Meridian Engineering announced a new majority ownership group in May, including (left to right) Tyler Baron, Nichole Luthi, and Michael Nadeau.
Firms Making Moves
Horrocks’ acquisition of CRS bolsters its municipal expertise; Meridian undergoes ownership change; Higgins sells Mountain States Fence to employees. By Brad Fullmer
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.
It’s not often Utah’s shifting A/E/C landscape sees one firm acquire another that is more than 100 years old—119, to be precise, as Pleasant Grove-based Horrocks Engineers added Caldwell Richards Sorensen (CRS) Engineering & Survey in September 2024, bolstering the firm’s infrastructure services and in-house expertise.
A year after merging 66 employees and three office locations (Salt Lake, Logan, and Vernal) into the Horrocks family, former CRS President/CEO Matt Hirst said it has been a seamless transition thus far, with the move ultimately offering greater long-term career opportunities for employees.
“It was a difficult decision, but it was the right thing to do,” said Hirst, who took over in 2012 as the firm’s fifth-generation leader, succeeding his father, Paul, who was President for 25 years from 1988-2012. At the time of the acquisition, Hirst called it “an incredible milestone for our company, one that will unlock great potential for our teams in the years ahead.”
Hirst said the genesis of this transaction began several years ago when Hirst served with former Horrocks President/CEO Russell Youd on the Executive Committee of the Utah Chapter of the American Consulting Engineers Council (ACEC Utah) from 2016-18 (Hirst was President in 2016). During an ACEC event in Washington, D.C., the pair went walking after an industry dinner, and the topic of joining forces first arose. After a couple of years of talks, Covid halted discussions, but by 2022, Hirst said “we looked at [joining] a little more seriously. The challenge for Horrocks was trying to get all shareholders behind a large capital investment—it’s a hard task.”
“We’re going back to our roots a little bit,” said Shane Marshall, Chief Revenue Officer for Horrocks. “We started as a municipal firm, but as we grew, it became more of a UDOT/transportation [focused] firm. CRS is more of a municipal firm with the same culture. When Matt was trying to figure out what to do with his company, coupled with how we were going to grow Horrocks, [the acquisition] just made sense. It was a good merger for both of us. It brought us skillsets and depth that we didn’t have.”
“We didn’t ‘need’ to do this,” added Hirst, “but I saw that we could make each other better, and factor in that we had partnered the past five years on a dozen projects and work well together. It just made a ton of sense.”
A year prior to acquiring CRS, Horrocks joined Trilon Group, a collection of 13 companies focused on infrastructure design and engineering, with the ability to partner on projects regionally or nationally. While Horrocks is the largest engineering firm in Utah, it has around 1,000 employees in 27 offices in nine states. The firm earned $165 million total in 2024 revenues—$90 million in Utah—with those numbers projected to jump to $200 million total and $100 million in Utah in 2025.
Marshall said CRS brought considerable expertise in water and groundwater hydrology projects, along with heavy rail design, which he said is “highly unique.” He noted that Horrocks is one of eight firms nationally able to design and get approved industrial development plans for Union Pacific. In addition, the firm offers “improved strength to alternative delivery, site/civil, and our overall water practice.”
Hirst has also enjoyed his role as Sr. Vice President, Community Infrastructure Business Line Leader, which allows him to “learn and grow in my ability to manage and connect with people across a much larger region. I’ve joined a company with 27 offices, where we had three. It’s been a great learning experience.”
It also gives him more time to contribute his expertise as a member of the University of Utah’s Department of Civil Engineering advisory board and also help educate the next generation of engineers.
“How can we keep this piece of society strong and vibrant?” Hirst poses. “That’s what I want to do—teach and mentor younger engineers and help them find the fire and passion for what we do.”

In addition to Hirst, other key former CRS people include: Mary Hargis, HR Director; Susan Cullen, Assistant Controller; Darren Eyre, Railroad Services Leader; Mark Chandler, Associate VP Water Leader; John Bale, Project Manager; Josh Prettyman, Utah Conveyance Practice Leader; Greg Nelson, Associate VP; Clint Allen, Associate Freight Rail Leader; Katie Jones, Hydraulics/Hydrology Practice Director; Max Pierce, Municipal Practice Director; Craig Nebeker, Vernal Manager.
