Economic Development Master Plan
March 2023
Eagle Mountain City
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
Table of Contents
List of Tables .......................................................................................................................................................................... 3
List of Figures......................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................................... 5
Key Findings ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Strategies and Recommendations ................................................................................................................................... 8
Chapter One – Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 10
1.1 Demographics ........................................................................................................................................................... 10
1.2 Population Growth ................................................................................................................................................... 11
1.3 Land Use ................................................................................................................................................................... 13
1.4 Housing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Chapter Two – Employment ............................................................................................................................................... 21
2.1 Labor Market ............................................................................................................................................................ 21
2.2 Current Employment ................................................................................................................................................ 23
2.3 Employment Projections .......................................................................................................................................... 25
Chapter Three – Workforce Development & Talent Attraction ....................................................................................... 26
3.1 Partnerships .............................................................................................................................................................. 27
3.2 Education .................................................................................................................................................................. 27
3.3 Housing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 27
3.4 Quality of Life............................................................................................................................................................ 28
Chapter Four – Retail Development................................................................................................................................... 29
4.1 Sales Leakage and Capture Rates ............................................................................................................................ 29
4.2 Competitive Market Leakage Analysis .................................................................................................................... 30
4.3 Retail Sales by Economic Node ................................................................................................................................ 33
4.4 Growth in Buying Power .......................................................................................................................................... 34
4.5 Retail Market Share and Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 35
Chapter Five – Industrial & Commercial Development .................................................................................................... 39
5.1 Targeted Industries .................................................................................................................................................. 39
5.2 Strategies to Attract Development ......................................................................................................................... 40
C
hapter Six – Key Sites: Current ......................................................................................................................................... 43
6.1 Porter’s Crossing ...................................................................................................................................................... 43
6.2 Ranches Parkway ...................................................................................................................................................... 45
6.3 Eagle Mountain Town Center Commercial ............................................................................................................. 45
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
Chapter Seven – Key Sites: Future ..................................................................................................................................... 47
7.1 North Bench .............................................................................................................................................................. 47
7.2 South Tech Campus .................................................................................................................................................. 47
7.3 Town Center ............................................................................................................................................................. 48
7.4 Pole Canyon .............................................................................................................................................................. 49
Chapter Eight – Regional Influences .................................................................................................................................. 49
Chapter Nine – Infrastructure ............................................................................................................................................ 52
Chapter Ten – Small Business Development ..................................................................................................................... 56
10.1 Support Strategies .................................................................................................................................................. 56
Chapter Eleven – Tourism & Outdoor Recreation ............................................................................................................. 58
11.1 Opportunities ......................................................................................................................................................... 58
Chapter Twelve – Fiscal Sustainability ............................................................................................................................... 59
Chapter Thirteen – Economic Development Tools ........................................................................................................... 60
Appendix A – Retail Site Criteria ......................................................................................................................................... 62
Appendix B – Department Analysis .................................................................................................................................... 63
Appendix C – Interviews ..................................................................................................................................................... 64
Appendix D – Development Counsellors International 2020 Winning Strategies ........................................................... 66
Appendix E – Merchant Void Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 67
Appendix F – Retail Tenant Lists ......................................................................................................................................... 68
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
List of Tables
Table 1: Eagle Mountain Population Growth Projections ...................................................................................................................... 11
Table 2: Utah County Population Growth Projections ............................................................................................................................ 12
Table 3: Building Permits Issues by Rapidly Growing Communities Along the Wasatch Front ............................................................ 16
Table 4: Comparative Median Home Price Increases ............................................................................................................................. 18
Table 5: Eagle Mountain 2020 Labor Market .......................................................................................................................................... 22
Table 6: Eagle Mountain Labor Force, by Occupation ............................................................................................................................ 23
Table 7: Eagle Mountain Labor Force, by Industry ................................................................................................................................. 24
Table 8: Eagle Mountain Principal Employers ......................................................................................................................................... 24
Table 9: Utah County Monthly Morgtage Costs Over Time ................................................................................................................... 28
Table 10: Utah County Rental Prices Over Time ..................................................................................................................................... 28
Table 11: Eagle Mountain Sales Tax Leakage, 2021 ................................................................................................................................ 29
Table 12: Comparative Retail Sales Capture Rates, 2021 ....................................................................................................................... 30
Table 13: Comparative Retails Sales per Capita ...................................................................................................................................... 31
Table 14: Average Sales per Capita in Utah ............................................................................................................................................. 34
Table 15: Growth in Buying Power and Supportable Square Footage................................................................................................... 34
Table 16: Largest Areas of Leakage in Eagle Mountain, 2022 ................................................................................................................ 37
Table 17: Comparative Retail Sales per Square Foot .............................................................................................................................. 39
Table 18: Leading Sources of Information Since 1996............................................................................................................................ 42
Table 19: Projected Population Growth From North Bench .................................................................................................................. 51
Table 20: Projected Population Growth From Town Center .................................................................................................................. 52
Table 21: Projected Population Growth From South Town ................................................................................................................... 52
Table 22: Projected Population Growth From Saratoga Springsa Commercial Center ........................................................................ 52
Table 23: Revenues per Capita................................................................................................................................................................. 59
Table 24: Comparative Tax Rate and Impacts – Primary Residence of $500,000 Market Home ......................................................... 59
Table 25: Department Analysis ................................................................................................................................................................ 63
List of Figures
Figure 1: Median Household Income....................................................................................................................................................... 10
Figure 2: Area Population Growth, 2030 ................................................................................................................................................. 12
Figure 3: Area Population Growth, 2040 ................................................................................................................................................. 13
Figure 4: Existing Land Use ....................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Figure 5: Future Land Use Map ................................................................................................................................................................ 15
Figure 6: Residential Building Permits ..................................................................................................................................................... 16
Figure 7: Commercial Building Permits ................................................................................................................................................... 17
Figure 8: Total Building Permits ............................................................................................................................................................... 17
Figure 9: Affordability Index ..................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Figure 10: Building Permit Units (2014 – 2022) ...................................................................................................................................... 19
Figure 11: Percent of Single-Family Detached Homes ............................................................................................................................ 20
Figure 12: Residential Year Built .............................................................................................................................................................. 21
Figure 13: Eagle Mountain Labor Flows .................................................................................................................................................. 22
Figure 14: Area Employment Growth, 2030 ........................................................................................................................................... 25
Figure 15: Area Employment Growth, 2040 ........................................................................................................................................... 26
Figure 16: Comparative Taxable Sales per Capita ................................................................................................................................... 32
Figure 17: Comparative Taxable Sales Growth ....................................................................................................................................... 32
Figure 18: Major Economic Nodes ........................................................................................................................................................... 33
Figure 19: Local Grocery Stores ............................................................................................................................................................... 37
Figure 20: Eagle Mountain RTI Overlay Zoning ....................................................................................................................................... 41
Figure 21: Most Effective Marketing Techniques ................................................................................................................................... 43
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
Figure 22: Porter's Crossing Site Plan ...................................................................................................................................................... 44
Figure 23: Porter's Crossing Phase 2 Site Plan ........................................................................................................................................ 44
Figure 24: Ranches Corner Site Plan ........................................................................................................................................................ 45
Figure 25: Eagle Mountain Town Center Marketplace Site Plan ........................................................................................................... 46
Figure 26: General Plan Zones ................................................................................................................................................................. 47
Figure 27: North Bench Zoning Map ........................................................................................................................................................ 47
Figure 28: South Tech Campus Zoning Map ............................................................................................................................................ 48
Figure 29: Town Center Zoning Map ....................................................................................................................................................... 48
Figure 30: Pole Canyon Zoning Map ........................................................................................................................................................ 49
Figure 31: Competitive Sites .................................................................................................................................................................... 50
Figure 32: Comparison Sites ..................................................................................................................................................................... 51
Figure 33: 2019 AADT ............................................................................................................................................................................... 53
Figure 34: 2024 AADT ............................................................................................................................................................................... 54
Figure 35: 2023 AADT ............................................................................................................................................................................... 55
Figure 36: Technology Type ..................................................................................................................................................................... 56
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
Executive Summary
Eagle Mountain is one of the most rapidly growing cities in the nation. This vibrant young community,
largely composed of young families, is in Utah County, which offers the educational and workforce
advantages of two large universities, year-round recreational activities, and scenic views of the majestic
Wasatch mountains. Eagle Mountain has a significant amount of vacant land that has historically been
lower-priced than other areas of Utah County and that has been attractive to homebuyers and many
businesses. The challenge for Eagle Mountain is to keep up with its rapid growth, capitalize on economic
opportunities at key infrastructure sites, attract high-paying businesses to the area and expand retail
development by providing goods and services to its residents.
Eagle Mountain is in Utah’s Cedar Valley, west of Utah Lake in northwest Utah County. The City has a total
area of over 50 square miles, making it one of the largest five cities in Utah. The City is bordered on the
north by Camp Williams Military Installation, to the east by Saratoga Springs, to the west by Fairfield and
Cedar Fort and to the south by unincorporated Utah County. Once known as a small rural community, Eagle
Mountain is experiencing explosive growth as development and growth pressures continue to expand
across the Wasatch Front.
