Quarter Time

The completion of Phase I of The West Quarter opens an exciting new chapter in downtown Salt Lake's hospitality, entertainment, and lifestyle markets.
By Brad Fullmer

After a lengthy process spanning seven-plus years, Phase I of The West Quarter project is in the books, offering scintillating new options for downtown Salt Lake patrons in the heart of the City's west side entertainment district and transforming the 6.5-acre Block 67 parcel—kitty corner southeast to the iconic Delta Center (welcome back)—into a world-class, mixed-use development.

"It sets the tone for what's to come," said Ryan Ritchie, Owner of Salt Lake-based The Ritchie Group (TRG), developer and co-owner of West Quarter along with Layton-based Garn Development. “We've had a vision for seven years—other than City Creek [Center], I think this is the most ambitious [mixed-use] project ever taken on in Salt Lake."

Indeed, The West Quarter is envisioned as a revolutionary, game-changing mixed-use project that will rival similar developments around NBA arenas in other metropolitan cities, like L.A. Live, the premier sports and entertainment district surrounding Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the Pearl District in Portland, and the Deer District in Milwaukee, a 30-acre neighborhood around Fiserv Forum flush with up-scale businesses, bars and restaurants. 

"The Ritchie Group always envisioned this project as being similar to L.A. Live or the [Deer District]," said Emir Tursic, Principal for Salt Lake-based HKS, design architect on the dual-branded hotel portion of the project. "This used to be the warehouse district, and we tried to acknowledge that in our design. That's why we have large, oversized windows, the use of brick, but we also inserted a curtain wall in the west corner, which symbolizes the transformation of this area [...] to more of a lifestyle and entertainment district. The idea is to create a district that will provide amenities to support the Delta Center and [300+ annual] events, not just Jazz games."  

Phase I of The West Quarter includes a pair of dynamic, 11-story high-rise buildings situated around a spacious mid-block plaza and the east-to-west Quarter Row walkway, which will gradually come to life over Phases II and III over the next five-plus years, depending on market conditions. 

The first building houses the first-ever Le Meridien for Marriott in Utah (and 26th in 23 U.S. cities)—a swanky, upscale hotel with inspiring interior finishes, functionality, and charm, along with the hotel magnate's 100th Element Hotel, which caters to extended-stay clients and offers its own unique style and decor. 
Building two is The Charles, a luxury residential tower with 240 units, offering sleek, high-end amenities—highlighted by a rooftop pool, hot tub and clubhouse, expansive workout room with an exterior component, game room areas, gourmet kitchen and more.

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An innovative, multi-material curtain wall system—highlighted with copious amounts of glass—makes a bold statement in the dual-branded hotel Le Meredien and Element, a welcome addition to the Salt Lake hospitality market. Hotel spaces are modern and sleek, with optimum functionality. 

Owner's Patience Rewarded

The Ritchie Group is a second-generation developer based in Salt Lake City, founded as Ritchie Enterprises in 1973 by James Ritchie and rebranded in 2005 by his sons Paul and Ryan. TRG's primary focus is on multi-family, self-storage, industrial, and hospitality development projects. With a development queue of $2 billion-plus, including 3,500+ MF units, 400+ keys of hospitality, and 4.4M SF of industrial warehouse at various stages of design and development.


Ryan Ritchie said the firm pivoted post-recession to multi-family development and other "income asset" properties, with a focus on offering higher-end, resort-style amenities on its projects. About a decade ago, Ritchie said the firm "was looking for a downtown site for a mixed-use project and stumbled into Block 67", a 6.5-acre parcel that housed Royal Wood Plaza and a U.S. Post Office for years, along with being part of Salt Lake's storied Japantown, an area that lost much of history and allure with the construction of the Salt Palace Convention Center in the mid-to-late 60s. 


A primary goal of West Quarter was to create a project that played off the Delta Center, with a mid-block road and walkway. "Our blocks are so huge, they aren't intimate," said Ritchie. "Other than Regent Street, maybe Pierpont (Ave.), very few streets break the block up. We wanted to break the block down in scalable chunks and make it walkable and connected," referencing Portland's Pearl District. "We want to make the connection to downtown [Central Business District] with the West [CBD] and be this key connecting block. You have to activate it; it has to be the ultimate live/work/play destination." 


