Crunch Time

The recent completion of the nearly $20 million 300 West Reconstruction highlights a slate of critical road and infrastructure projects in Utah's capitol city. 
By Milt Harrison

Aerial images (below) show an overlay of what part of 200 S will look like once improvements are completed. The images are looking East from State Street to 200 East. 

John Coyle has been working at Salt Lake City Corporation (SLC Corp) for more than 22 years and has never experienced this brisk of a construction cycle—one that has been especially challenging due to an overwhelming workload coupled with internal labor shortages.  

"Absolutely," remarked Coyle, Senior Engineering Project Manager, when asked if this is the busiest his department has been during his career at SLC Corp. "And we're short staffed, so it's been crazy. We've lost people and haven't been able to fill those positions. The past three years have been brutal trying to get people on board." 

The work rolls on, nonetheless, with numerous critical infrastructure projects happening throughout Utah's capitol, including the replacement of aging arterial roads and decades-old water and sewer pipelines. 

"The need is certainly there, and we're making good progress," Coyle said, citing the recent completion of one of the largest single road projects in SLC history—the reconstruction of 300 West from 900 South to 2100 South, a corridor that was more than 70 years old and finally completed this summer after nearly 2.5 years. 


300 West Illustrates City's Widespread Needs
It's no secret that certain roadways within Salt Lake City are in worse shape than others, particularly those that serve as major traffic corridors/arteries like 2100 South, 1700 South, 1300 South, State Street, 700 East, 1300 East, Highland Drive—and that's not counting heavily trafficked downtown roads north of 600 South and east of I-15. 

The construction process on projects like 300 West is always painful and challenging to residents, and particularly businesses along the busy street that often get ignored by the public when access becomes compromised. 

At a cost of $19.8 million, 300 West was funded by a 2018 voter-approved Funding our Future $87 million bond, designed to address the most crucial roadway and transportation needs in Salt Lake over a 5-year period from 2020-25. 

The bond was in response to a 2017 pavement condition survey that showed that nearly two-thirds of City streets were in poor to worse condition. Many of these streets were in such poor condition that they required a total rebuild, with immediate action needed to avoid continued degradation of the system as a whole. With a 25% backlog and a system where the majority of roads are at least 30 years old, the bond was sorely needed.

SLC's Engineering Division used various criteria to determine which projects to tackle first, including roads with high travel demands and safety needs, pavement condition, existing or upcoming utility projects, transit improvements, and overall benefit to the city. 

"[300 West] is the first major project from the bond," said Leah Jaramillo of David Evans & Assoc. Inc. who is serving as Interim Public Engagement Manager for SLC Engineering. "That was the critical reason for the bond. We have some of the oldest infrastructure in the valley and have real needs for new roads and utilities. The bond looked at the big arterials that carry the most traffic."

These major projects are significant advancements in creating a transportation network that meets the multimodal needs of city residents. Coyle and Jaramillo insist SLC Corp as a whole is doing everything it can to lessen the impact of traveling from point A to point B within the city. 

"These projects provide us the opportunity to think beyond the traditional road design to improve safety and make streets more comfortable and accessible for the people who use them every day," said Coyle. "We’re not just improving the roads themselves; we’re improving the transportation network." 

Crews were diligent in their efforts on this complex, heavily-trafficked street, one of the most important arteries in Salt Lake City. (photos courtesy SLC Corp.)

300 West Challenges: Traffic Control, Utilities, Business PR

Maintaining traffic on a road with enormous amounts of heavy/semi-trucks, while building in a confined area between I-15 and UTA's TRAX line—with few alternate routes—was extremely challenging during the first year of construction, said Jaramillo.


“Our public engagement partners from Avenue Consultants used in-person, virtual, and media outreach to encourage drivers to travel the corridor outside of peak commute times and use other routes to avoid congestion and delays” she added. Aging water line utilities would sometimes crumble as sections of the 100-year-old pipe were being replaced. This created delays and re-work when attempting to loop them. As much as possible, utility work was scheduled before and after normal hours of operation for businesses on the corridor.


