feel of a pedestrian-friendly city center, city officials are also looking ahead at how a TRAX station will change their community.
"Everything you think of as traditional about a main street was bought and torn down" many years ago, said West Jordan economic development manager Wayne Harper.
Harper said the city is about to take its first step — brewing on the back burner since 1996 — toward realizing its downtown redevelopment project.
Thursday evening, city officials have invited business leaders, property owners, citizen committee members and any members of the public who are affected by the project to come together for the first in a series of stakeholder meetings. The meeting will be held at A Classic Choice Catering, 7879 S. 1530 West, and will start at 5:30 p.m.
Harper said the meeting is to get input from all parties on what the downtown area should look like.
The 200-acre project area encompasses not only City Hall, the park and the old sugar factory but east-side commercial, industrial and residential areas.
Harper said in addition to the city's new City Hall and fire station, a bond election on May 4 will determine if the city will build a new police and courts complex. Already the Utah Administrative Office of the Courts has begun construction of a state courts building, which is expected to be completed early 2005.
The areas of Independence Square and Jordan Square are also included in the redevelopment area.
On the east side of Redwood Road, Harper said the area is still in "transition."
"We know that there will be a light rail station within the project area," Harper said. "That's one of the drivers to maximize this and make it a transit-oriented development."
Currently UTA is working on the environmental impact study for the mid-Jordan line, which is also expected to serve the future Daybreak development by Kennecott Land.
News of the plan to build around the future TRAX station has UTA officials excited.
"We're really excited about the possibilities of redevelopment around the station," said UTA project manager Hal Johnson. Johnson said certain development is key to receiving federal funding for light rail.
The Federal Transit Administration looks favorably on development of mixed-use office space, retail, restaurants and high-density housing near light-rail stations.
In addition to West Jordan, West Valley City is also working on downtown redevelopment plans that will encompass their TRAX station. Murray and Sandy cities have also been working on building new commercial and high-density residential projects near their stations. Up north, several cities, including Layton and Woods Cross, are working on redevelopment projects near future commuter rail stops.
"It all teams up to make it easier to ride transit to work," Johnson said. "It's been great to see the change in climate with the cities really embracing transit."
In an effort to make transit a big part of West Jordan's downtown, city officials have hired consultants from Portland and Seattle, two cities well known for their light-rail development.
Part of West Jordan's downtown redevelopment includes a trailer park east of Redwood Road. Harper said the owner of the trailer park has been included in the citizen steering committee, but added it is not known if trailer park residents will want to be relocated.
The city has received $14 million for the project, through tax breaks from local taxing entities, such as the school district. That sum will be combined with about $80 million in private investment over a 15-year period.
Harper said a final redevelopment plan from consultants is expected Dec. 1 with public hearings and committee review by the end of that month. After approval, the plan will be taken to property owners, who will use it to begin redevelopment.
E-mail: gfattah@desnews.com