The relationship between the developers and Salt Lake City and its government officials was a real boon to the project over the course of its entirety, with Salt Lake City Corp. contributing money towards the cost of the two-level underground parking structure.


"It's a very unique project and speaks to why we've required some help from the public side," said Ritchie. "Projects like this can't come to life on its own. It was critical for the City to buy off and be a partner. I'm really happy with the first two projects, but I look at this as a steppingstone to where we want to end up." 

Ritchie also talked about the timing of Phase I coming to the downtown market and coinciding with a slew of high-quality, sexy high-rise projects—including 95 State at City Creek, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Astra Tower, Liberty Sky and others—each contributing immeasurably to boosting Salt Lake City's profile as a true world-class metropolitan destination. 


"I know it's cliche, but a rising tide lifts all boats," he said. "I'm excited to get to a point where we see more like-minded projects."


Twice as Nice

While the dual-branded hotel is unique to the Utah/Salt Lake market, Tursic said "they are very common in other markets; HKS has designed many of them with several different brands across the nation. They are becoming increasingly popular because of their programmatic efficiencies that share the back of house, and in some cases amenity areas, while providing a variety of guestroom offerings."


Architecturally, the hotel is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional warehouse architectural style reflecting the history of the Gateway district and its vernacular architecture.  Brick references the district’s warehouse history, and metal panel references industrial uses. The building massing is articulated with two-story punched openings divided by muntins that capture the essence of the warehouse typology. Areas of natural wood are employed to bring warmth to the more human-scaled spaces, all while balancing the demands of well-established international hotel brands.


While HKS was responsible for the exterior architectural design and general building planning, HBA Studio of Los Angeles focused on the interior design of all guestroom and hotel public areas. HKS and HBA Studio worked collaboratively to plan those spaces. 


In addition, Beecher Walker Architects (BWA) of Salt Lake served as Architect of Record and was present at all design meetings to serve as a secondary set of eyes to HKS, while handling contract documents. 


"As with all projects of this size there were some late nights, but we had a great team and were able to come together," said Owen Blake, Project Manager for BWA. "You have to put differences aside to create something this magnificent." 


"If there was ever a quadrant that needed strength, it was the southeast corner of the Delta Center complex," added Lyle Beecher, Principal-in-Charge for BWA. "This project is a great addition to the area in so many ways." 


One design challenge was creating a lifestyle hotel with a high level of street and pedestrian engagement that in addition to attracting travelers, will become an extension of the sports district and the entertainment hub. 


Along with its residential counterpart, The Charles, the hotel has created a vibrant entrance into the new development by engaging its context through deliberate planning of active uses and contextual architectural design. Hotel lobbies line both street frontages, connecting at a corner restaurant with outdoor seating. On level two, the large pre-function area engages the street, and the 10-story curtain wall façade symbolizes the latest transformation of the Gateway District. Street and corner engagement continue vertically and terminate at the rooftop terrace with a long cantilever that activates the City skyline. 


Moving on Up 

Designed by Salt Lake-based Architectural Nexus, The Charles is every bit the equal to the hotels with its lavish style and amenities, and slots nicely into the downtown, high-end residential apartment market, designed with a head-turning exterior curtain wall system with varying window sizes in a playful pattern with masonry, steel, and glass working in harmony. 


The building offers a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments and 11 penthouse units, along with plenty of fun public spaces with modern, highly functional amenities highlighted by the dazzling rooftop pool terrace and lounge area and state-of-the art, 2,600 SF indoor/outdoor fitness center with yoga studio, a social club, clubhouse/lounge, outdoor grilling stations and even a poker lounge, Aces & Vinyls. STK Steakhouse signed a lease in May and will occupy 8,500 SF of interior space and 2,000 SF of patio space on the ground floor end cap of The Charles. 