Third-party utility coordination, scheduling and work performance caused significant delays to the project construction schedule and service disruptions for businesses, especially in 2021. Improved and more frequent coordination with the project team and utility companies was initiated in remaining phases of work to avoid future impacts to stakeholders.


Unknown and misidentified existing utilities that conflicted with the approved design also caused production delays, while work was designed in the field to accommodate utilities and existing conditions. SLC Corp and Granite Construction of North Salt Lake prioritized resolution of these conflicts in the field to enable work to proceed as quickly and as close to the original design as possible, while striving to minimize downtime.


The project team did a significant amount of engagement with the public to design a road that more safely moves traffic, accommodates existing businesses and future growth while adding more space for people to walk, bike, and use mobility devices on 300 West, including more mid-block pedestrian crossings, the two-way bikeway and other bike improvements like lean rails and racks to encourage multi-modal use of the roadway for the long-term.


The project also added innovative ways to manage storm water and improve water quality through percolation in storm drain planters, which was new to the City.


Major construction scope elements included:

• Installing or upgrading storm water, sewer, and water line utilities to support growth and future development.

• Upgrading or adding missing sidewalk so there is full accessibility along both sides of the road, installing two new signalized crosswalks.

• Adding a new 10-ft, two-way bike lane to support casual riders and commuters.

• Planting 200 trees and 2,100 shrubs to create shade and adding new “bioswale” storm water treatment options in the planted park strips to improve water quality.

• 17,000 tons of new asphalt pavement for a safe, smooth ride.
• 17,800 linear feet of new curb and gutter.
• 225,000 SF of new concrete sidewalk and bike lane.
• 8,200 LF of sewer lining, installed using an innovative technology that maintains the system without having to rebuild the actual pipes
• 8,800 LF of new waterline
• 5,000 LF of new storm drain
• Two new mid-block crosswalks at Paramount Avenue and American Avenue, with signals and overhead lighting for improved safety and connectivity for people walking, biking, and using mobility devices.


In addition to 300 West, two significant current projects in Sugar House including the reconstruction of Highland Drive from I-80 to 1700 South, and a sewer replacement (via pipe bursting) line on 2100 South from 900 East to 1300 East are ongoing. In addition, the following are current/recent key projects for SLC Corp.

 

200 South Transit Priority Corridor

The reconstruction of 200 South is another key project from the 2018 Funding our Future bond (and other funding sources), as it is one of the busiest transit streets used by 10 routes and 34 buses per hour. The project includes the following improvements:

• Transit priority lanes

• In-lane concrete roadway bus stops with floating bus boarding platforms

• Buffered bike lanes channelized behind bus islands with intersection safety upgrades.

• Sidewalk and curb ramp repairs to meet ADA standards.

• Midblock crossings with curb extensions and/or refuge islands and flashing crosswalk lights

• Curbside parking and loading zones.

• New landscaping trees (50+) and repairs to existing plantings


900 South: 9-Line Extension

Envisioned in 2015, the 9-Line Trail is an urban trail that will ultimately provide people the opportunity to walk, bike, and roll between the future Surplus Canal trail and the mouth of Emigration Canyon. The 9-Line Trail follows the railroad corridor along 900 South between the Jordan River Surplus Canal and 200 W. Various segments of the trail have already been constructed, notably the section between Redwood Road and 700 West.


Phase 2 of the 9-Line Trail was incorporated into the Funding our Future bond reconstruction of 900 South from 900 West to State Street, which was completed in June 2023. A County grant was also used to help fund the trail portion of the project. As part of the project, the 9-Line Trail corridor will be an attractive, safe, and inclusive place for neighbors, businesses, and street users. A new trail will also introduce a walking and bicycling connection between east and west Salt Lake City, linking neighborhoods, business districts, and cultural destinations.


The final phase of this project, from 900 East to State Street is anticipated to complete before the end of 2023. Salt Lake City worked closely with area businesses and the East Liberty Park Community Organization (ELPCO) to coordinate a 30 day closure of the 9th and 9th intersection for reconstruction, leading to better quality and smoother concrete in the intersection and reducing the overall duration of impact to area businesses from approximately 60 days a phased construction approach would have needed.

