By Briana Kelley

South Valley - CenterCal Properties, LLC CEO Fred Bruning presented to Riverton City Council and residents on Tuesday, July 21 concerning the upcoming 85-acre development called “Mountain View Place at Riverton.” The property lies between Mountain View Corridor and Bangerter Highway and between 11400 South and 11200 South in Riverton. The city may be home to the new district as early as summer 2017.

The land is currently owned by Suburban Land Reserve, Inc. (SLR), a real estate investment subsidiary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. SLR approached CenterCal early last year to propose land development. CenterCal is now going through a planning and development process.

Bruning stressed that it would be a creative project focused on the history and values of Riverton and giving back to the community. The commercial district will house offices, retail, restaurants, a cinema, a gym and a hotel. It will also have two main parks that will be what Bruning described “the heart and lungs” of the center. There are also plans for the development to connect to UTA’s proposed future light rail.

Bruning described the land as having an “incredible history” and said that this will play a part in the planning process. “We are going from raising crops to raising a sense of community,” Bruning said. He also described the importance of artwork and creativity in the project. “We want every one of our projects to be different,” Bruning said.

CenterCal is currently going through an approval process with the city as well as a due diligence process on the site. CenterCal hopes to have all of this completed by the end of September of this year. If so, Bruning believes that they can begin construction next May and have the first phase of the project completed by summer of 2017.

The first phase is what Bruning described as the “daily needs section of the project,” and would include a grocer, junior department stores, a number of the restaurants and some of the other entertainment uses. The second phase, or “the village,” is more complicated to build and will thus follow in late 2017 with anticipated completion by mid-2018.

Bruning repeatedly described the development as “something beyond a mere mall” and stressed the sense of community that can come from a complex like this. “Our vision for Riverton is to create parks and become sort of the heart and soul of the community where you come just because it is a wonderful environment, not because you want to buy anything,” Bruning said. “It’s not just about the commercial side of it; it’s about the community side as well. It’s all about creating happiness.”

CenterCal has been working closely with City Manager Lance Blackwood, Mayor Bill Applegarth and the council. “The more I see, the more I want. I’m excited,” Councilmember Brent Johnson said. “It’s an exciting start to a journey,” Bruning said.

CenterCal owns and manages all of their properties and upon completion will continue to schedule concerts, events and fountain shows. The company has completed ten properties in the western United States and is currently developing five, including Riverton. One of the completed projects is Station Park in Farmington, Utah. 

Riverton residents are invited to visit Station Park from August 13-16 to experience CenterCal’s projects firsthand. A limited number of TRAX tickets will be available for the event.