"When you can expose concrete you get a marriage of refinement and rawness and you see that in the interior, you get that feel of modern and new," said David Abraham, Sr. Principal with Nexus. "It offers a bit of nostalgia and what it means to live a downtown lifestyle."


Even minute items stand out for their fine detail, added Charles Bagley, an Associate at Nexus, such as "details in elevator buttons, ivory and circular elements, other whimsical elements throughout the entire project [...] creates a unique identity." 


Interior design elements are lively and fun, with modern, decorative furniture and floor-to-ceiling glass offering exquisite downtown views.

Lisman Studio of Salt Lake, led by Principal Belle Kurudzija, provided interior design on The Charles, including space planning for all amenity areas and hallways, and art and lighting procurement—"the wall sconce feature is my favorite in the lobby," said Kurudzija. 


"I wanted to create a bespoke space that was authentic and new to the city," she added. "A space that has balance of comfort and familiarity to out-of-state tenants, and a space that melodiously incorporates the rhythmic liveliness, improvisational nature, and soulful mood of Jazz."


Construction Techniques, Innovations Key to Success

Tony Castillo, Sr. Project Manager for Jacobsen, had his hands full dealing with three different architecture firms, representatives from both hotels, and numerous other stakeholders, on top of everything brought to the industry by Covid and supply chain challenges. That said, this project is a landmark and one that was ultimately successful due to a total buy-in from all contractors on the project. 


"We definitely had our share of challenges, but we're proud of the effort of all team members," said Castillo. "The two buildings mirrored each other. This is a marquee project for us."


Jacobsen's estimators were able to keep costs down and manage a tight schedule including the challenge of a hotel branding change, which necessitated different items, FF&E, etc. 



Another boon to the schedule was the use of Structionsite, sophisticated jobsite imaging technology used to identify exact locations of key components of the building, including post-tensioning cables, rough-ins, electrical and mechanical systems and more, to reduce re-work or constructability conflicts.

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The Charles is designed for the upper-class residential market, with a head-turning exterior and luxurious, topshelf amenities across the board, including a playful rooftop pool/lounge area and inviting common spaces. 

Much More to Come; Interest Rates Pausing Phase II

Future additions to The West Quarter will focus on activating the mid-block space, with new retail and dining areas creating Quarter Row via a curbless, pedestrian-friendly design.


Ritchie said Phase II (Block C) will include another upscale 321-unit residential tower and 24,000 SF of retail space—with dramatic 20-24 ft. ceilings, offering true mezzanine level retail opportunities. The project is ready to break ground, but interest rates at 7%+ will push the official start to mid-2024. 


Phase III (Block D) will be highlighted with two towers up to 375 ft., including another 200-key hotel and 130 condominiums in the same tower, plus a swanky, Class A office building, which Ritchie admits is a very ambitious plan given a cooling office market due to uncertainty over flex/remote demands of today's workforce. 


"No one wants to build [office], no one wants to finance it, but we believe," he said. "95 State filled up because of location and amenities. My belief is when there is another [office] building built in Salt Lake City, it will be ours. The office is important because it allows parking on weekends—that really activates the center. We want to leave a legacy we can be proud of."


Tursic, who is also Principal-in-Charge for HKS on the 450-ft. Astra Tower high-rise luxury tower, said it's rewarding to be involved in transformative urban Salt Lake projects that "are changing our skyline and enriching our downtown experience. The most satisfying part for me, however, is seeing how these projects are used and enjoyed by their end-users, people for whom we ultimately design. Projects like The West Quarter demonstrate that good design is good business that benefits the development, our communities and the City as a whole."

The West Quarter (Phase 1)

Location: Salt Lake City 

Delivery Method: CM/GC

Square Footage: 737,000

Stories/Levels: 11 Stories (+2 underground parking levels)


Project Team

Owner: The Ritchie Group; Garn Development

Owner’s Rep: Ryan Ritchie

Developer: The Ritchie Group


Design Team

Design Architect: HKS (Ph. I Hotel) 

Architect of Record: Beecher Walker Architects

Design Architect: Architectural Nexus (Ph. 1 Residential)

Civil: Twin Peaks Engineering & Land Surveying

Electrical: Hunt Electric Inc.