 

Neighborhood Byways

Neighborhood Byways create pleasant and convenient routes for people using active modes of transportation by encouraging safe travel speeds, discouraging cut-through vehicle traffic, providing safe crossings of busy streets, and connecting people to destinations.


Improvements that make a street a neighborhood byway include bicycle and pedestrian crossing improvements (signals, crosswalks, curb extensions aka bulb-outs, curb ramps, signage, street markings, and other traffic calming techniques), way-finding signage, and connectivity enhancements to existing bicycle and pedestrian routes.

 

The following routes are planned for upgrades to convert them to neighborhood byways:

600 East (complete)

Kensington Avenue (under construction)

800 East (under construction)

800 West (under construction)

Westpointe and Jordan Meadows (2024)

Westminster Ave to Sunnyside Ave (concept development)

Poplar Grove (concept development)

Rose Park & Fairpark (concept development)

 

Green Loop

Salt Lake City residents have expressed the desire for more trails, parks, and green spaces in multiple city plans, studies, and surveys over recent years. As more people call downtown home, the need for improved public green spaces and shade increases, as does the need for more comfortable transportation options for short trips without a car. Salt Lake City is exploring a concept to improve the quality of life for people living, working, and traveling downtown by adapting the existing street space to include more trees, shade, and comfortable options for a variety of transportation choices.


Green spaces also provide critical ecosystem services and contribute to a more resilient city by managing storm-water, reducing the heat island, and improving air quality. In 2023, a study and design phase of the Green Loop project will develop goals, objectives, and guiding principles for the entirety of the Green Loop. Design plans will show how goals and objectives would be applied along 200 East from North Temple to 900 South.



Authorities need to consider general recommendations and a preferred route from northern and western legs of the loop connecting 200 East to North Temple. The project will also explore routing options from North Temple to 500 or 600 West. SLCGreenLoop.Com

Notable Current Projects

200 South Phase 2 (200 East to 400 West)

900 South Phase 2 (State Street to 900 East

1100 East (900 South – 1700 South)

Highland Drive Phase 1 (I-80 to 2100 South)

Life on State (600 S-800 S)

 

Notable 2024 Projects

Highland Drive Phase 2 (2100 South-1700 South)

2100 South (700 East to 1300 East)

West Temple (North Temple to Market Street)

Virginia Street (South Temple to 11th Avenue)

300 North (300 West to 1000 West)

Multiple 'traffic calming' projects

 

300 West Reconstruction—900 South to 2100 South

Cost: $19.8 million

Start/Completion: March 2021/July 2023

Owner: Salt Lake City     

Design Team

Civil: Avenue Consultants

Survey: Redcon, Inc.

 

Construction Team

General Contractor: Granite Construction

Concrete: Aarrow Landscape; Harper Concrete

Electrical: Hamiton Brothers Electrical

Sewer Lining: Inliner

Waterline: Silver Spur Construction

Roadway Milling: Coughlin Company, Inc.

Reclaimed Aggregate: Infrastructure Research

Striping/Signing: RoadSafe

Utility Adjustments: Western Paving, Inc.

Concrete/Soil Testing: Wood Environment & Infrastructure

Black Desert Oasis

By Brad Fullmer • October 15, 2025
When Lehi-based Reef Capital Partners (Reef) initially announced plans in 2018 to build a sprawling, estimated $2 billion mega-resort with a championship-caliber golf course on 600 acres covering parts of Ivins and Santa Clara—small towns with just over 15,000 combined residents at the time—it was difficult to fathom what a project of that magnitude might look like. Fast forward seven years, and Black Desert Resort is indeed a shining oasis amidst Southern Utah's famed red rock cliffs, sitting atop an ancient lava field, with buildings strategically carved into the land to produce a resort unlike anything else. "This is the biggest project we've ever done—we feel really good where we are," said Brett Boren, President of Real Estate for Reef, acknowledging the general completion of the $290 million, 806,000-SF resort center, along with significant ongoing work—including a 1,298-stall parking garage, condominiums, and a private water park. As of September, all aspects of the main resort center were open and fully complete, with the hotel celebrating its first official year in business after partially opening in September 2024 as it hosted the inaugural PGA Black Desert Championship October 10-13. The second installment of the tournament—now dubbed the Bank of Utah Championship—is slated for October 23-26, with a third tournament signed for 2026.

