West Davis Corridor extension plans move ahead; Syracuse eyes development along roadway

SYRACUSE — Plans to extend the first section of the West Davis Corridor move forward, with work on the next section from West Point to Clinton set to begin next year.

Meanwhile, officials in Syracuse, mindful of development potential spurred by traffic brought by the major new roadway, seek creation of a redevelopment area on a 169-acre expanse adjacent to the north-south corridor for housing, retail and commercial development.

A portion of property tax revenue generated by the anticipated new development zone, at the southwest corner of Antelope Drive and 3000 West, would be funneled back into it to aid with sewer, stormwater and other infrastructure development.

“The city has seen a significant increase in interest due to the opening of the new highway,” said Brody Bovero, the city manager of Syracuse, one of Utah’s fastest-growing locales. “Multiple projects with multiple parties are in the planning stages including the prospects of large retailers looking to locate here.”

‘A hot spot of growth’

The area around the West Davis Corridor in western and northwestern Davis County is already a hot spot of growth given the availability of open land in the increasingly packed county. Now, as some had expected, accelerated growth appears to be in the offing with the first 16-mile section of the roadway open between Farmington and West Point. The stretch of road, which cost $750 million, opened on Jan. 6.

Because the 169-acre development area in Syracuse sits near the West Davis Corridor, or WDC, and also abuts Antelope Drive, another state highway, “traffic counts are projected to be high, which is anticipated to attract development,” reads a city analysis of the plans from June. With wide open, undeveloped space, the analysis goes on, “the city believes that the area could become a regionally significant retail area.” The city calls the proposed redevelopment zone the Syracuse WDC Gateway Community Reinvestment Area.

The plans have already been debated and discussed among city officials and other area leaders and are the focus of a Syracuse Redevelopment Agency public hearing on Tuesday. Over 25 years, new development in the 169-acre zone could generate an estimated $25.83 million in tax-increment financing, property tax money that could be funneled into infrastructure development, but Bovero anticipates less than $15 million would actually be needed.

‘Overwhelming positive’

“The general public sentiment has been overwhelming positive. Like many projects, there will always be some who oppose, but this seems to have generated general excitement for the prospect of new retail and restaurants in the city,” said Bovero. Redevelopment funds, if the plans proceed, would be potentially used for stormwater and sewer lines, new sidewalk sections and a new roundabout and other roadways. Housing, retail and other development would be carried out by the private sector.

As is, most of the WDC Gateway area land is undeveloped or used for farming. It’s also “in need of wetland mitigation,” reads a Syracuse report on the plans, which represents “a significant hurdle to development.” Indeed, officials seek creation of the reinvestment area, enabling use of the property tax funds, because “atypical and geographical features” would otherwise hamper development prospects.

At any rate, taxes would not increase. The tax-increment financing for project infrastructure would come from new property taxes generated by new development in the project area that would otherwise be funneled to Davis County, Davis School District, the city of Syracuse and other tax entities.

Tuesday’s public hearing starts at 6 p.m. and will be held in Syracuse City Council chambers at 1979 W. 1900 South.

$225M for the section that’s coming

Parallel to Syracuse leaders’ efforts, Utah Department of Transportation officials recently set out a preliminary time line for the first extension of the West Davis Corridor from its current endpoint at state Route 193 in West Point north 2.5 miles to 1800 North in West Point. The price tag is $225 million, according to UDOT spokesman Mitch Shaw, and work is to start in late 2025 and be finished in 2027.

Plans tentatively call for a divided, limited-access roadway with two lanes going in each direction, the same as the existing portion. “We will have to acquire property as part of the project. We are in the process of securing right of way and have been working with property owners in the area,” Shaw said.

An interchange with S.R. 193 is to be built as part of the extension plans with bridges along the West Davis Corridor over 300 North, 800 North and 1300 North.

In the years to come, the roadway is to be extended even further north into Weber County, eventually curving back to the east and connecting to I-15. The extension further north of 1800 (North) exists on the long-range plan, but (there are) no time lines or cost estimates or anything like that,” Shaw said.