The growth in Eagle Mountain has mainly been in the form of single-family homes, but retail and job centers
have also started to take shape. Eagle Mountain has a several retail shopping areas in the City that are
under development and has several industrial areas under construction.
According to the American Community Survey (2020), the largest employment industry within Eagle
Mountain is educational services and health care. The professional, scientific, management, administrative
and waste management services industry is also largely represented by the employed population in the
City. However, most residents travel outside of the City for employment, with an average round trip
commute time of over an hour.
As is shown in the following sections, Eagle Mountain has seen significant population growth, as evidenced
by the large number of building permits and housing starts. Eagle Mountain has historically been less
susceptible to notable increases in housing prices, but that trend has changed within the past few years
when Eagle Mountain has emerged as one of the most rapidly growing communities in Utah. While the
City’s recent rapid growth bodes well for retail development, it is also a factor in escalating home prices.
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
Key Findings
• Eagle Mountain is seeing rapid growth, as shown by the following number of new construction
residential building permits issued in the City which have been escalating rapidly over the past few
years.
o 2016 – 673
o 2017 – 920
o 2018 – 849
o 2019 – 1,113
o 2020 – 1,337
o 2021 – 1,585
• Once considered a highly affordable community, Eagle Mountain has seen rapidly escalating home
prices over the past several years.
o 2016 - $257,500
o 2017 - $297,900
o 2018 - $317,750
o 2019 - $339,900
o 2020 - $359,160
o 2021 - $475,000
o 2022 - $585,000
• Key characteristics of households in Eagle Mountain are as follows:
o Eagle Mountain has a young median age of 24.84 years; State median is 31.1.
o Roughly 39 percent of Eagle Mountain’s population is under 18 years of age.
o Eagle Mountain median household income is $101,801; State median is $79,133.
o Eagle Mountain has a large household size of 4.23 persons; State median is 3.08.
• Key characteristics of employment in Eagle Mountain are as follows:
o Eagle Mountain employment to population ratio is 0.07; Utah County ratio is 0.41.
o Average commute time to work for City residents is 33 minutes one way; average commute
time for County residents is 22.2 minutes one way.
o Average wages paid in the City are $3,229 compared to $4,262 countywide.
o Eagle Mountain has a labor force participation rate of 75%, higher than Utah County and
the State of Utah.
o Eagle Mountain has an unemployment rate of 2.6%, higher than Utah County and the State
of Utah.
o Eagle Mountain exports 95% of its total labor to other communities.
o 68% of the total labor force is employed in management, business, science, arts, sales, or
office occupations.
o The two largest industries for the City are Professional, Scientific, Management, and
Administrative & Waste Management Services (17%) and Educational Services, and Health
Care & Social Assistance (21%), with a total of over 38% of the labor force employed in
those areas.
• Key industries for the City to focus on are as follows:
o Advanced Manufacturing
o Aerospace & Defense
o Outdoor Products & Recreation
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Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
o Life Sciences & Healthcare Innovation
• There is a significant amount of retail leakage in the City due to a lack of retail goods and services
throughout the City:
o Current capture rate for retail goods and services is approximately 24 percent; therefore,
residents are making about $617 million in purchases annually outside of City limits.
o The buying power of Eagle Mountain residents can currently support about 1 million
square feet of retail space. With only a 50 percent capture rate, the City could have
500,000 square feet of retail space. By 2040, the buying power of City residents can
support roughly 3 million square feet of retail space; with a 50 percent capture rate, the
City could have 1.5 million square feet of space located within its boundaries.
o Major sales tax categories for the City to focus on are as follows:
Food and Beverage Stores
Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers
Food Services and Drinking Places
General Merchandise Stores
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
• Infrastructure advantages
o Pony Express Parkway and Eagle Mountain Boulevard are expected to see steadily
increasing Average Annual Daily Trips (AADT) over the next ten years.
o The East Expressway and the Hidden Valley Rd are expected to help traffic move through
the east side of the City by 2030.
o The Cedar Valley Freeway is expected to travel just west of the City’s center at some point
in the future; however, that project does not have a projected completion date yet. This
will create more of a regional draw to the City, as well as providing for better transportation
access into and out of the City.
• Notable recent successes for Eagle Mountain
o Facebook
o Tyson Foods
o Google
o Eagle Mountain Town Center Marketplace, including Macey’s grocery store and Ace
Hardware
• Eagle Mountain has significant commercial development potential due to its rapidly growing
population, transportation infrastructure, and large amount of vacant land. Key future areas of
development are as follows:
o North Bench
o South Tech Campus
o Town Center
o Pole Canyon
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
Strategies and Recommendations
Goal 1: Diversify the types of industries in Eagle Mountain while building on the existing notable employers,
thereby reducing commute times for residents through more local quality-job opportunities.
Action Item 1: Expand pool of contacts with business park developers and commercial real estate
brokers to better disseminate information on Eagle Mountain City.
Action Item 2: Publish recent successes in attracting quality businesses and create a marketing
strategy to attract future businesses of varying size and industry.
Action Item 3: Attend large trade shows, such as the IAMC (Industrial Asset Management Council)
or ICSC RECON, and meet with real estate representatives of targeted businesses.
Action Item 4: Identify expanding businesses, specifically technology, advanced manufacturing, life
sciences/health, recreation, and aerospace/defense industries and target for potential
recruitment.
Action Item 5: Work with large business park/office brokerage firms, Governor’s Office of
Economic Opportunity, and EDCUtah to identify new projects considering Utah for expansion.
Action Item 6: Establish policies for public assistance with desired business park development and
businesses that meet specific qualifications.
Performance Measures:
Reduction in commute times, diversity of businesses locating in Eagle
Mountain, increase in wages paid in the City, large capital investment on a per acre basis.
Goal 2: Create destination retail and concept stores which will provide opportunities for customers to have
experiences that are not replicated online.
Action Item 1: Recapture lost sales (“leakage”) by focusing on those areas with the largest leakage
first, such as grocery stores, hardware stores and restaurants; publicize leakage numbers with
existing businesses (who may choose to expand their offerings) as well as at events such as ICSC.
Action Item 2: Create marketing materials of the identified sites with information attractive to
developers such as population growth projections, young median age, infrastructure, traffic
counts, etc. Use all available communication platforms to promote these areas.
Performance Measures:
Increased City retail sales and sales tax revenues, reduced percent of
leakage, clusters of retail development (“gathering places”) in the City.
Goal 3: Implement a Business Retention and Expansion Program (BRE) to increase the employment base
within the community and foster small business development.
Action Item 1: Provide sales tax leakage information to specific businesses which show the
potential for business expansion opportunities within related industries as well as projected growth
in buying power over the next 10 years.
Action Item 2: Work with existing businesses to identify challenges to changing retail trends
including the need for drive-thru/pickup space, assistance with online retailing, etc. that can be
addressed through the City’s planning and zoning process.
Action Item 3: Create a “Shop Local” program to create awareness and encourage residents to
support the businesses located throughout Eagle Mountain.
Action Item 4: Hold bi-annual “Lunch and Learn” with local brokers, developers, real estate
professionals and businesses.
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
Performance Measures:
Participation levels by existing businesses, higher sales per square foot for
existing businesses, greater community awareness of the businesses within the City.
Goal 4: Create and encourage recreational, educational and entertainment opportunities to improve the
quality of life for existing residents and draw outdoor recreation businesses to locate in Eagle Mountain.
Action Item 1: Identify and target specific outdoor retailers that may be a good fit for Eagle
Mountain.
Action Item 2: Create a marketing campaign using Eagle Mountain’s vast open space and trails to
tell the story of the natural amenities in the community and along the Wasatch Front.
Action Item 3: Identify and create outdoor events that draw visitors from outside of the City to
increase sales tax capture and highlight outdoor recreation and the City’s natural amenities.
Action Item 4: Pursue development of a satellite campus with special emphasis on workforce skills
training for desired businesses in Eagle Mountain.
Performance Measures:
Development of more recreational, educational and entertainment
amenities in the City (i.e., skate park, splash pad, trails and trailheads, movie theaters, trade school,
satellite campus, etc.).
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
Chapter One – Introduction
1.1 Demographics
Population
Eagle Mountain has an estimated 2022 population of 54,023. Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the City
grew from a population of 21,415 to 43,623 (104% growth). Utah County grew by 28% (659,399 in 2020)
and the State of Utah grew by 18% (3,271,616 in 2020).
Income
Eagle Mountain has a median household income of approximately $101,801. This is above the Utah County
median ($82,893) and above the statewide median ($79,133)
1
.
Source: ACS 2010-2020 Data
Household Size
The average household size in Eagle Mountain is 4.23 persons. In comparison, the average household size
in Utah County is 3.53 persons and 3.08 in the State of Utah.
