On the rise: station park brings transit-oriented development to Davis County.

• Author: Haraldsen, Tom
• Position: Focus

The concept of transit-oriented development--mixed use of residential and commercial areas designed to maximize access to public transportation--is hardly new. It's been utilized in Europe and Asia for decades, and following World War II, it was almost a prerequisite in several corners of the world for gaining permission to redevelop an area.

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The United States was a bit reluctant to embrace transit-oriented development (TOD) until urban sprawl became an issue for most metropolitan areas, and a new ethic favoring fuel efficiency and public transportation took hold over the past 15 years.

Farmington's Station Park shopping center is an excellent model of transit-oriented development. Located at the intersection of Interstate 15, Highway 89, Legacy Parkway and a FrontRunner commuter rail station, Station Park currently enjoys some of the highest daily traffic counts in Utah.

Station Park's developer, CenterCal Properties, which also has projects in California and Oregon, was attracted to the site because of that accessibility.

"The site is at the junction of several major freeways and arterial connectors, and it has the added benefit of being served by the FrontRunner commuter rail system," says Fred Bruning, CEO for CenterCal. "Having developed two very successful projects in the Portland, Oregon area that were commuter-rail served, we have seen great benefits in having this feature as a part of our project."

Phase One of the project, developed on 160 acres of open land west of the Lagoon amusement park, is a mixture of smaller strip mall shops as well as larger retailers like the recently opened H & M. It is designed to be walkable--easy to navigate for shoppers, diners, or even families or business people out for a stroll. TOD developers generally integrate the use of bicycles into their plans as well. Even the layout of the buildings themselves is unique, tapering a bit as they get further away from the transportation hub.

"From the inception, our goal has been to create the finest retail and commercial environment in the Intermountain states." Bruning says. "We have felt that if we were able to deliver a project that met this high standard, then our project would not only be successful, but also stand the test of time."

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High-quality Growth

Station Park is getting a lot of attention from other developers and retailers, locally and regionally.

"With...