Calder Richards Celebrates 20 Years of Sustainable Evolution

By UC&D • October 1, 2025
In 2005, Calder Richards Consulting Engineers formed after the merger of two smaller structural consulting firms who, interestingly enough, both started in 1986. Calder Richards has provided a steady structural support for Utah’s built environment ever since. As the firm celebrates its 20th anniversary, UC+D spoke with Managing Principals Shaun Packer and Nolan Balls to look back over the company’s history and celebrate what has helped their firm stand out to deliver solid projects in Utah and beyond. Their responses were edited for clarity and brevity. UC+D: What have been some catalytic moments for Calder Richards since that initial merger? SP: Winning the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona is the first one. The big reason for the merger between Richards Consulting Group and Calder Consulting was to build a large enough company to go after bigger projects like that.” NB: That was my first project when I was hired straight out of college. We helped design the 17-story hotel and casino, a conference center, as well as parking structures, a central mechanical building, and a pool building. Talking Stick helped get us through the downturn a few years later. UC+D: What have been your key market sectors you all have targeted over the last 20 years? NB: We were breaking into K-12 along the Wasatch Front soon after the Talking Stick Resort and it’s been our bread and butter since then. SP: Absolutely, but I credit our firm for always adapting to the current environment. We’ve been fortunate to do so much K-12, but we used to do a lot of office work, and now we are working on conversions like the Ebay Headquarters to CTE/Innovation Center for Canyons School District as the market has shifted away from commercial office. UC+D: Schools have certainly evolved over the last 20 years, how has your work as structural engineers evolved? SP: We are seeing more creative design on the architectural side, certainly. We see many more two-story designs; more windows and daylighting. But we’re utilizing more powerful tools and continually building our understanding of the structural materials that are in use more than ever—tilt-up concrete, steel columns and beams, especially—to be the architect’s trusted partner. NB: Schools have definitely changed, and we’ve had better experience in helping projects move forward successfully when we are involved earlier in the design process. As we got involved early on in West High School’s schematic design, we were able to provide structural solutions and options to accommodate the architects’ design intent. UC+D: How has company growth changed Calder Richards? SP: It’s certainly changed the number of people in our office. We started with around 10 people when we merged, and today we have 27. But we often say that we don’t want to grow just to grow—we want to grow sustainably. We don’t lay people off when works slows down, and we have an expectation that sometimes there will be overtime work, and other times you may be waiting for our next project to begin.

The (Epi)Center of it All

By By Taylor Larsen • October 1, 2025
Nested in the middle of the University of Utah (U of U) campus sits the aptly-named Impact & Prosperity Epicenter, the second living learning community (LLC) project designed on campus by Los Angeles-based Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign. After nearly a decade since their first LLC project, the award-winning Lassonde Studios (UC+D’s 2016 Most Outstanding Public Building over $10 million), Mehrdad Yazdani, the design firm’s Principal and Studio Director, said their work on a sequel was an exciting prospect for the firm, and enlisted Salt Lake-based MHTN Architects and Okland Construction to serve as the respective local architect and general contractor. Today, the Epicenter serves as a striking piece of architecture and construction, one whose curvilinear shape asks users and visitors plenty of questions. But moving from idea to execution has been a work in progress. One query from Yazdani stood out as it relates to students and the built environment, and helped begin the journey to create the Epicenter: “How does your living environment as a student impact your success as a student and as a changemaker?” A Project for an Evolving Campus Katie Macc, CEO of the Sorenson Impact Institute, said LLCs like the Epicenter and Lassonde Studios next door have been massive steps forward in advancing entrepreneurship and social impact. But both play a major role in creating “college town magic”—a phrase coined by University President Taylor Randall that invokes a vibrant campus where students can find community and have one-of-a-kind experiences. With more on-campus student housing in the works, the state’s flagship university is hoping to shed the “commuter school” label and deliver a level of desirability that matches the resources students commit to higher education. “There is some soul searching going on across university campuses,” said Macc of the challenge at hand. “We have to be convincing that going to college matters.” She said overall university enrollments across the nation are decreasing as students grapple with tuition costs, COVID and its isolating aftershocks, and a different perspective on higher education. Universities are no longer a place where students come to learn what they couldn’t learn elsewhere—remote learning and the internet have opened a fissure in that idea that will never close. Instead of that educational transaction, being at a university must include building community and creating in-person experiences only available on campus. Macc said that the Epicenter helps steer the campus experience toward the future, with design goals to create a base of operations for two changemaking organizations and a living and learning home for 778 students. The three-story commercial portion of the building, known as the “Changemaker Pavilion”, includes office space for The Center for Business, Health, and Prosperity (second floor) and the Sorenson Impact Institute (third floor). While each organization has a different focus, both are firmly invested in helping students access and create the resources needed to change the world. Each entity works hand-in-hand as owners of the Epicenter to host events and “create a full spectrum of ways for students to get involved,” said Chad Salvadore, Chief Financial Officer for the Sorenson Impact Institute. “We’re dialing in the programming to energize the student body,” said Salvadore of the work done at the Epicenter. With over 60 majors represented among the 778 students who live there, he said that the diversity of students is less a reflection of their chosen major and more a desire to reside in a space built for students to work their entrepreneurial muscles. “Living here is a mindset—you can engage across many different paths you choose.”