Mechanical: CCI Mechanical

Structural: SE-Solutions, Inc.

Interior Design: HBA Studio 

Landscape Design: MGB+A 


Construction Team

General Contractor: Jacobsen Construction Company

Concrete: Suntec

Plumbing: CCI Mechanical

HVAC: CCI Mechanical

Electrical: Hunt Electric

Masonry: IMS Masonry

Drywall: Wallboard Specialties 

Acoustics: Golder Acoustics, HD Acoustics LLC

Painting: Grow Painting Inc., Pete King Commercial 

Tile/Stone: Global Stone and Tile LLC, Metro Tile Associates, Millcreek Tile & Stone LLC, 

Curtain Wall/Glazing: B&D Glass, LCG Facades 

Flooring: Spectra Contract Flooring 

Roofing: Utah Tile and Roofing 

Waterproofing: Waterproofing West, Guaranteed Waterproofing & Construction

Steel: Glassey Steel Works, Sanpete Steel

Excavation: Reynolds Excavation 

Vertical Shoring: Keller North America Inc.

Like a Phoenix Rising

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
Residents have access to a wealth of modern, high-class amenities: Check out this open-air rooftop patio with tasteful lighting, pool, and spacious hot tub—it’s party time! (all photos courtesy Kier Construction)

Mission In Progress

By LADD MARSHALL • November 15, 2025
Steve Green is out in McCornick, Utah. Where is that? And what’s near McCornick? “Nothing,” joked Green, the Sr. Vice President for Wheeler Machinery Co. While he may be far from even the smallest of small towns, with Holden and its 492 residents 13 miles away, he’s close to the site of a major development in data center technology. Isolated on the western edge of the Sevier Desert, the Joule Data Center will also be isolated from the grid—by design. Operation Gigawatt Rolls On Green is one of many energy and power professionals hoping to double Utah’s power generation capacity by 2034 as a part of Operation Gigawatt, an initiative launched by Utah Governor Spencer Cox in October 2024. Utah has long been an economic growth leader; Operation Gigawatt aims to make Utah a power player in energy development by increasing transmission capacity, increasing energy production, strengthening policy, and investing in energy innovation. While Governor Cox’s Operation Gigawatt moves forward statewide, out in McCornick, Green said, “We’re doing operation gigawatt and a half off grid.” The Joule Data Center project team will deliver “In-situ power generation”—power not connected to any electrical distribution or transmission system. It starts with Caterpillar G3520K reciprocating generator sets that produce 1.5 gigawatts of electricity. Waste heat and exhaust from the generators then move through an absorption chiller system as part of the overall systems combined cooling, heat, and power (CCHP) solution, providing much of the water required to cool the data center servers. Beyond the electric power to be generated for the Joule project, there will be 1.5 gigawatts of thermal energy and 1.1 gigawatts of available battery storage to meet the data center's peak electricity needs. Added Green, “And we’re not taxing the local utility grid.” Isolated or Community Power? The massive power capabilities delivered there are impressive, but they reveal a troubling trend in how Utah will double its power generation capabilities. Will it be from well-funded companies looking to power data centers and AI technology separate from the grid? Or will Utah fulfill the mission of Operation Gigawatt by creating power solutions accessible to all? According to Troy Thompson, Chief Operations Officer for Big-D Companies, power generation is about more than supplying data centers. “In my mind, how do we build a billion-dollar hospital downtown that needs ten megawatts of power?” he said, referencing Intermountain Health’s future downtown Salt Lake campus, “let alone the data centers, and manufacturers who we are hoping that will come here?” Ten megawatts of power may pale in comparison to what data centers require, but it is one of many projects seeking regulatory approval to move forward. The Utah Inland Port Authority, the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, and others continue to drive projects and jobs into Utah—data centers, too. But Thompson said he has heard from many potential clients who are hesitant to bring their energy-intensive projects to the state without firm guarantees of available power. Operation Gigawatt and state leaders have embraced an "all of the above" approach to energy sources, extending the design lifespans of coal plants, embracing new technologies and power sources, and developing new power-generating capabilities. While the industry is willing, the operating environment needs rewiring to meet state goals. Changing for 21st Century Needs “With as hot as the Utah market is,” began Eric Haslem, “there are too many obstacles for us to overcome.” The market may be ready to ramp up production, said Haslem, Chief Operating Officer for Vernal-based utility and heavy civil contractors BHI, “But the current system can’t handle it. We have this massive web of transmission and distribution infrastructure that was not designed or built for the power demands of the 21st century.” “In 1970, they didn’t know what a smartphone was,” Haslem said, “let alone AI.” Transmission projects have been developed. Rocky Mountain Power/PacifiCorp’s Energy Gateway South transmission line—a 416-mile, high-voltage 500-kilovolt transmission line that runs from Mona to Medicine Bow, Wyoming—certainly helped when it went live in 2024. Still, it's just one project amidst a plethora of needs. Haslem stated that Utah's growth over the last 10 years meant a large majority of the transmission line's capacity was accounted for when it went live. .