A New Chapter for Meridian Engineering
It’s a brave new world at South Jordan-based Meridian Engineering, Inc., which announced May 1 a new majority shareholder ownership group consisting of:
- Michael Nadeau, President and Survey Division Leader
- Nichole L. Luthi, Vice President and Civil Engineering Division Leader
- Tyler Baron, Vice President and Right-of-Way Division Leader
They are joined by seven minority shareholders, representing the next generation of leadership at Meridian.
The new leaders replace the 28-year-old firm’s three original founders: Darryl Fenn, President (moved into a part-time role in May); J. Randall Vickers, Vice President (moved into a part-time role in May); and Steven Johnson, Vice President (retired December 2024).
The move follows an 18-month transition process during which the founders carefully evaluated their options. While there was interest from larger firms looking to expand into Utah, they ultimately chose to pass ownership to leaders they trusted—individuals who would preserve Meridian’s core values and continue operating under the Meridian name.
“There were definitely some challenges during the transition process—there are always challenges to overcome when you have the ideals and thoughts of the founding principals vs. new, fresh blood coming in,” said Nadeau, who joined the firm in 2002. “In business, you can’t have emotions—at times, that meant navigating the balance between long-standing friendships with the founders and the business realities of negotiation. Working through those moments ultimately strengthened our mutual respect and commitment to Meridian’s future.”
“We had been working on the transition intently for over a year,” said Baron, the longest-tenured Meridian employee outside the founders, having started in 1998. “When they mentioned they had other offers from outside, none of us wanted to work for a bigger company. We’ve talked for years about buying them out. When we met with a consultant, we knew we could work it out.”
“I think (our offer) was in line with their original goals as a stand-alone legacy,” said Luthi, who joined the firm in 2007. “We also want to remain a stand-alone firm and grow with intention, grow organically. We have a lot invested here. We’re close as friends.”
Meridian’s expertise includes civil engineering, land surveying, and right-of-way design, among other areas. The firm has grown steadily over the past three years, with revenues of $6.3 million in 2023, $7.2 million in 2024, and a projected $8 million this year. The firm holds civil engineering licenses in Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and Wyoming; as well as professional land surveyor licenses in those states, plus Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Revenues check in evenly between the three main divisions, with civil engineering (10 employees) bringing in 36% of revenues and survey/right-of-way (32 employees) account for the other 64%. The 42 employees there are a company high, with the intention of adding more, but with a long-term perspective of hiring people who prove a good cultural fit.
“Our plan is to keep that [10% annual growth] path,” said Nadeau. “We’re not the firm to hire people on big projects, just to lay them off when the project is done. That’s not who we are. Our focus is on building a mentoring culture, where team members are continually training, supporting, and learning from one another so everyone grows together.”
Luthi said relationships between departments are strong, with a focus on helping each other land new work and team up on various aspects of projects, such as offering clients a full survey and site/civil package, for example.
“Civil tries to feed survey—we’re collaborative and work really well together that way,” she said.
“We want to grow and keep looking at ways to improve the culture here,” added Baron. “We want to keep the family-first atmosphere.”
Beyond work, the firm hosts an array of events and holiday parties annually, along with a monthly “shout-out” to highlight notable employee accomplishments, as well as monthly employee spotlights. Inclusivity is key, as is keeping employees in tune with the firm’s progress and profitability, with a focus on improving efficiencies.
“One of our mottos is more transparency,” said Luthi. “We want to make sure there is no hidden agenda.”
Public work accounts for much of the firm’s overall revenues, with the Utah Department of Transportation and various other state and municipal clientele (Utah DFCM, universities, counties, cities) providing a steady stream of work for both right-of-way and surveying departments, based on Meridian’s ability to produce top-shelf deliverables.
Luthi has found considerable success doing civil/sitework on K-12 education projects, a market for which she has a genuine passion, saying, “It’s very fulfilling to be a community builder.”
Ultimately, Meridian’s new leadership group is excited—and keenly optimistic—about the future. Nowhere to go but up.
“Honestly, we couldn’t be more excited about where we’re at,” Nadeau added. “We recognize the opportunity in front of us and we are committed to making the most of it.”
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Workers from Mountain States Fence at the start of anew day i September. The firm transitioned to an ESOP in April.