Goal!

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
Front view of the bleachers, press box, and suites. (photos courtesy SIRQ Construction)

Four Decades of Transformation

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
Over the course of its 40-year history in Utah, WSP's Salt Lake office—originally founded as Parsons Brinckerhoff in 1985—has morphed from primarily a transportation design firm to one that successfully operates in multiple civil engineering markets. The results of WSP's transformation the past decade into a more diverse outfit speak for themselves, with the 128-person Salt Lake office (with locations in Cottonwood Heights and South Jordan) posting three consecutive years of revenues over $50 million, including a record $70.1 million in 2023, and a robust $59.9 million in 2024—good for the No. 2 ranking in UC+D's 2025 Top Utah Engineering Firms rankings.

Good Career? Start Here

By Taylor Larsen • October 1, 2025
Lucio Gallegos vividly remembers the workforce development meetings he attended during his time at Ogden-Weber Tech. These career and technical education (CTE) discussions consistently focused on one thing: young people were not entering construction, and the industry needed a new approach to attract them. Gallegos recalled one member of the workforce development team, a training director with a prominent general contractor, saying, “We have been trying this for over 10 years, screw it, we’re just gonna hire them.” The Long Road Those conversations occurred nearly 10 years ago, and workforce development concerns continue to permeate the industry. The National Center for Construction Education & Research estimates that 41% of the construction workforce will retire by 2031, leading to potential gaps in skill and safety and decreases in productivity and project quality. While stakeholders have aligned on the overall goal of providing students a foundation for future success through career development, the means to achieve the ends were seemingly at odds. High schools, trade schools, colleges, and private industry took different paths to achieve their goals, with some moving in opposite directions. “I’m gonna be honest with you,” Gallegos recalled one school administrator saying, “If I promote what you’re telling me to get them over to the tech college, I lose head count. And then I lose teachers. I can’t have a school without teachers.” Jobs that took away student learning experiences, according to federal guidelines and child labor laws, made the idea a non-starter. However, after years of lobbying the Utah Legislature for a compromise between industry and education, H.B. 055, passed in 2023, provided a catalytic change in how younger people can engage with construction and other industries. High school students could participate if they were involved in a school-sponsored work experience and career exploration program. Private industry finally had the compromise it wanted. It was time to act. Big-D Charts New Path Gallegos, now the Workforce Development Manager from Big-D, joined the company in 2023 with the express purpose of creating a program that fit within the new guidelines. Gallegos said he sees career development through the lens of the immigrant experience, one he knows personally as a Mexican immigrant with a father who worked in commercial construction. “I was 9 years old and busting pins out of concrete forms with a hammer that was as big as I was,” he laughed. “I’ve got the cliché immigrant story.” That story has a theme familiar to many immigrant families, he said, one where parents say, “I want my kids not to have to work as hard as I do. I want them in school.” Add to that, it’s a law—children must attend school. Gallegos was unfazed by those obstacles. As he began planning how Big-D’s internship program would operate, he knew that engagement had to start at the elementary school level and build on personal relationships between private industry, school administrators, students, and their families to succeed. “We want to be the solution, not the obstacle to get into this industry,” said Gallegos. So Big-D removed the barriers. Students can still attend school, work towards graduation, and be available in the afternoon for sports, extracurricular activities, and the high school experience. But working was another significant part of the immigrant experience, Gallegos said, and internships needed to be paid to alleviate the family concerns. “We asked what we would pay somebody fresh out of high school who worked at Big-D,” Gallegos said. Interns have earned those same wages ever since.