Age Characteristics
Eagle Mountain has an extremely young median age – 27.2 years. In comparison, the median age in Utah
is 31.8 years; in the United States it is 38.8 years.
Education
Nearly 97 percent of the working population in Eagle Mountain (ages 25 and older) has a high school degree
or higher, while 35.4 percent of this populace has a bachelor’s degree or higher. For Utah County, 95.2
percent of the working populace (ages 25 and older) has a high school degree or higher, with 41.1 percent
having a bachelor’s degree or higher. Statewide, 34.7 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher (2020
ACS).
Commute to Work
Approximately 73 percent of residents drove alone to work with a daily commute time averaging 33.2
minutes, one-way (2020 ACS).
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Eagle Mountain Retail Coach data & 2021 ACS
$50,000
$60,000
$70,000
$80,000
$90,000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Median Household Income
Utah County Eagle Mountain
FIGURE 1: MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
1.2 Population Growth
Population has grown by close to 104% from 2010-2020
2
with population estimated at 54,023 in 2022.
Future growth in Eagle Mountain is also projected to be rapid, increasing by an estimated 5,200 persons
per year.
TABLE 1: EAGLE MOUNTAIN POPULATION GROWTH PROJECTIONS
YEAR
POPULATION
2020 43,623
2021
48,823
2022
54,023
2023
59,223
2024
64,423
2025
69,623
2026
74,823
2027
80,023
2028
85,223
2029 90,423
2030 95,623
2031 100,823
2032
106,023
2033
111,223
2034
116,423
2035
121,623
2036
126,823
2037
132,023
2038 137,223
2039 142,423
2040 147,623
Source: United States Census 2020; review of building permits issued over past few years
This growth will allow for increased opportunities to attract retail and other commercial uses throughout
the City. Eagle Mountain is currently the fourth largest City in Utah County and has the potential to grow
to surpass Orem and Lehi.
The population growth in Utah County is also rapid. Between 2020 and 2021, the County grew by nearly
20,000 people and accounted for 33% of the State’s growth during that period
3
. Much of that growth is
occurring in the combined area of Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, and Lehi, as these three cities each
appear in the top five cities in absolute population growth between 2021 and 2021. By themselves, these
three cities accounted for 23% of the State’s growth from 2020 to 2021.
4
The County is poised to grow by
approximately 183,098 persons over the next 10 years, or by 18,310 persons per year (Kem C. Gardner
Policy Institute).
2
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020: DEC Redistricting Data
3
Source: Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
4
Source: Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
TABLE 2: UTAH COUNTY POPULATION GROWTH PROJECTIONS
Year
Population
2020
664,258
2021
683,625
2022
702,943
2023
723,107
2024
743,547
2025
763,760
2026
783,392
2027
802,214
2028
820,156
2029
837,257
2030 853,711
2031
869,828
2032 886,041
Source: Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
FIGURE 2: AREA POPULATION GROWTH, 2030
Source: MAG TAZ Projections
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
FIGURE 3: AREA POPULATION GROWTH, 2040
Source: MAG TAZ Projections
1.3 Land Use
The map on the following page shows existing land uses as described on tax rolls maintained by the Utah
County Assessor’s Office. This map reveals two centers of current development – one at the north end of
the City and the other in the central part of the City. It also shows the massive growth potential of Eagle
Mountain with its significant amount of vacant land.
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
FIGURE 4: EXISTING LAND USE
Not all developed land is shown in the most recent available data, and so the City’s Future Land Use Map
is also included to show planned land usage. The City’s plans show a mix of varied development patterns,
allowing for both residential, commercial, and industrial growth.
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
FIGURE 5: FUTURE LAND USE MAP
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
1.4 Housing
Eagle Mountain has seen rapid growth over the past few years, with nearly five times the number of permits
issued in 2021 as in 2016.
TABLE 3: BUILDING PERMITS ISSUES BY RAPIDLY GROWING COMMUNITIES ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT
Cities
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Saratoga Springs
1,116
1,116
1,078
1,165
1,725
2,149
Lehi
1,060
1,148
1,466
1,517
1,581
1,955
South Jordan
1,574
520
1,336
1,424
1,946
1,942
Eagle Mountain
674
927
864
1,144
1,355
1,609
Herriman
979
991
1,173
1,181
NA
1,078
Source: Construction Monitor
Building permits for residential and commercial were analyzed to show the historic growth in Eagle
Mountain and surrounding communities. Eagle Mountain has strong permit numbers, with steady growth
rates and has the highest rate of residential permits (2021) compared to neighboring cities.
FIGURE 6: RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS
Source: Ivory-Boyer Construction Database
Residential growth generates the demand for commercial growth which has also been strong in Eagle
Mountain.
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Eagle Mountain Saratoga Springs Lehi Bluffdale Herriman Riverton
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
FIGURE 7: COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS
Source: Ivory-Boyer Construction Database
FIGURE 8: TOTAL BUILDING PERMITS
Source: Ivory-Boyer Construction Database
Rapid growth has fueled home price increases, with median prices doubling over the past six years. Eagle
Mountain is still relatively more affordable than surrounding cities but is becoming less affordable than in
the past.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Eagle Mountain Saratoga Springs Lehi Bluffdale Herriman Riverton
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Eagle Mountain Saratoga Springs Lehi Bluffdale Herriman Riverton
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
TABLE 4: COMPARATIVE MEDIAN HOME PRICE INCREASES
Home Price %
Increase from
Prior Year
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
South Jordan
12.2%
17.6%
2.1%
5.4%
10.2%
22.7%
23.1%
Saratoga Springs
11.0%
6.0%
0.7%
13.5%
4.7%
29.9%
18.6%
Lehi
5.3%
11.1%
6.4%
2.9%
6.9%
37.0%
21.7%
Eagle Mountain
5.3%
15.2%
6.7%
6.6%
5.6%
31.4%
23.2%
Herriman
11.0%
5.2%
10.8%
5.6%
4.5%
38.7%
14.9%
Median Home Price
South Jordan
$399,500
$470,000
$479,000
$505,000
$549,300
$675,000
$825,000
Saratoga Springs $332,000 $352,403 $355,000 $402,990 $424,000 $549,950 $652,000
Lehi $310,201 $345,500 $368,000 $378,900 $405,000 $554,650 $675,000
Eagle Mountain
$257,500
$297,900
$317,750
$339,900
$359,160
$475,000
$585,000
Herriman
$344,000
$361,957
$399,925
$422,446
$441,000
$613,000
$704,527
Source: https://www.sltrib.com/homeprices/
It is interesting to note that the median home price in Eagle Mountain is now more expensive than in any
of the comparative cities (which are all higher-priced than Eagle Mountain) before 2021. Like most of the
Wasatch Front, Eagle Mountain has seen rapidly escalating home prices. However, in comparative cites,
Eagle Mountain has experienced the greatest change in prices, with the median home price increasing
127% between 2016 and 2021. This impacts economic development as employers need locations where
there is sufficient housing for their employees – and at affordable prices. The good news is that Eagle
Mountain is still relatively more affordable than surrounding communities.
The affordability index is calculated by dividing the average home price in a community by the average
household income. It should be noted that Saratoga Springs has a lower affordability index than Eagle
Mountain because of its higher median income, even with a higher average home price.
FIGURE 9: AFFORDABILITY INDEX
Source: American Community Survey (ACS) 2020
3.65
3.60
3.73
4.27
4.06
3.69
4.03
3.74
4.10
4.59
3.88
5.19
4.36
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
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FIGURE 10: BUILDING PERMIT UNITS (2014 – 2022)
Source: University of Utah BEBR, *Through August 2022
The increase in home prices is accompanied by demand for more multi-family and townhome units which
keep prices down with smaller lots and somewhat smaller unit sizes. Figure 9 shows the growth in building
permits since 2014 and the increasing demand for multi-family units.
Eagle Mountain currently has an extremely high percentage of single-family units. Beyond single-family
units, the City primarily has townhome units throughout the City, with several multi-family buildings in the
northern part of the City. There are plans for future multi-family housing to be built in various areas of the
City, such as in the Pole Canyon development or Ivory Homes’ Overland subdivision.
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Year
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Year
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Single-Family Multi-Family
Eagle Mountain
Lehi
Saratoga Springs
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FIGURE 11: PERCENT OF SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED HOMES
Source: American Community Survey (ACS) 2020
Due to the City’s relatively young age as a city, there are very few homes that were built before 1990, with
the first bulk of the City’s homes being built in the decade around the City’s incorporation in 1996. Most of
the construction initially took place in the northern area of the City, with around two-thirds of the City’s
population residing in that area. While residential building was slow to pick up in the southern area of the
City, in the past few years, construction has exploded in this area, with building permits in the south
exceeding those issued in the north for the past several years.