One-Stop Shop

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
And the King shall answer and say unto them, "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."—KJV Matthew 25:40 From a social and community impact standpoint, few projects match the value to disabled and special needs individuals as the new Utah State Development Center (USDC) Comprehensive Therapies Building in American Fork. The $36 million, 65,000-SF facility was designed as a "one-stop shop," said Joe Jacoby, President of Salt Lake-based Jacoby Architects, whose team led the project’s design. It consolidates and modernizes myriad services under one roof, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy, speech, language, and hearing resources, and behavioral health resources. In addition, the new building offers full-service medical and dental clinics, an indoor therapy pool, an Autism treatment wing, and workshops for life skills and vocational training—all geared to helping people live independent, authentic lives, while striving to reach their full potential. "This building was very much about accessibility," Jacoby said, "and putting in many different types of resources for these residents—all in one building." Jacoby's firm has significant recent experience in projects that combine education and healthcare for people with special needs. The firm's design of the Sorenson Legacy Foundation Center for Clinical Excellence in Utah State University's College of Education and Human Services earned UC+D's 2016 Most Outstanding K-12 Project. Two years later, the firm earned another UC+D award for the C. Mark Openshaw Education Center for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, a project similar to this one in that it contains an array of services, including education and therapy for varying levels of sensory, behavioral, physical, and cognitive abilities. "We've been working on different [design] aspects for many years, starting with a deaf preschool, which led to working with the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind," said Jacoby. "With that came many other sub-specialties, like therapy for behavioral issues, cognitive issues, development disabilities, and even speech, language and hearing clinics. It helps people with a variety of disabilities and serves an underserved population of people."

Built Different

By Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
On a fall tour of Utah State University's (USU) Carolyn & Kem Gardner Learning & Leadership Building (Gardner Building), students and faculty are hard at work on a late Tuesday afternoon. Getting here, where USU's business school students could thrive, was a long time coming. The University commissioned the Gardner Building to meet a new mission for the school outside the traditional knowledge acquisition and transfer for which USU has excelled since its founding in 1888: Giving students a differentiated experience they cannot get anywhere else. Purpose Revealed Frank Caliendo, Senior Associate Dean of the Huntsman School of Business, said that the new building is the third and final piece of the business complex, "a realization of the longtime vision of Dean Douglas Anderson, the driving force behind the school's transformation, to meet the needs of students for generations to come." Caliendo, a longtime Aggie (USU BS, '98; PhD, '03), said that, even after the opening of the George S. Eccles Business Building and its faculty offices and classrooms in 1970, growth in business courses eventually outpaced the school's capacity. Jon M. Huntsman Hall's 2016 opening broke the campus bottleneck, with classrooms and other spaces dedicated to business school participants. "But we still needed space for our centers and experiential learning programs," Caliendo said, of the importance of collaborative spaces and differentiated experience for the five programs (see page XX) that would call the Gardner Building home. The design intent for this final piece wasn't a re-creation of Huntsman Hall, Caliendo said of the initial message to MHTN Architects, "But it does need to rhyme with Huntsman Hall." Working within a Busy Environment The first order of business was siting the building just east of the other two business school structures. Stan Burke, Project Manager for Jacobsen Construction, said the Gardner Building was part of a trio of projects that included Ridge Point Hall and a parking garage—three Jacobsen-led projects that utilized the same construction corridor as construction commenced from "An active campus is difficult enough," said Burke of the challenges of simultaneous construction, which required constant coordination amongst the three teams, made a tad easier as they shared a job trailer. "We had to stay cognizant of the school's activities and coordinate with them so that everyone was aware of what we were doing." Coordination went from important to critical, with the three teams meeting daily to discuss coordination and scheduling material and equipment deliveries in 15-minute intervals as the respective construction teams worked on each of the three structures.