It's A Knockout

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
On January 2, 1957, Gene Fullmer, a scrappy, underdog fighter from West Jordan stunned the boxing world with a 15-round unanimous decision over the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson at New York’s fabled Madison Square Garden. Fullmer captured the world middleweight championship and established himself as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers during the late 50s and early 60s. Since then, the Fullmer name has been synonymous with boxing in Utah, with brothers Gene, Jay, and Don establishing the Fullmer Brothers Boxing Gym in 1978, and offering free boxing instruction and life mentoring to thousands of youths—carrying on a tradition they learned from their trainer, Marv Jenson. Their legacy of community giving will live on in the new Fullmer Legacy Center in South Jordan, a 16,500-SF facility that will serve as a permanent home to the boxing gym—after years of bouncing around to various temporary facilities—along with a museum, snack bar, and gift shop. “The Fullmers are the first family of boxing in the state of Utah—that’s well understood,” said Dave Butterfield, a founding board member of the Fullmer Legacy Foundation. Butterfield served as Chairman of the Board from June 2016 to early 2025 and was influential in helping raise money—nearly $6 million via donations to date, which includes $2 million from the Utah Legislature. Project Driven by Vision to Find a Permanent Home for Fullmer Brothers Gym It was Jay Fullmer who led the charge to teach boxing in the community. By 1978, the Fullmer Brothers Boxing Gym had formally opened at the Butterfield farm chicken coop in South Jordan, recalled Larry Fullmer, Don’s oldest son and the man who spearheaded the efforts for the Fullmer Legacy Center. From there, Larry said the facility moved to Riverton Elementary, an old church house in West Jordan, a sugar factory, a former fire station, and the Salt Lake County Equestrian Park in South Jordan, where it had resided since 2011. When they got word that Salt Lake County planned to transfer ownership of the park to Utah State University, Fullmer knew they needed to find a long-term home for the boxing gym. Fullmer met with Butterfield and Robert Behunin—who at the time was a Vice President with Utah State University—in 2016 and told them he just wanted a “tin shed of our own” for boxing. Behunin countered by saying, “If you want people to donate money, you need something better than a tin shed!” They quickly formed the Fullmer Legacy Foundation (FLF), and by 2018, the wheels were in motion on a building. Doc Murdock, a long-time trainer at the gym, connected Larry with his former roommate at Brigham Young University, Vern Latham, who is a Principal at Salt Lake-based VCBO Architecture. VCBO offered pro-bono services initially while helping FLF put together an RFP, while North Salt-based Gramoll Construction provided value engineering and other services in an effort to get the project launched. Larry expressed sheer gratitude for the contributions of both firms in helping make the project a reality, especially for many generous donations from various foundations and individuals. “[VCBO] believed in us early on and did our first phase of planning at no charge—they have been amazing and so professional to work with,” said Larry. “Gramoll helped us get the budget done as tight as it could be. This project had the absolute tightest budget. We met weekly with architects and the general contractor to see the progress—I’ve never seen such an amazing process. Construction started in November ’23, and every time I would come to the jobsite in the first six months, I’d get emotional.” “We leaned on our relationships with contractors for flooring, ceiling, tiles, donated furniture and got deep discounts and a lot of in-kind donations,” said Phil Haderlie, Principal-in-Charge for VCBO. “To me, the story of this project is the grassroots effort of people seeing the value—this is something that came from their heart. It will have a long-lasting impact on the community.”