88%
78%
78%
72%
71%
84%
74%
72%
70%
68%
95%
35%
66%
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FIGURE 12: RESIDENTIAL YEAR BUILT
Source: Utah County Assessor
Chapter Two – Employment
2.1 Labor Market
This plan also studies which potential employment industries may be suitable for Eagle Mountain. Eagle
Mountain has a relatively low number of residents both living and working within the City. Most residents
travel outside of the City boundaries for employment, as shown on the map on the following page.
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FIGURE 13: EAGLE MOUNTAIN LABOR FLOWS
Source: U.S. Census, On the Map (2019)
According to the Utah Department of Workforce Services (2020), Eagle Mountain has 465 firms in various
industries, with the largest segments including: construction; professional and business services; trade,
transportation and utilities; and education and health services. The manufacturing sector is a good fit for
Eagle Mountain and, although there are only nine manufacturing firms reported in the data below, the
wages are extremely good. In all other industry sectors, wages in Eagle Mountain generally lag wages in
Utah County.
TABLE 5: EAGLE MOUNTAIN 2020 LABOR MARKET
Industry Category
Avg. No. of
Firms
Avg.
Employment
Total Wages
Avg. Monthly
Wage
Utah County Avg.
Monthly Wage
Mining*
D
D
D
D
$5,747
Construction
127
756
$33,696,777
$3,712
$4,809
Manufacturing
9
13
$1,766,701
$11,630
$4,898
Trade, Transp. &
Utilities
59 368 $14,326,193 $3,246 $3,755
Information
17
143
$7,631,909
$4,462
$8,920
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Industry Category
Avg. No. of
Firms
Avg.
Employment
Total Wages
Avg. Monthly
Wage
Utah County Avg.
Monthly Wage
Financial Activities
40
78
$3,323,157
$3,534
$5,807
Professional & Business
Services
108 227 $12,842,075 $4,709 $6,020
Education & Health
Services
54 452 $8,940,707 $1,650 $3,187
Leisure & Hospitality
15
194
$2,369,637
$1,016
$1,437
Other Services
20
67
$2,223,727
$2,745
$2,831
Government
14
902
$36,587,834
$3,379
$3,403
Total
465
3,228
$125,064,751
$3,229
$4,262
Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services, Workforce Research & Analysis, Annual Report of Labor Market Information, 2020
*D/ not shown to avoid disclosure of individual firm data, therefore, will not add to City total
2.2 Current Employment
The 2020 American Community Survey estimates the total available labor force (population 16 years and
over) in Eagle Mountain City to be 19,572. Of that, 14,764 individuals are in in the labor force and 14,117
individuals are employed, with an unemployment rate of only 2.6%. There are also a total of 129 individuals
currently serving in the armed forces from Eagle Mountain City.
The City experiences slightly higher unemployment rates than Utah County (2.1%) and the State as a whole
(2.4%). Overall, the City has a labor force participation rate of only about 75%, which is higher than both
Utah County (69.7%) and the State (68.6%). Although it has a high labor participation rate, there are several
larger trends that may be keeping this rate from being higher.
Almost 3,000 individuals in the City fall within the 15- to 19-year-old band in the City and, for those that
are 16 or older, it is likely than many of these individuals are not interested in participating in the labor
force while in school, or do not have easy access to part-time employment. Additionally, 48% of the
individuals 16 or older are female, yet only 39% of the labor force is female. This lower participation rate
may be partially due to both the median age and average household size in the City. Many households may
need, or prefer, an adult to not work to be a householder, and based on labor participation rates, this falls
more on females.
It is possible that doing the following may help to increase the labor participation rate for the younger
demographic and for females:
• Increase number of jobs available within Eagle Mountain City that provide close access to
employment.
• Increase number of jobs available that allow for part-time or flexible work schedules.
• Increase childcare providers within the City to allow more opportunities for both adults in a
household to participate in the labor market.
The following tables show the occupation categories and industries for those who are in the labor market.
TABLE 6: EAGLE MOUNTAIN LABOR FORCE, BY OCCUPATION
Occupation Type
Number of Workers
Percent of Total
Management, Business, Science, and Arts Occupations
5,972
42.30%
Service Occupations 1,614 11.43%
Sales and Office Occupations
3,642
25.80%
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Occupation Type
Number of Workers
Percent of Total
Natural Resources, Construction, and Maintenance Occupations
1,542
10.92%
Production, Transportation, and Material Moving Occupations
1,347
9.54%
Total
14,117
100.00%
Source: 2020 American Community Survey, 5-year Estimates
TABLE 7: EAGLE MOUNTAIN LABOR FORCE, BY INDUSTRY
Industry Type
Number of
Workers
Percent of
Total
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, and Mining 144 1.02%
Construction
1,257
8.90%
Manufacturing 1,237 8.76%
Wholesale Trade
425
3.01%
Retail Trade
1,659
11.75%
Transportation & Warehousing, and Utilities
457
3.24%
Information
625
4.43%
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing
914
6.47%
Professional, Scientific, Management, and Administrative & Waste
Management Services
2,465 17.46%
Educational Services, and Health Care & Social Assistance
2,969
21.03%
Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, and Accommodation & Food Services
721
5.11%
Other Services, Except Public Administration 850 6.02%
Public Administration
394
2.79%
Total
14,117
100.00%
Source: 2020 American Community Survey, 5-year Estimates
A full 68% of the total labor force is employed in what are viewed as traditionally office-based occupations.
This is useful information, and when combined with the specific industry of these workers, it can aid the
City is targeting businesses or industries to make use of the current labor force in the community. The two
largest industries for the City are Professional, Scientific, Management, and Administrative & Waste
Management Services and Educational Services, and Health Care & Social Assistance, with a total of over
38% of the labor force employed in those areas. These are areas where they City may be able to target
employers or industries in these fields, to take advantage of the current labor force and reverse the labor
flow trends. This would have a positive impact on the traffic leaving the City, as well as provide more
daytime population for retailers.
This does not mean that the City cannot be successful in attracting other industries. For those industries,
there may need to be more of a regional employment outlook or opportunities to draw from the larger
labor market. As the City continues to grow, it will be important to monitor labor trends to see if they are
keeping the City competitive in providing an educated workforce for their desired industries.
The principal employers in Eagle Mountain are shown in the table on the following page.
TABLE 8: EAGLE MOUNTAIN PRINCIPAL EMPLOYERS
Company Name
Address
Employees
Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. 3817 N Tyson Pkwy 250-499
Applicant Pro Holdings 3688 E Campus Dr 100-249
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Company Name
Address
Employees
C R Mgmt Inc 4137 Pony Express Pkwy 100-249
Cedar Valley High
1389 Aviator Ave
100-249
E2 Optics LLC 9511 N Mount Airey Dr 100-249
Eagle Mountain City
1650 E Stagecoach Run
100-249
Facebook, Inc. 1275 North Community Cir 100-249
Frontier Middle School
1427 Mid Valley Rd
100-249
Jobmatch LLC 3688 Campus Dr Ste 150 100-249
Ridley's Family Markets
4045 E Pony Express Parkway
100-249
Western Partitions, Inc. 1499 N Pony Express Pkwy 100-249
Source: Department of Workforce Services, Firm Find
2.3 Employment Projections
Employment growth is projected to be rapid in Eagle Mountain. While swift employment growth is also
projected for Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain has much more land available for expansion opportunities.
Eagle Mountain should continue to target those industries expanding or relocating to Utah with a focus on
companies with high-paying jobs.
FIGURE 14: AREA EMPLOYMENT GROWTH, 2030
Source: MAG TRZ Projection
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FIGURE 15: AREA EMPLOYMENT GROWTH, 2040
Source: MAG TRZ Projections
Attracting new employment to Eagle Mountain will require a focus on transportation access and the
educated workforce of its growing population. Relatively lower housing costs, quality of life and proximity
to recreation offerings, position Eagle Mountain as an ideal location to attract a wide range of employers
and provide a high quality of life to employees.
As land along the I-15 corridor, and locations to the east, increasingly fill up, Eagle Mountain City will
experience additional “spill-over” from businesses looking to expand to Utah. Combined with the
commercial opportunities currently available in the City, it is likely that large commercial entities will be
attracted to the City. Through increased focus on proactively marketing the City to these businesses,
highlighting the strengths of the area, the City will be able to continue to see success in this area. In these
efforts, it is important to coordinate with regional and state-wide partners to maximize the opportunities
available to the City.
Chapter Three – Workforce Development & Talent Attraction
Workforce development and talent attraction are the processes by which communities and organizations
help to grow a talent base necessary to support business growth. Across the State, communities are
experiencing challenges in providing a workforce to meet the needs of businesses. Among the challenges
are concerns over the rising cost of living (i.e., inflation, housing prices, rental costs), lack of transportation
options (including mass transit), and access to childcare. Workforce development and talent attraction have
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traditionally been in the realm of larger regional or state-wide organizations, but Eagle Mountain can
consider efforts to overcome these challenges and assist in developing a strong local workforce.