The Long and Winding Road

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
Warren and Jennie Lloyd (above) have built Salt Lake-based Lloyd Architects into a well-rounded, versatile firm capable of excelling in both the commercial and custom residential markets, as evidenced by projects such as Snuck Farm in Pleasant Grove (main photo) and this cozy private Powder Mountain based cabin in Eden (below ).

Power Player

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
The last five years have been a whirlwind for the Larry H. Miller Company (LHM), with the organization selling the majority of its beloved Utah Jazz franchise in October 2020 for a reported $1.66 billion, followed by the sale of its auto dealership empire of more than 70 properties for a reported $3.2 billion a year later. The influx of nearly $5 billion was parlayed into several jaw-dropping real estate and other corporate purchases, including: —1,300 undeveloped acres within the massive 4,100-acre Daybreak development in South Jordan in April 2021. —Advanced Health Care Corp. in January 2021, a transitional health care provider with operations in eight states (primarily in the west) and 3,500 employees. —The purchase of the majority stake in Swig, a leader in the flavored soda craze, in May 2023. — Partnering with Utah Trust Lands Administration to develop 1,200 acres in Saratoga Springs. — The acquisition of over 1,000 acres near Park City and Hideout will include multi-family units, housing, restaurants, and retail. —100+ acre mixed-use development in an area along North Temple being dubbed “The Power District”; the future home of not only Rocky Mountain Power’s new corporate campus but potentially a ballpark for a future Major League Baseball expansion team. —A reported $600 million acquisition of controlling interest in MLS team Real Salt Lake and NWSL team Utah Royals, along with associated infrastructure, including America First Field and Zions Bank Training Center. —The development of Downtown Daybreak, a 200-acre parcel that this year saw its 30-acre Phase I debut with the completion of the Salt Lake Bees' new 8,000 capacity stadium—dubbed The Ballpark at America First Square—in April, followed by a new Megaplex cinema entertainment center in July with luxury theatres, bowling, games and a scratch-made kitchen in addition to an open air plaza. A seven-story, 190-unit multi-family development is currently under construction and rising along the right field bleachers, with views that will look down into the ballpark upon completion next year. And LHM is just getting started, said Brad Holmes, President of Larry H. Miller Real Estate since 2018, calling Downtown Daybreak a "new urban center that is central to where the majority of growth is occurring" and combines a "full spectrum of business and year-round entertainment, culture and connectivity, as well as a wide range of housing options." When LHM executives first conceived of a new home for the Salt Lake Bees, Holmes said they went on a "ballpark tour" of MLB and minor league stadiums, and "really fell in love with a ballpark" in Durham, North Carolina—home of the Durham Bulls—which had buildings that framed in the stadium. So, The Ballpark at America First Square has the multi-family project underway in right field, with a proposed hotel slated to begin next year in left field. "In another two seasons, you'll have this urban setting for the ballpark that frames the mountain views. [The design is] really intentional, and I think it will bring a finished edge to Downtown Daybreak," said Holmes. "It was a process trying to figure out the best location, site plan, traffic, but it's in a great spot. The goal for us was to make it feel like it fit in with the community, almost like having a baseball stadium inside of a park, with an open corridor that connects to a plaza."  Holmes said the seemingly small 8,000-capacity stadium (about half the capacity of the Bees former home at Smith’s Ballpark) aligns with national trends. "It's better to play in front of a sold-out crowd than in a half-empty stadium. Some new MLB stadiums are at 30,000 [capacity]. The trend is smaller, more intimate venues with closer views of the field."

