Northern Utah Is An Emerging Market.

• Author: Fugal, Brandon

Northern Utah's employment growth is outpacing the rest of Utah as well as most of the country, and it is well-positioned as a key emerging market. Nationally recognized projects coupled with a dynamic workforce help strategically position this area for further success.

What makes this area so unique? How is Northern Utah poised for even greater growth?

Innovative developments

When the 550-acre Falcon Hill National Research Park launched nearly a decade ago, few comprehended the long-term impact it would have on reshaping the communities surrounding Hill Air Force Base and beyond. Thanks to the powerful development partnership of Woodbury Corporation and Hunt Companies, yet another groundbreaking recently occurred on a new 220,000 square-foot facility for the Northrop Grumman Roy Innovation Center.

This new structure under construction is the first building in a development that will bring the headquarters for Northrop's work supporting the Department of Defense's Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent program, with 2,500 new jobs projected. The program is reported to be costing more than $60 billion, with Utah standing to benefit for decades to come.

Another development that continues to redefine the landscape in Northern Utah, while also continuing to be the model for upscale mixed-use and transit-oriented development nationally, is Station Park in Farmington. As evidence, multinational consumer electronics retailer Best Buy just opened its first new US store in seven years at Station Park, committing to 36,000 square feet.

Others have followed suit and recently selected the location-including Barnes & Noble, REI, and PF Changs-which is an extraordinary achievement in a global retail market grappling with significant change. When visionary developer, CenterCal Properties entered Utah, it was noteworthy that...