3.1 Partnerships
The City should foster relationships with organizations that primarily focus on, or support, workforce
development. At the state level, the City can deepen connections with the Governor’s Office of Economic
Opportunity (GOEO) and the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCU). It would also benefit the
City to work closely with the Department of Workforce Services to understand current workforce trends
and to help connect businesses with resources to help find employees.
The City should also maintain strong, positive relationships with major employers in the City to understand
workforce needs and challenges to collaborate on initiatives. Business interviews conducted during
Business Retention & Expansion visits can aid the City in discovering these needs.
There are various industry groups, such as the Utah Manufacturer’s Association, which serve as advocacy
groups and often will engage in efforts to support workforce development. By connecting to, and looking
for creative partnerships, the City may find ways to support workforce development in the community.
3.2 Education
Education at all levels plays a major role in workforce development initiatives. In Utah there are many
programs that link education with industry, to prepare students to enter the workforce. Some of these
programs include:
• Learn & Work in Utah
• Utah Aerospace Pathways Program
• Talent Ready Apprenticeship Connection
• Talent Ready Utah
Working with education providers, such as Alpine School District and MTech, is crucial to effective
workforce development in the City. These providers can connect students to businesses and help create
programs that will allow for optimal workforce preparation. For many industries, technical colleges play a
large role in this process. Beginning in high school, students can take part in apprenticeships with various
businesses and even begin the process of earning technical certificates in a variety of courses. These
certificates set graduating students apart from others, both professionally and financially. A study
conducted in 2019 found a “32 percent increase in wages” for students who completed a technical
certificate.
5
The City can support these initiatives by enhancing information on City marketing materials to
increase awareness of the various programs.
3.3 Housing
Housing also plays a role in both workforce development and talent attraction. The City has opportunities
to build itself economically through both small business and large-scale development. Each group requires
housing for employees. The following tables show the median mortgage costs and median rents for various
rental types from 2000 to 2022.
5
“Utah’s Technical Colleges Manufacture a Skilled Workforce,” Jim Taggart, MFG Utah, 2021, Issue 3, 12.
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TABLE 9: UTAH COUNTY MONTHLY MORGTAGE COSTS OVER TIME
2000
2010
2020
2022
Percent Change
$1,148
$1,500
$1,672
$1,754
52.79%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
TABLE 10: UTAH COUNTY RENTAL PRICES OVER TIME
Unit
2000
2010
2020
2022
Percent Change
Average
$896
$1,000
$1,213
$1,475
64.62%
Studio
$710
$792
$961
$1,126
58.59%
1-Bed
$740
$826
$1,020
$1,256
69.73%
2-Bed
$909
$1,015
$1,208
$1,488
63.70%
3-Bed
$1,097
$1,224
$1,500
$1,777
61.99%
4-Bed
$1,435
$1,599
$2,142
$2,371
65.23%
Source: Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
During the same time, the median household income increased only 57.69% from approximately $52,000
to $82,000.
6
Mortgage costs kept up well with incomes, but rental prices grew more rapidly. This is
significant for service-based industries and industries that have lower income levels. The rising costs of
housing make it increasingly difficult for lower wage earners to afford living in a community. This has an
impact on the employees that are willing, or can afford, to commute to an employer. This also can create
situations where multiple adults in a household need to work, creating potential issues with having
necessary childcare.
While the City cannot solve the housing affordability crisis, it can take measures to help create sufficient
housing to support the levels of economic activity it desires. This can include housing of all types and sizes,
to support many wage levels. Without a blend of housing, the City could experience shortages of workforce
housing. This has notably created issues in several communities in Utah but could become more
widespread.
7
The City has access to affordable housing funds due to several large CRAs created in recent years. State
Code gives the City, through its redevelopment agency, to use these funds to assist in efforts to create ease
housing affordability issues. Using these funds, and partnering with key groups, the City can help provide
for projects, and housing, which will serve its potential workforce.
In addition to housing, the City can have help in talent attraction through participation in various
transportation options. Through effective transportation planning the City can expand its talent pool and
draw employees from a wider area, as well as provide additional job opportunities for residents. The City
should explore how these transportation needs fit into its overall transportation strategies.
Access to childcare can be a major hurdle for potential jobseekers. The City can help by targeting some
commercial development searches to these users and work with developers to prepare for these uses in
areas where the City anticipates major job centers.
3.4 Quality of Life
As companies explore expansions options throughout the country, quality of life is increasingly cited as an
important criterion in the decision-making process. Amenities that impact the quality life are varied,
6
Utah Department of Workforce Services
7
“Where Should Park City Employees Live,” Utah Business, October 15, 2021.; “Moab housing crisis demands
solutions as workers struggle to find places to live,” KSL.com, May 6, 2022.
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including retail shopping options, open space, trails, recreation, and entertainment options. The City has
unique recreation opportunities due to its location and emphasis on trails and open space. Enhancing and
marketing these features will support the City’s efforts to attract talent to the City. Additionally, the City
can prioritize increased retail and entertainment offerings in its retail centers to provide these amenities
to its citizens.
Chapter Four – Retail Development
4.1 Sales Leakage and Capture Rates
A sales gap analysis is conducted to estimate the amount and type of purchases being made by Eagle
Mountain residents outside of Eagle Mountain. Hence, the term “leakage” reflects sales that are lost to
other communities. The analysis consists of first calculating the “average” expenditures made, per capita
or per household, in the State of Utah in various retail categories using the North American Industry
Classification System Codes (NAICS codes) as recorded by the Utah State Tax Commission. Total sales in
Eagle Mountain, by NAICS code category, are then divided by the total population and compared to average
per capita sales in the State of Utah. Where Eagle Mountain residents show higher purchases in NAICS code
categories, it is assumed that Eagle Mountain captures additional consumers from the larger regional area
for these types of purchases. Where purchases per capita are lower in Eagle Mountain than in the State of
Utah in purchases in NAICS code categories, it is assumed that Eagle Mountain residents are leaving the
community to make these types of purchases elsewhere.
The table below identifies areas of strength (i.e., where Eagle Mountain is a regional provider of goods and
services) which are shown with positive numbers in the Leakage column and numbers higher than 100
percent in the Capture Rate column. Where Eagle Mountain residents are leaving the community to make
their purchases elsewhere, the estimated amount of lost purchases in the Leakage column is shown as a
negative number and with a capture rate that is less than 100 percent within the Capture Rate column.
TABLE 11: EAGLE MOUNTAIN SALES TAX LEAKAGE, 2021
NAICS Code Categories
2021 Leakage
2021 Capture Rate
Nonstore Retailers
$3,987,541
104.40%
Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar
Institutions
($931,589)
0.03%
Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and
Related Industries
($1,544,647)
1.64%
Personal and Laundry Services
($4,299,073)
18.76%
Gasoline Stations
($7,753,654)
64.41%
Health and Personal Care Stores
($7,870,529)
16.69%
Electronics and Appliance Stores
($10,102,192)
48.93%
Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation
Industries
($11,535,636)
2.86%
Repair and Maintenance
($17,689,667)
17.92%
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book, and Music
Stores
($18,688,859)
13.08%
Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores
($18,695,083)
7.21%
Miscellaneous Store Retailers
($21,383,641)
32.53%
Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores
($25,084,834)
21.92%
Accommodation
($33,895,369)
0.92%
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NAICS Code Categories
2021 Leakage
2021 Capture Rate
Food and Beverage Stores
($53,699,357)
31.03%
Building Material and Garden Equipment
and Supplies Dealers
($72,414,824)
10.96%
Food Services and Drinking Places
($79,160,502)
7.28%
General Merchandise Stores
($109,347,200)
5.32%
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
($126,426,076)
1.23%
TOTAL
($616,535,192)
23.95%
Source: Utah State Tax Commission, ZPFI
Overall, Eagle Mountain reflects a total capture rate of close to 24 percent of resident sales, indicating that
the City is capturing far less than its “fair share” of retail sales compared to other communities. Over $600
million in sales annually is lost to other communities, representing a massive opportunity for the City to
focus on to capture more of those retail sales, and the sales tax revenue that is associated with those sales.
Significant leakage is shown in the following retail categories, which are areas of opportunity for future
retail development within the City:
• Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
• General Merchandise Stores
• Food Services and Drinking Places
• Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers
• Food and Beverage Stores
• Accommodation
• Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores
• Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book, and Music Stores
• Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores
• Electronics and Appliance Stores
4.2 Competitive Market Leakage Analysis
Eagle Mountain has many opportunites to increase its retail draw and attract new consumers from
forecasted population growth. A review of capture rates of surrounding communities shows that Eagle
Mountain is capturing a much lower percentage than Saratoga Springs, Lehi, Herriman and Riverton.