(Not pictured: Jenkit Kobsuk)
Mountain States Fence Taking the ESOP Path
After several months of discussions about the future of his company, longtime Mountain States Fence President Rick Higgins sold his shares to his 40 employees—making it an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) company—ensuring what he hopes is a seamless transition when he’s ready to step down from a role he’s held for 40 years.
“As long as I’m mentally and physically capable, I love the business,” said Higgins, 74, who took over the reins of the company in 1985 from his father, Dennis, founder of Mountain States Fence in 1963, when Higgins was in junior high. He anticipates working another 4-5 years—good health permitting. “Construction is the most amazing business—I just really enjoy it!”
The decision to sell the company didn’t come easily for Higgins, but not having children in the business—he insisted they pursue different careers based on his sometimes-challenging relationship with his father—meant the inevitable realization that someone else would eventually need to take over the reins. When that ultimately happens depends on current staff stepping up to that challenge, but the wheels are in motion with the ESOP formally in place.
“Rick is very generous, very unselfish,” said Jenkit Kobsuk, CFO, who has been at MSF for 21 years and was Higgins’ right-hand man in helping set up the ESOP. “He could sell the company to anyone and just walk away, but because of how he treats his employees, he wanted to give us the opportunity and thought we know better than anyone else how to run this business.”
“It’s amazing being a part owner, knowing that I’m part of something bigger,” said Alycia Luna, a 13-year veteran of the firm who oversees Purchasing. “We care about each other. We’re trying to learn what our roles are going forward.”
“I was glad to see it happen,” said Andre Lopez, an Estimator and Project Manager with 13 years of experience at MSF, saying he’s trying to educate the field workers about the inherent benefits of the ESOP and how it will reward employees who stick with the firm long-term. It’s an excellent incentive to retain employees, he said.
“I bring it up to (field workers), like, ‘what are you doing as an owner of the company to make it better’,” said Lopez. “We’re educating employees, telling them to say something if they see safety concerns at a jobsite. People need to have confidence that they have a voice.”
“It’s easier to have a vested interest in the entire company and everyone’s success—that translates into real value,” added Tyler Vass, Project Manager/Estimator and a nine-year veteran of the firm. “Our culture is great and fosters growth. I got lucky with this company.”
Higgins is confident the next generation of leadership will keep the ship headed in a positive direction.
“I want to be able to drive by and see how it’s doing in 5 years, I want to take care of them if I can,” Higgins said of his employees, who he considers family. “It’s a paternalistic notion, but they deserve it. At the time I made the (ESOP) decision, I was getting two calls a week to sell the company. I figured it was time to get the employees to understand that I was sincere about turning it over to them.”

Higgins added that employees need to grasp that this “is not just a gift, it’s a transfer of responsibility. They need to recognize that and act accordingly.”
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.
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.”
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.”
Nathan Goodrich
Paul founded Paulsen Construction in 1925 after immigrating from Norway 16 years prior. Sprague Library in Sugar House was originally built by Paul, and then restored nearly 100 years later, led by current President John Paulsen.
