Development Agreement with Holladay Village Square, LLC
New Village Center Plan Approved
By Jim Palmer, Council Member and RDA Vice-Chair
October 2011
The City Council, sitting as Holladay’s Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Board, approved a concept plan for an alternative Village Center project that does not include apartments. First presented to the RDA Board on August 4th and then to the public at an open house on August 17th, the alternative proposal presented by the Rockworth Company on behalf of the Melby Group, is for a 42,000 square-foot, two-story building. The entire ground-floor would be retail and restaurants, topped with office space. A two-level parking deck and rear parking lot provide increased parking ratios.
In 2005, the City Council awarded the exclusive right to purchase and develop the parcel to a team led by Cowboy Partners. Cowboy Partners has since worked diligently to produce an approved plan for a three-story mixed-use project of two levels of apartments over ground-floor retail. Cowboy Partners is willing to go forward with their plan, though they are prepared to step aside, albeit with deep reluctance.
The RDA approval was only for the concept of two-story office over retail, not the design. A joint meeting of the City Council, Planning Commission, and Design Review Board was held September 8th to start the land-use approval for the site plan and design. Approvals will go through the normal land-use planning process under the auspices of the Planning Commission, aided by the Village Center Design Review Board. Rockworth has stated that they will be ready to start construction six-months after final site plan approval, meaning that construction could begin next year during the construction season.
To review the City of Holladay's Construction updates, click here.