TABLE 12: COMPARATIVE RETAIL SALES CAPTURE RATES, 2021
NAICS Code Categories
Eagle Mountain
Saratoga Springs
Lehi
Herriman
Riverton
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
1%
14%
80%
6%
15%
Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores
7%
6%
40%
6%
14%
Electronics and Appliance Stores
49%
29%
130%
9%
62%
Build. Material, Garden Equip. and Supplies
Dealers
11%
21%
52% 7% 171%
Food and Beverage Stores
31%
134%
104%
80%
67%
Health and Personal Care Stores
17%
24%
44%
52%
117%
Gasoline Stations
64%
29%
82%
63%
53%
Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores
22%
26%
196%
23%
128%
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Music and Book
Stores
13%
10%
144% 9% 67%
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NAICS Code Categories
Eagle Mountain
Saratoga Springs
Lehi
Herriman
Riverton
General Merchandise Stores
5%
273%
103%
23%
113%
Miscellaneous Store Retailers
33%
17%
54%
16%
71%
Nonstore Retailers
104%
98%
131%
94%
109%
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
3%
74%
54%
12%
41%
Accommodation
1%
2%
46% 3% 2%
Food Services and Drinking Places
7%
75%
106%
40%
89%
Other Services-Except Public Administration
18%
58%
61%
16%
115%
Total
24%
82%
94%
33%
82%
Source: Utah State Tax Commission, ZPFI
By analyzing the retail sales of neighboring communities in comparison to Eagle Mountain, potential areas
of growth and opportunity may be realized.
Taxable sales per capita in Eagle Mountain, for all retail goods and services, are the lowest of any of the
comparative cities, with the exception of Herriman.
TABLE 13: COMPARATIVE RETAILS SALES PER CAPITA
Source: Utah State Tax Commission, ZPFI
City
Motor Vehicle
Parts and
Dealers/Per
Capita
General
Merchandise
Stores/Per
Capita
Food Services
and Drinking
Places/Per
Capita
Food and
Beverage
Stores/Per
Capita
Gasoline
Stations/Per
Capita
Eagle
Mountain
$44
$229
$424
$680
$402
Saratoga
Springs $485 $8,711 $1,758 $2,873 $176
Lehi
$2,661
$3,100
$2,361
$2,107
$466
Herriman
$210
$735
$958
$1,744
$382
Riverton
$441
$3,098
$1,792
$1,239
$274
South Jordan
$6,446
$6,163
$2,354
$2,008
$299
Utah County
$3,022
$3,213
$1,755
$1,451
$353
Utah
$3,108
$2,804
$2,073
$1,891
$529
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FIGURE 16: COMPARATIVE TAXABLE SALES PER CAPITA
Source: Utah State Tax Commission, 2020 ACS, ZPFI
FIGURE 17: COMPARATIVE TAXABLE SALES GROWTH
Source: Utah State Tax Commission, 2020 ACS, ZPFI
$12,693
$22,706
$29,055
$21,369
$10,930
$20,675
$30,253
$22,417
$54,207
$47,115
$22,327
$25,150
Eagle
Mountain
Saratoga
Springs
Lehi Bluffdale Herriman Riverton South
Jordan
West
Jordan
American
Fork
Draper Vineyard Utah
County
$0
$500,000,000
$1,000,000,000
$1,500,000,000
$2,000,000,000
Saratoga Springs Lehi Bluffdale (South) Riverton Eagle Mountain
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While taxable sales in Eagle Mountain have seen some growth over the past few years, given the recent
rapid housing growth, it appears that Eagle Mountain is ready to take off in this area.
4.3 Retail Sales by Economic Node
While the City overall is affected by sales leakage and capture rates, each economic node has a different
character in its type of sales and its performance as a retail center now and planned for future commercial
use. Some nodes are not really retail centers at all but serve other purposes such as employment centers
or medical office campus. The maps on the following page show several economic nodes in the City.
FIGURE 18: MAJOR ECONOMIC NODES
The economic node along Pony Express Parkway in the northeast corner of the City contains two small
commercial areas on the intersection of Ranches Parkway and Porter’s Crossing Expressway. The Porter’s
Crossing intersection has one of the two grocery stores in the City. This Ridley’s grocery store used to be
the only grocery store until the Macey’s located in the City Center opened in 2022. There are also auto
services stores, medical uses, a credit union, and restaurants in this area. A second major phase of this
development is anticipated to begin construction in 2023, bringing additional restaurants, general retailers,
office space, and the possibility of a hotel to the area.
The Ranches Parkway intersection is a smaller commercial area with a gas station, several medical uses,
and a few restaurants. A mixed-use commercial building is under construction that will bring a new
restaurant, several retail establishments, and fourteen one-bedroom apartments to the City. This is the
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first mixed-use building of its kind in the City. The final vacant corner of the Ranches Parkway intersection
is planned to contain additional restaurants and a hotel on the site.
The City Center node is currently under development, as shown later in this report, but currently has the
City’s newest grocery store in the Macey’s that opened in 2022. Many of the stores in this economic node
have opened recently bringing more eating, service, and fuel options to the central part of the City. This
area is expected to continue to be a focal point of development in the City as additional retail and office
uses are constructed in future phases of this development.
4.4 Growth in Buying Power
Eagle Mountain is poised to capture not only existing retail sales leakage but also increased sales from its
rapid population growth and the accompanying increase in buying power. In 2021, the average sales per
capita in Utah reached nearly $15,600.
TABLE 14: AVERAGE SALES PER CAPITA IN UTAH
Category
Utah per Capita
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
$2,934.13
Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores
$461.88
Electronics and Appliance Stores
$453.45
Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers
$1,864.34
Food and Beverage Stores
$1,784.89
Health and Personal Care Stores
$216.55
Gasoline Stations
$499.39
Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores
$736.52
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book, and Music Stores
$492.89
General Merchandise Stores
$2,647.59
Miscellaneous Store Retailers
$726.52
Accommodation
$784.22
Food Services and Drinking Places
$1,957.07
Total
$15,559.44
Source: Utah State Tax Commission; ZPFI
This means that for every additional person living in Eagle Mountain, there is increased buying power of
nearly $15,600 annually. Assuming an additional 16 to 20 retail square feet per capita, the following table
takes the projected population growth in the City and calculates the resulting additional sales that will occur
as well as the demand for retail square feet generated by new development. The last column in the table
estimates the total retail square footage in Eagle Mountain assuming an overall capture rate of 50 percent
for existing and new residents. Currently, the City has approximately 380,000 square feet of retail space
throughout the City.
TABLE 15: GROWTH IN BUYING POWER AND SUPPORTABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE
Year
Population
Total Buying Power
Total SF
Supportable
Supportable SF at
50% Capture Rate
2020
43,623
$678,749,451
872,460
436,230
2021
48,823
$759,658,539
976,460
488,230
2022
54,023
$840,567,627
1,080,460
540,230
2023
59,223
$921,476,715
1,184,460
592,230
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Year
Population
Total Buying Power
Total SF
Supportable
Supportable SF at
50% Capture Rate
2024
64,423
$1,002,385,803
1,288,460
644,230
2025
69,623
$1,083,294,891
1,392,460
696,230
2026
74,823
$1,164,203,979
1,496,460
748,230
2027
80,023
$1,245,113,067
1,600,460
800,230
2028 85,223 $1,326,022,155 1,704,460 852,230
2029
90,423
$1,406,931,243
1,808,460
904,230
2030
95,623
$1,487,840,331
1,912,460
956,230
2031
100,823
$1,568,749,419
2,016,460
1,008,230
2032
106,023
$1,649,658,507
2,120,460
1,060,230
2033
111,223
$1,730,567,595
2,224,460
1,112,230
2034
116,423
$1,811,476,683
2,328,460
1,164,230
2035
121,623
$1,892,385,771
2,432,460
1,216,230
2036
126,823
$1,973,294,859
2,536,460
1,268,230
2037
132,023
$2,054,203,947
2,640,460
1,320,230
2038
137,223
$2,135,113,035
2,744,460
1,372,230
2039
142,423
$2,216,022,123
2,848,460
1,424,230
2040
147,623
$2,296,931,211
2,952,460
1,476,230
Source: Utah State Tax Commission; ZPFI
Eagle Mountain should easily be able to capture 50 percent of sales within City limits in the short term,
given that that capture rates for Saratoga Springs and Lehi are 82 percent and 94 percent, respectively. In
the longer term, as more development occurs on the west side of Utah Lake, Eagle Mountain should be
able to increase its capture rate even higher as it is located on the major transportation route to the west.
However, at the present time, Eagle Mountain is hampered by the lack of employment within the City and
the number of commuters who leave the City each day, thereby making many of their purchases close to
their workplace.
4.5 Retail Market Share and Analysis
Strong population and employment growth
are fueling the need for additional retail
throughout the State. Slightly offsetting,
however, are trends for more online shopping,
fueled partially by the COVID pandemic, which
has had a significant effect on retail brick-and-
mortar space needs per capita.
Average retail space needs averaged between
20 and 25 square feet per capita over 10 years
ago. Today, Price Waterhouse Coopers
suggests that this number has decreased to
about 16 square feet.