Significant Buzz

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
The first season is in the books for the Salt Lake Bees in its spectacular new home—the Ballpark at America First Square, the exciting new heart of Downtown Daybreak and certainly one of the premier Triple-A stadiums in the country. "It's a really cool stadium—the field looks so good!" gushed Eric Barton, Project Director for Salt Lake-based Okland Construction, while surveying the spacious 280,000 SF, 6,500-seat (8,000 capacity) ballpark. Barton said his team faced an extremely difficult construction schedule with the mandate the project had to be sufficiently ready for Opening Day 2025 on April 8, less than 18 months after the formal October 20, 2023, groundbreaking. Barton said Okland knew it was going to be a grind, with long hours and tight windows to get various milestones accomplished. "When we bid this to our trade partners, we had them bid it with the expectation of it being six days a week," he said. "We want not only your best guys, but you have to be adaptable to the plan. It was gangbusters from the start.” Up to 300 workers were onsite during peak construction activity, requiring meticulous coordination throughout. Okland even brought in Fred Strasser, a legendary project director who came out of retirement to shepherd the project through. "Fred is the genius behind getting this whole thing done," said Barton. The project was designed by Salt Lake-based HOK, who worked closely with the owner, Sandy-based Larry H. Miller Real Estate (LHMRE) and Miller Sports + Entertainment (MSE) to bring about a project that would add even more buzz to its wildly popular, 4,000-acre master planned Daybreak development in South Jordan, making it a true entertainment destination. The design weaves together best-in-class baseball experiences with year-round public amenities, including a recently opened Megaplex theater, a performing arts center, a large amphitheater, along with retail, restaurants, and apartments, with buildout continuing through 2027. Walking paths and open spaces create natural connections between The Ballpark and the surrounding neighborhood, making the area an iconic community asset and a true sports and entertainment district. Downtown Daybreak is slated to host more than 200 annual events—including the Bees’ 75-game regular season. Supporting this entertainment destination, the venue’s prominent location just off the Mountain View Corridor freeway makes it highly visible to passing traffic while providing easy access. The stadium is also connected to multiple transportation options, easily reached by walking, biking or light rail across the Wasatch Front, and by car from the new freeway corridor. The Ballpark site drops 20 feet from the loading dock to the plaza, managed through terraced spaces that echo the region’s mining heritage. Though the slope stays gentle at under 5%, carefully placed stairs and planters make walking comfortable while honoring the industrial past. The center field main entrance connects to light rail, while a formal plaza at home plate serves as a second entrance, primarily for VIP access. The street design follows Daybreak’s established standards for lighting and tree spacing. Bike racks at the light rail station and plaza make cycling to games convenient. Utah’s Landscape Shapes Design The Wasatch Mountains, visible from every angle of the ballpark, directly influenced the ballpark's design. Throughout the venue, carefully planned viewpoints frame these mountain vistas. The structure resembles this mountainous setting in its form, transitioning from solid brick and concrete at its base to lighter materials—metal and expansive glass—as it ascends. Working with Kansas City-based architectural metal fabricator Zahner, HOK and MSE created a distinctive facade using perforated metal panels that suggest Utah mountain peak silhouettes from Ben Lomond Peak in Weber County to Mt. Nebo, the southernmost and highest mountain in the Wasatch Range of Utah. These panels transform into a glowing display at night, serving as a lantern on The Ballpark’s ‘front porch’ and welcoming visitors. This connection to Utah’s landscape flows throughout the site. Angular planters guide visitors along pathways, while public spaces are arranged in terraces that echo the mountainside. The copper colors and stepped surfaces of the nearby Kennecott Mine inspired the ballpark’s materials and layout. Inside, the decor features warm copper, gold and honey tones, with textured materials that blend the natural landscape with the Salt Lake Bees’ team colors.

Firms Making Moves

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
Horrocks CEO Bryan Foote (left) shakes hands with Matt Hirst, former President/CEO of CRS Engineering & Survey. Horrocks acquired CRS a year ago in a move that has proven to be a seamless fit for more than 60 CRS employees.

Q&A with Nathan Goodrich

By UC&D • August 1, 2025
Nathan Goodrich