West Valley City Veteran’s Memorial Expansion Owner: West Valley City Architect: EDA Architects GC: Okland Construction Estimated Completion Date: September 2025
Commercial office is not dead. The market is alive and well, according to the design pros at HB Workplaces team. Their new office and showroom in Draper, and what it has done for employees and clients, is a case in point. All it took was a change in scenery. Transitioning from the B'Nai Israel Temple, built in 1890, to a new space was a welcome change for the team. "I just remember working between 2015 and 2020, and it was just," Keilian Meyer trailed off as he described the former office, a historic religious building converted into an office and showroom in 1987. Minimal natural lighting, rooms and layouts misaligned for team needs—their space wasn't bringing out anyone's best work. Meyer, Marketing Director for HB Workplaces, said going to work didn't engender a sense of engagement. "It was kind of punch in and punch out." But everything coalesced with their move. "The timing aligned perfectly," Meyer said of the June 2024 move and their rebrand from the year before from Henriksen/Butler to HB Workplaces. Dual Purposes Come to Life It aligned with every real estate broker's favorite word: location. Planting the HB Workplaces flag in the award-winning Baltic Pointe made perfect sense, especially with its epicenter locale between the booming economies of Salt Lake and Utah counties. HB Workplaces CEO Dave Colling summed it all up succinctly: "Our new headquarters is not just another building; it's a statement of our appreciation and stewardship of design, built upon decades-long heritage of our own, along with MillerKnoll, underscoring our commitment to excellence." The mass timber ceilings in HB Workplaces' first-floor office in Baltic Pointe—the first of their kind for a commercial building in Utah—are part of that commitment. Everything seems warmer, healthier, and better under the all-lumber ceiling. "We've always been drawn to inspiring architecture, and the natural warmth and intentionality of this structure made it a natural fit," said Meyer. HB Workplaces sought to make their mass timber home a showpiece for the beautiful and wide-ranging possibilities of today's commercial interiors, serving as an office for the HB Workplaces team and a showroom for interior designers and architects looking to envision their next project. That dual nature comes through perfectly across the space, with the showroom piece especially highlighted in the "Living Room" and its 382 SF of mid-century modern glory. The unforgettable Eames Lounge chair catches the eye, but closer inspection reveals some nods to the B'Nai Israel Temple's stained glass windows and other homages to the deep histories of the Herman Miller and Knoll brands. The room's mid-century-style lounge chairs, couches, ottomans, and side tables—all MillerKnoll line, of course—combine with gentle lighting to create the perfect spot for hosting. Brit Badger, HB Workplaces' VP of Client Development, explained how the Living Room is ideal for getting to know their design partners and clients, especially for a first meeting. "It's not all the same seating everywhere, like it would be at a conference room," she explained of how the varied seating choices—the Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair is often first dibs—help to create a relaxed and comfortable environment. "It's cool to see who chooses what. It's a fun way to start."
Bragging about a “C+” might seem gauche, but Utah is one of only four states to earn that high a grade, according to the May 28 release by the Utah Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) of the 2025 Report Card for Utah’s Infrastructure. The cumulative “C+” for the Beehive State is the highest mark ever given by ASCE to any individual state—the report card itself spans 12 categories of infrastructure and is virtually unchanged from 2020 (ASCE issues report cards every four years). Utah's grade is also one step higher than the national infrastructure average grade of “C” in the ASCE 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, which dropped in March. Roads (B+) and Bridges (B) remain the stars of the class, as the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) continues to receive consistent state funding in furthering its aggressive program of building new projects to meet ongoing demand, while diligently maintaining existing infrastructure. “Our transit and transportation are doing fabulous," said Anna Lisonbee, President of ASCE Utah and an Engineer-in-Training at South Jordan-based Hansen, Allen & Luce. “UDOT and UTA are lauded as some of the most efficient [organizations] nationwide, so we’re doing very well in that category.” Aviation infrastructure was the only category to see a grade increase—somewhat predictable given the sheer amount of capital investment made over the past decade at Salt Lake International Airport, Provo Airport, and other regional airports statewide. Three categories—bridges, s tormwater, and transit—saw grade decreases. The remaining eight categories held steady from 2020. "Utah is one of the fastest-growing states in the country, and state leaders have taken steps to ensure the reliability of infrastructure systems as more people move here to enjoy Utah's thriving communities, amazing outdoors, and high quality of life," said Craig Friant, Utah Civil Practice Lead for South Jordan-based Wilson & Company and Chair of the 2025 Report Card for Utah's Infrastructure. Utah grades per category: Roads: B+ Bridges: B Drinking Water, Solid Waste, Transit: B- Aviation, Dams, Hazardous Waste: C+ Stormwater, Wastewater: C Canals: D+ Levees: D-