8
8
Byron Carlock, head of U.S. real estate development, Price Waterhouse Coopers
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Due to the changing retail environment, stores are reacting to needed changes which include the following:
• Concept stores – opportunities for customers to have experiences that are not replicated online
• Distribution stores – stores which allow for drop-off deliveries from online services – results in
quicker shipping times and reduced costs
• Eateries – eateries are adapting to Uber Eats and other delivery services, leading to reduced table
space, larger kitchens, and a greater need for pick-up capacity
The following retail highlights are noted for Utah:
• Doing well – Grocery stores, automobile services, eateries, “concept” stores
• Faring poorly – Clothing stores, toy stores, jewelry stores, department stores, anything struggling
with competing with online shopping
Retailers have shown that they require certain demographic conditions to consider store expansions or
locating to new areas. Some of these criteria are highlighted below:
• Strong traffic counts – multiple points of access
• Growing population counts in 1, 3, 5-mile radii
• Daytime populations – typically requires an office presence
• Destination locations – customer draws (parks, entertainment options, etc.)
• Retailers are looking more closely at which demographics are more likely to shop online, and are
looking for areas which support traditional retail activity
Most retailers have requirements for traffic, household income and population that are generally met by
Eagle Mountain. Where there may be current shortcomings in Eagle Mountain’s statistics, these retail types
may place additional weight on the population and growth advantages, thereby discounting the need to
fully fill the transportation requirements. A list of businesses looking to expand is included in Appendix F.
Appendix E shows existing stores within a 25-mile radius of Eagle Mountain, along with the distance
necessary to reach each store.
The sales tax leakage analysis indicates that the City is only capturing its fair share of taxable sales with
nonstore retailers. In each of the remaining categories, the City shows moderate to extreme sales tax
leakage. Focusing on each of those areas could yield positive benefit for the City, but would be difficult to
do considering regional competitors, the City’s location, and the relatively low daytime population of the
City. despite this, there are tremendous opportunities in the near and distant future, for the City to begin
to capture additional retail sales, and to preserve land in preparation for additional commercial growth.
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While the City may be missing over $600 million in taxable sales, by focusing on the largest areas of leakage,
or categories that do not have regional competition, the City will be able to prioritize sales tax categories
that have the most potential for recapture and growth.
TABLE 16: LARGEST AREAS OF LEAKAGE IN EAGLE MOUNTAIN, 2022
NAICS Code Category
Eagle Mountain Leakage
Capture Rate
Food and Beverage Stores
($53,702,438)
31.03%
Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers
($72,421,614)
10.95%
Food Services and Drinking Places
($79,161,202)
7.28%
General Merchandise Stores
($109,347,200)
5.32%
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
($126,437,722)
1.22%
Source: Utah State Tax Commission; ZPFI
Food and Beverage (Grocery Stores) – The City is currently capturing only 31 percent of its grocery
purchases, while neighboring Saratoga Springs is capturing 134 percent. Clearly, Eagle Mountain residents
are traveling to Saratoga Springs to make these types of purchases. However, grocery stores are one area
where residents prefer to shop closer to home for convenience and because of the need to transport,
quickly, frozen items purchased. With Macey’s opening in 2022, it is likely that the City will capture more
of the sales in this category.
FIGURE 19: LOCAL GROCERY STORES
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It generally takes a population of at least 20,000 people to support a grocery store.
9
In the past, the
traditional size of a grocery store has averaged 55,000 square feet. Newer trends are for smaller stores of
roughly 30,000 square feet with a large emphasis on prepared foods. Based on these standards, Eagle
Mountain can currently support two grocery stores, and three grocery stores by 2024.
Because of the large leakage in Eagle Mountain in general merchandise, there is the potential for a grocery
store to also offer general merchandise, such as a Smith’s Marketplace. However, with the location of
Smith’s Marketplace in Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain may be better suited to pursue a Target, Walmart,
or another company not located in proximity. Even though there Walmart is located in Saratoga Springs,
there are circumstances where Walmart will consider adjacent locations within 4 miles, so there are
indications that the City may be able to attract a Walmart as well.
Building Materials and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers – Eagle Mountain currently captures only
11 percent of retail sales in this category. Given all the growth taking place in Eagle Mountain, as well as
escalating transportation costs, Eagle Mountain could benefit from a retailer who could provide these
goods and services within the City. It appears that many of these purchases are currently being made at
Home Depot in American Fork and at Lowe’s in Lehi. A Home Depot is planned for construction in Saratoga
Springs, but the City could explore a Lowe’s location in Eagle Mountain City.
Ace Hardware – 6,500 population in 3-mile range. Average household income of $45,000
The Home Depot – 55,000 population in 10-mile range. Average daily traffic count of 11,000 trips
Lowes – 60,000 population in 10-mile range. Average daily traffic count of 25,000 trips
Food Services and Drinking Places – Again, Eagle Mountain is showing significant leakage in restaurants and
fast-food eating places. This is not surprising given the large number of commuters outside of the City who
will thereby purchase their lunch food outside of City limits. Increasing the daytime population of Eagle
Mountain will aid in the development of future food service establishments. Appendices E and F show
eating establishments already located within the local area, as well as those most looking to expand in the
future. Requirements for selecting a location vary significantly between retailers as shown in the examples
below:
Olive Garden – 125,000 population in 15-minute drive time. Average 8,000 square feet, 1.0-2.5
acres, parking at more than 10.0 per thousand
Jamba Juice – population more than 45,000 within 2.0 miles – daytime employment greater than
15,000 within 2.0 miles – average age less than 38 within 2.0 miles. Average 1,200 square feet,
parking more than 5.5 per thousand, end cap, pad, or corner
Golden Corral – 45,000 population within 15-minute drive time. Average 9,000 square feet
General Merchandise Stores – The City is currently only capturing approximate 5% of its sales tax in the
general merchandise category. General merchandise stores generally require 140,000 to 200,000 square
feet for super centers and parking at 4.5 to 6.0 per thousand.
TJ Maxx – population minimum of 100,000 in a 3-mile area, with proximity to high-traffic tenants,
grocery stores, clothing stores, bath, and home stores; require mid-to-upper incomes, higher
percentage of female population; average size of 30,000 square feet, parking at a minimum of 5.0
spaces per thousand
9
https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2017/03/15/if-we-have-too-many-grocery-stores-what-does-
the.html#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20it%20takes%2020%2C000,in%20grocer%2Danchored%20real%20estate.
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Family Dollar – median incomes below
$60,000 in 1-mile radius, desire grocery-anchored centers,
average 8,500 square feet, parking more than 3.5 per thousand
Costco – suburb locations with minimum of 75,000 population within five miles. Will look at
growing demographics within a 20-mile radius, near access to a major arterial required. Average
store sizes of 145,000 square feet, parking typically required at 6.0 per thousand
Wal-Mart – minimum population of 100,000 in three miles, major arterials in immediate area
(40,000 ADT), avoid high or extra low-income areas
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers – One of the lowest capture rates for the City is with the motor vehicle
and parts dealer category, at only 1.22%. This represents a potential loss of over $100 million in annual
sales. Auto dealers, even used car lots, would be an attractive use to add to the City. However, due to
current market pressures with new and used cars, and the City’s distance from a major transportation
corridor, this may be a more difficult use for the City to attract at this time. Land near Eagle Mountain
Boulevard may work well for this use in the future, but land would need to be preserved for this use until
it becomes practical, such as when SR-73 is expanded, or the Cedar Valley freeway is built.
As the table below shows, all stores are not equal in the benefit they provide to the City. While Eagle
Mountain is eager to attract retail, it should also be cognizant of its most key retail sites and seek to attract
those businesses with the highest sales per square foot, thereby generating higher sales tax revenues for
the City.
TABLE 17: COMPARATIVE RETAIL SALES PER SQUARE FOOT
Tenant
Avg. Sales Per Sq. Ft.
Average Store Size
(square feet)
Fiscal Impact to
City
Olive Garden
$540
8,000
$21,600
Denny’s
$330
4,200
$6,930
Costco
$1,050
145,000
$761,250
Burger King $140 3,200 $2,240
Wendy’s
$280
3,200
$4,480
Walgreen’s $760 14,100 $53,580
Black Bear Diner
$480
5,300
$12,720
Outback Steakhouse
$540
6,200
$16,740
Chili’s
$420
5,200
$10,920
Papa John’s
$200
1,300
$1,300
Source: ZPFI
Chapter Five – Industrial & Commercial Development
5.1 Targeted Industries
Eagle Mountain has expereienced success with recruiting desired industrial and commercial businesses to
the City. These include Meta, Tyson Fresh Meats, Google, LBI Satellite, and Dominion Energy. These
businesses are across a wide spectrum of industries, as well as scale. With several thousand acres remaining
to be developed, the City has a tremendous opportunity to capture a good portion of the region’s indistrial
and commercial growth.
Utah has identified the following industries as top priorities for the State to recruit and expand.