Hogan Construction 80th Anniversary

By Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
Much has changed about Hogan & Associates Construction since the company's inception 80 years ago. The name may be the most obvious example, the size of the company may be another giveaway, and the difference in markets served might require a double take if the founders could see the company today. But what hasn't changed is the firm's desire to build communities. It has regularly built important, community-focused projects with a similar purpose since the company came to life in 1945.

(De)signed, Sealed, Delivered

By Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
Imagine this: A company has just begun a meeting with the intent of moving forward with a major investment. One party knows something that will help minimize the investment's risk. Should that party tell everyone, it will save money, time, and everyone involved from future headaches. So when should that party spill the beans? At the beginning of the meeting At the end of the meeting At the right time during the meeting Never Bradley Crocker, Director of Preconstruction for Mollerup Glass, has seen how answering this question correctly—and choosing “A”—brings about successful and profitable investment in commercial construction. “I think that [project teams] need to bring in subcontractors early to help guide budgets in general,” said Crocker, detailing how every trade can bring a similar level of expertise to architects and owners by being involved from the beginning of the “meeting”, while the project is in design. Why? “We can vet cost versus performance and find the best value for the performance, which is essential as meeting or beating the budgets gets the project to construction on time,” said Ben Hiatt, Chief Estimator for Steel Encounters. After all, he said, “Nothing moves if budgets are not met.” Design-assist is a positive step forward, where subcontractors assist in matching design intent with a deep understanding of building envelopes to ensure glazing, roofing, walls, and fenestrations perform at their highest level. Glenn Rainey, Salt Lake City Branch Manager, and Larry Luque, Senior Estimator and Business Developer for Flynn Companies, each said efforts in design-assist fulfill what owners and architects want: buildings that meet the design intent and perform at their highest level for as long as possible. It’s not just architects who benefit from that early involvement. “More GCs realize they need us right up front,” said Luque. With teams whose combined experience totals thousands of hours, building envelope contractors stay up to date on changing codes, materials, and specifications, which is highly beneficial to the project. Their close involvement with vendors can help ensure a variety of solutions that meet each job’s needs and help optimize building envelope performance. Consultant Involvement Other parties are lending their expertise. Brandt Strong said building envelope quality has increased with the arrival of more building envelope consultants in Utah and a greater dedication to the building envelope in general. “We had a time where we could say ‘This is a Vegas project, and we have to have the belt and suspenders,’” said Strong, Director of Operations for Mollerup Glass. On Utah projects, the building envelope used to be an afterthought. But it’s changed for the better over the years. “The Utah teams are as sophisticated as anywhere else.” While the markups on shop drawings can draw some ire, both mentioned how working with consultants has led to better, more efficient projects, potentially reducing the need for future repairs by inspecting every material and transition on the building envelope. Said Crocker, “We cannot discredit the envelope consultants’ role in making us, and the industry as a whole, perform at a higher level.” Hiatt credited each party overseeing the building envelope scope for learning and adapting to create a better building environment, specifically in understanding seismic drift and its relationship to glazing, as well as thermal performance and continuity. Improvements to air-barrier coordination and tie-ins to stop water and air leaks are helping buildings operate at peak efficiency. “The architects, general contractors, consultants, and trades have improved their knowledge over the years,” said Hiatt. “Design and execution of façades are better coordinated and executed.”