"What gets you out of Egypt doesn't take you to the promised land." The quote, as I first heard it, came from Ron Dunn, Founder of Salt Lake structural engineering firm Dunn Associates. While he was talking about the differences between founding and growing a company, the same principle holds true in developing a robust transportation infrastructure. In other words: "What got us here will not take us there." What has taken us here has been development dedicated to personal vehicles and last-mile freight—a stellar network of roads and highways from massive investments in horizontal construction. But what will get us "there" to the promised land? What will bring us to a future where Utahns can have the freedom to move without a car? Unified Plan for a Connected Utah? We'll certainly wander in the West Desert without a plan. Lucky us, we have hundreds of agreed-upon proposals across metropolitan planning organizations, cities and towns, counties, and even the Utah Department of Transportation. The Beehive State's guiding document toward long-term transportation plans, whether for cars or not, is found in the Utah Unified Transportation Plan, also known as the Unified Plan. The visionary document aims to prioritize funding across multiple transportation options and give residents choices, ranging from personal vehicles to mass transit and active transportation. Residents and metropolitan planning organizations across the state have added their input to further unify the state's trajectory. Key in Utah's Unified Plan, as documented, is analyzing and ultimately determining how transportation projects in Utah should be funded between 2023 - 2050. With projected needs across that timeline estimated at $153 billion in today's dollars, current revenue sources generating just under a projected $95 billion, and future revenue streams projected to generate just over $18 billion, we're going to be short. But where is that money going? Most often, it's funding roads. According to the Unified Plan, transportation needs from road capacity, maintenance, preservation, and operations project at a whopping $110 billion between 2023 - 2050, with a $29 billion funding gap in revenue. Funding future mass transit capacity ($14.8 billion) and operations ($19.8 billion) over the next 25 years costs a fraction of the projected costs for roads and highways. It's an apples-to-oranges comparison, admittedly, as massive funding for highways and freeways has created so much, but where do state priorities lead? Budget at a Glance Utah continues to tread the asphalt and concrete highway to prioritize highway funding. UDOT's FY2026 funding document shows $2.5 billion in funding. Estimated Transportation Investment Fund (TIF) expenditures, primarily used for improving or optimizing capacity, are projected at $1.2 billion. Within the TIF, Class B & Class C Roads, county roads and city streets, respectively, will receive $261 million, Highway Systems Construction $205 million, and Operations/Maintenance $254 million. It makes sense when $883 million in projected revenue for FY2026 comes from user-based fees, permits, and gas tax revenues (set to be 40 cents per gallon in 2026). On the other hand, UDOT-funded mass transit receives a bulk of its budget from the above-mentioned Transportation Investment Fund—35% of the index fuel tax sales tax goes into the Transit Transportation Investment Fund. For FY2026, transit and commuter rail projects will receive $103 million. John Gleason, UDOT's Sr. Public Information Officer, said there is a major shift happening within UDOT over the last decade-plus to give some "gas" to other forms of transportation. "All transportation is important to us. For every project we undertake, we are looking at the different components across all modes—cars, transit, bikes, trails," Gleason said. "We need to keep an eye on how the entire transportation system can function across the state." The words and shift in priorities are welcome, but what "Keeps Utah Moving", will not be more highway lanes or highway construction that receives the lion's share of transportation funding. Utah highways, like those in so many other states, are the victims of induced demand. The phenomenon is a matter of economics. For vehicle transportation, each lane added, highway developed, or road widened helps to expand capacity on these newly modified transportation corridors. However, expanding capacity does not mean solving traffic concerns. While capacity expands, more people are "induced" to use these freshly expanded corridors, lanes fill back to capacity, and commutes return to their sluggish nature. This never-ending quest to meet our transportation needs is set to play out again on I-15. UDOT is set to add another lane on I-15 from Farmington to Salt Lake, and do so at a multi-billion-dollar price tag. Surely this lane will be "The One" that fixes the traffic problem on Utah's busiest transit corridor? Utah may still be adjusting to roundabouts, but will we ever get out of this circle?