Taylor Electric Thriving at 50

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
Taylor Electric proved its mettle on the challenging Salt Lake International Airport, Southeast Concourse project, with their portion of work concluding in October 2023. (all photos courtesy Taylor Electric)

Hungry and Ready

By Bradley Fullmer and Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
By Bradley Fullmer It's been a whirlwind 18 months for Adam Del Toro and Nick Pexton, who co-founded Fountain Green-based Reliance Engineering Services in May 2024, a company specializing in full-service telecommunications engineering, including design, project management, permitting, and funding and grant applications. Two years ago, Del Toro was more than a decade into his career as a Research & Development Supervisor for natural gas giant Dominion Energy, while Pexton was working for Nephi-based Rocky Mountain West Telcom (RMWT) as a Sr. Director of Business Development, with just over four years at the company. The two had met a couple of years earlier while collaborating on a potential fiber optic network project in Mona that never happened. Neither was particularly content with their respective positions, so when Del Toro got a random call from Pexton in March 2024, the timing could not have been better. "I was planning on leaving the natural gas industry and start my own firm [...] Nick happened to call the day I was putting in my two weeks [at Dominion],” said Del Toro, 39. "It definitely felt like Providence was helping us." "Somebody was looking after us, because the timing was unbelievable," added Pexton, 35. "It's crazy how things lined up." Del Toro is a native of St. George and earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Utah State University in 2011. After 2.5 years as a USU Graduate Research Assistant, he joined Dominion Energy in January 2013, where he designed major natural gas systems and structures. Del Toro also earned a Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of the Cumberlands (Williamsburg, Kentucky) in 2023, and moonlights as a counselor at The Center for Hope in Springville, where he helps clients address life challenges both personally and professionally. Pexton is a native of Nephi and studied at Utah Valley University from 2008 to 2010, and earned the Certified Telecommunications Network Specialist designation from Teracom Training Institute (2013-2014). Pexton joined Nephi-based Mid-State Consultants, a telecommunications engineering firm, in March 2011 and spent more than nine years there. He joined RMWT in June 2020, gaining experience in project management and operations. After that fortuitous phone call from Pexton to Del Toro, the pair met four times from March to May to "make sure we were aligned on what the company would look like," Pexton said. "It was a pretty quick process," added Del Toro. "We got talking about goals, how to build a general company vision. I trusted Nick's background and experience, and his character, as well. It was a big risk, but I'm a sink-or-swim guy. If those are my options, I'm going to swim!" Since teaming up, the pair have been aggressive regarding company growth, having exploded from just the two of them to 30 employees, with revenues expected to more than quintuple from $560,000 in 2024 to nearly $3 million by the end of this year. Both expect the telecommunication market to be a fruitful, busy market given the need for fiber optics to rural America, in addition to the "Internet for All" initiative in May 2022 that was part of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) implementation of the infrastructure law that allocated $65 billion to improve high-speed Internet access. Utah, specifically, received $330 million, with the goal of reaching some 40,000 unserved homes and businesses. The firm's location in Sanpete County puts them in the center of the state geographically, and they're committed to working with communities of all sizes to improve their internet capacity. In addition to Utah, Reliance is working in Michigan and Oklahoma, and Del Toro and Pexton expect to land significant future work throughout the Midwest. They want to grow intentionally while ensuring a diversity of revenue streams. "We set some early goals, and we've been able to do really well—we're on track to beat our goals," said Del Toro, crediting the many employees who have joined the firm. "Those individuals took great risks coming on board. We anticipate we'll be even larger next year with the work coming down the pipeline." "Our outlook has been wise," said Pexton. "We've taken into consideration diversification into other sectors—that's a key element. Adam has experience in the natural gas industry, and we want to further our diversification and get into the power side of the industry." Major clients include the federal government (USDA), utility companies, and municipalities, with a focus on rural communities. "We love Sanpete County," said Del Toro. "We value helping the communities we live and work in and providing services that help build up the community and hopefully help the residents." "We depend on repeat work from 18 major clients, and continuously getting work from them," said Pexton. "The minute we stop doing a good job, they can go someplace else. As long as we do a good job, we'll keep getting work." The pair expect Reliance to maintain its explosive growth, perhaps even doubling its employee total in another 12 months. "Next year's [revenue] goal is $4.8 million," said Pexton. "We have confidence in what our workload will be like. We are scaling quite dramatically and want to grow at a healthy pace, where we're not stringing ourselves out too thin. We're in a good position right now."