Standing atop the now-tallest building in Utah—the dynamic 451-foot, 680,000-SF Astra Tower in downtown Salt Lake City—Lance Shields was succinct in describing the otherworldly, 360-degree views available from the 41st-floor rooftop patio. “Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” mused Shields, a Principal with Salt Lake-based HKS Architects and one of a half-dozen architects on HKS’ team who contributed to the design of Astra Tower, which features 377 total units, two levels of penthouse suites, and more than 40,000-SF of top-shelf amenity space. Peering southeast to majestic views of the Wasatch Mountains, Shields referenced the striking cantilever structure gracing the building’s southeast corner—a concession that preserved the breathtaking view by eliminating what would have been a structural column. Adding this approximately $2 million change to the bottom line only further illustrated the owner’s desire for a world-class luxury apartment tower. “The uninterrupted views of the valley are really breathtaking at the top floor and is the one thing that visitors I have taken through the project consistently comment on as the best experience they have had,” said Shields, adding that it would have been easy to justify a column in that corner. “I have to hand it to the vision of our team and the owner to see the value of the views and taking steps to preserve it.” Indeed, Boston-headquartered Kensington Investment Company (KIC) had been eyeing the Salt Lake market since 2017, ready to make a splash. In 2018, it purchased the site once home to Carl’s Jr. and hired HKS in 2019 to get the ball rolling on the design side. The pandemic forced KIC to pause its timeline, with construction formally kicking off in January 2022, led by Salt Lake-based Jacobsen Construction. “We were taking an enormous risk and writing a massive check while making sure we had as many people with experience on our team as we practically could,” said Ed Lewis, CEO of KIC. “We asked ourselves if Salt Lake City was ready for this kind of product—with no [like-building comparisons] to look to—while making the project financially successful. Putting together the capital stack with no comps in the state, and ensuring the team knew what they were doing, was challenging.” Engagement with the community was a priority from the start, said Shane Rensmon, President of Real Estate Development for KIC, as was finding local A/E/C firms with the moxie to take on a unique hybrid design-build project of this magnitude, a delivery method “not common in Salt Lake City, but common across major markets,” he said. “Ownership wanted to utilize local consultants and vendors as much as possible to get the community involved and engaged with the project, which presented new challenges in designing and constructing Astra Tower,” said Rensmon. “We leveraged [KIC’s] skills and experiences to help guide the design and construction teams on issues that they have not seen before or had little to no experience in.” Hotel-like Vibe with Unmatched Amenities Emir Tursic is no stranger to massive projects, having cut his teeth in the hospitality realm as a draftsman-turned-project architect for HKS on Block A of the enormous $10 billion MGM City Center project in Las Vegas from 2007-2008, which included the 61-story, 600,000-SF Aria Hotel. “It was a project I grew up very quickly with,” recalled Tursic, Office Director for HKS’ Salt Lake office, who ended up managing part of the project before it ended. “After this, I could go to the moon and not be scared of anything.” Even amidst the challenges for Tursic and his team, Astra Tower proved to be one of the most exciting, generational opportunities in the realm of world-class residential high-rise design that—ho-hum—also sets a record as the state’s tallest-ever building. “We wanted to create a sustainable urban community that focuses on wellness and sustainability,” said Tursic. “Sustainability is not just about energy and carbon footprint, it’s also [about] health and wellness and the environment. We have this huge amenity program—40,000 SF of indoor and outdoor amenities space focused on physical and mental health.” Tursic said dispersing major amenities across three building levels was a key functional design consideration. Level 8 kicks things off with an expansive club lounge that includes a demonstration kitchen and entertainment area, a state-of-the-art fitness center where views overlook Gallivan Plaza, a remote office space with a conference room and meeting rooms, and what Tursic calls “The bonus space”—an expansive 10,000 SF outdoor urban park. “Instead of a roof on top of the eight-story parking structure, we created a space with an outdoor lawn, hammocks, fire pits, grills—it’s a great social space for Astra’s residential community,” he said. Level 23 includes the outdoor pool and indoor spa, highlighted by a wellness center, steam room, sauna, recovery spas, treatment rooms, and private locker rooms. The pool deck overlook offers excellent views of the Oquirrh Mountains to the west. Level 41 tops the amenity spaces—literally—with an outdoor kitchen, entertainment area, and a spacious outdoor viewing deck that looks down on Salt Lake’s adjacent tallest buildings. “We wanted to provide a variety of experiences,” said Tursic. “The 41st floor is meant for quiet and solitude.” ROAM Interior Design provided interior design on every level. "With Astra Tower, we set out to design interiors that reflect both the soul and natural beauty of Utah, infused with the energy of modern city living," said Deanne Teeter, Design Director at ROAM. “Every amenity—from the tranquil spa on the 23rd floor to the rooftop lounge with panoramic views—is intentionally crafted to foster wellness through biophilic connection and a true sense of home in the sky." “Astra Tower was purposefully designed to exemplify KIC's commitment to o perating market-leading apartment buildings, featuring state-of-the-art amenities and an unwavering dedication to service excellence,” said Joe Bird, Vice President of Real Estate Development for KIC. “This intentional design ensures an unparalleled living experience, blending sophisticated facilities with exceptional resident-focused service to set a new standard for urban residential excellence in Utah.”