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Aerospace & Defense
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• Energy
• Financial Services
• Life Sciences & Healthcare Innovation
• Outdoor Products & Recreation
• Software & Information Technology
• Tourism & Film
Of these industry clusters, several seem most appropriate for Eagle Mountain:
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Aerospace & Defense
• Outdoor Products & Recreation
• Life Sciences & Healthcare Innovation
Advanced Manufacturing - The project pipeline of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah
(EDCUtah) is at a record high. Manufacturing and distribution (aka “industrial project”) companies are doing
extremely well, as these companies seek to de-risk their shop floors, supply chains, and logistics. More than
half of EDCUtah’s project pipeline is now in this category, up from a third of the pipeline two years ago.
Outdoor Prodicts & Recreation – This industry is experiencing significant growth in the Intermountain West.
Possible tenants are looking for distribution hubs with proximity to recreational options. Outdoor retailer
tenants often have minimal actual retail space, with most of their area dedicated to manufacturing,
warehousing, and distribution.
Distribution Facilities – Key growth in this sector is occurring throughout the Intermountain West at present
as speed-to-market continues to be a top theme of economic development. Nearly all major big-box
retailers are scaling back their store expansions but are adding significant new distribution and logistics
space, as consumer shopping habits continue to evolve. A key component to this user base is
transportation access to multiple metropolitan areas and multiple freeways and airports.
Aerospace & Defense – This industry has seen consistent growth in the State, largely driven by Hill Air Force
Base near the city of Ogden. Utah is already one of the top states in the nation for the aerospace and
defense industries, with more than 28,000 individuals employed in this industry. Eagle Mountain City may
be able to capitalize on opportunites with Camp Williams on the City’s northern border, and Cedar Valley
High School’s aviation programs.
Life Sciences & Healthcare Innovation – This industry is continuing to expand across the Intermountain
West. As this growth continues, sub sectors will also expand creating the need for additional jobs to support
this industry. Eagle Mountain should capitilize on these sub sectors (suppliers and manufacturers). BioUtah
launched the BioHive, a branding initiative that celebrates Utah’s fast-growing life sciences industry.
EDCUtah states that is has a pipeline of life sciences projects, and several significant project wins.
Educational Centers – Satellite Campuses. Some educational centers and satellite campuses include
standard teaching setups, while rapid growth is being seen with offices that are set up with audiovisual gear
to connect a remote instructor with a gathered class. Significant growth in technology schools and
certifications programs are using this setup. Eagle Mountain should pursue opportunities with Utah-based
schools looking to expand their satellite offerings.
5.2 Strategies to Attract Development
While every business has individualized needs and expansion criteria, the City can focus on several general
strategies to attract business to the City:
• Business-friendly zoning regulations
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• Enhanced marketing efforts
• Area planning
• Targeted incentives
Zoning Regulations
As companies look to relocate or expand their opertations, they will generally inquire about the zoning
regulations and processes in a given municipality. Excessive regulations, or overly burdensome processes,
can remove a location from consideration, despite other advantages. Businesses look particularly favorable
on processes that are clearly articulated, fairly and objectively enforced, and allow for expediency.
In 2017, in order to assist in business attraction, the City created a Regional Technology & Industry Overlay
Zone (RTI) that covers sections of south Eagle Mountain and Pole Canyon. This RTI Overlay Zone allows for
a special approval process for qualifying businesses which makes it easier for them to locate in the City.
FIGURE 20: EAGLE MOUNTAIN RTI OVERLAY ZONING
This zone has been utilized by serveral businesses to date, and was an integral part of the decisions to
locate in Eagle Mountain City. Since 2017, the code has been amended several times, to ensure that it still
alligns with the City’s overall economic development strategy. This has included a process to include a city
Council member in the process, narrowly focus the code towards businesses that pay higher wages, and
restrict the allowed uses to better match with the City’s economic development goals. While the City should
not feel it has to remove regulations or zoning restrictions, if the City desires to continue to attract large
investments from industrial users, this Code should be maintained so that it helps to provide a major
incentive to business located within the approved areas.
Enhanced Marketing Efforts
Over the past decade, marketing trends for economic development has changed dramatically. With the
worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, these changes have only accelerated. The biggest change has been the rise
of internet, or social media-based, marketing. Peter Tokar, in the International Economic Development
Council’s Journal of Economic Development, commented that “If you do not have a presence on the
internet, you do not exist.”
10
In this rapidly changing economy, a community can no longer simply have
10
Journal of Economic Development, Winter 2018 edition, International Economic Development Council, page 44-49.
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static marketing that relies on printed or hard copy materials. Successful communities utilize a combination
of websites, social media presence, traditional media, and video to share their cohesive marketing message.
The firm, Development Counsellors International (DCI), conducts frequent surveys of corporate executives
with site-selection responsibilities to determine perspectives and perceptions of the most effective
strategies and techniques in economic development marketing.
11
The full 2020 survey is included as
Appendix G. Since 1996, here are the leading sources of information for site selection professionals:
TABLE 18: LEADING SOURCES OF INFORMATION SINCE 1996
Sources
2020
2017
2014
2011
2008
2005
2002
1999
1996
Dialogue with industry peers
48%
46%
55%
50%
61%
54%
56%
71%
68%
Business travel
37%
42%
37%
27%
42%
45%
47%
45%
52%
Articles in newspapers and magazines
32%
34%
44%
46%
53%
45%
62%
61%
60%
Meetings with EDOs
30%
33%
31%
28%
32%
33%
21%
27%
24%
Internet/Websites
26%
27%
22%
20%
28%
22%
9%
9%
-
Rankings/Surveys
25%
21%
24%
36%
22%
17%
23%
31%
34%
Word of mouth
17%
22%
21%
19%
19%
16%
29%
21%
24%
Social media
16%
11%
2%
0%
-
-
-
-
-
Personal travel
15%
17%
13%
9%
14%
13%
14%
8%
21%
TV/Radio newscasts/shows 13% 6% 9% 14% 7% 5% 14% 7% 4%
Advertising
10%
9%
4%
3%
-
-
-
-
-
Direct mail
4%
2%
2%
0%
2%
2%
2%
3%
1%
Other
7%
8%
12%
13%
10%
14%
14%
8%
15%
Source: Development Counsellors International
The survey notes that corporate executives rely heavily on first-hand experience (i.e., dialogue with industry
peers and business travel) as leading sources of information, while the location advisors at those firms rely
on meetings with economic development groups and the internet/websites at higher rates.
12
A total of 80% of the respondents had utilized the internet in their last site-selection search, and incentive
information, demographic information, staff contact information, and major employers/industries were
the most useful features on an economic development organization’s (EDO) website.
13
According to the
survey, social media use among site-selectors continues to grow, and LinkedIn remains the top-used social
media platform for business.
14
When asked to gauge the effectiveness of conventional marketing techniques used by EDOs, websites were
rated as the most effective marketing technique.
As the City plans its future economic development possibilities, it is clear that marketing can play an integral
role in attracting businesses to the City. There is not one single strategy that can be employed to reach all
audiences or accomplish all goals. Rather, the City should explore an overall marketing package that
includes multiple areas of outreach and connection, so that it is most effective in reaching targeted
industries and provides the most important information for decision makers.
11
Winning Strategies, 2020 survey, Development Counsellors International, page 10.
12
Winning Strategies, page 13.
13
Winning Strategies, page 9.
14
Winning Strategies, page 9.
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FIGURE 21: MOST EFFECTIVE MARKETING TECHNIQUES
Area Planning
The availability of land in Eagle Mountain is a tremendous
asset to the City as it pursues economic development
opportunities. There is ample space available to capture
future retail, office, and industrial growth to help solidify the
City’s tax base, revenue generation, and create
opportunities for Eagle Mountain residents. However, the
available space could also be a hinderance to the City, if not
planned appropriately. Small area plans are effective tools
to help accomplish a community’s goals for key areas of the
City. These can be done in conjunction with the landowner
or developer to maximize the benefits and help coordinate
the development of key areas.
The City has several areas that would be prime candidates
for future small area plans: Pole Canyon, Eagle Mountain
Boulevard, the downtown core attached to the Overland
subdivision, Gateway Park, and the southern tech campus.
Targeted Incentives
As the City continues to look at business expansion
opportunities, interested businesses will approach the City
with requests for financial incentives to assist in lowering
business development costs. To ensure that public dollars
(through CRAs, PIDs, or other tools) are used effectively, the
City is currently creating policies and procedures to guide
the process of approving any incentives. These efforts
should continue and provide a guiding framework for the
City to consider future economic development projects.
Clearly defining the requirements for a business to qualify
for incentives, or the steps they must take for approval, aids
all parties in the decision-making process and allows the City
to take a more active role in determining the role of
incentives in the business development process.
Chapter Six – Key Sites: Current
6.1 Porter’s Crossing
In the Ranches area of the City, the retail area around Pony Express Parkway and Porters Crossing Parkway
is a major retail development center for the City. The City’s first grocery store, Ridley’s, opened in this
shopping center in 2014 and additional restaurants and medical offices opened around the same time.
Over the past several years, additional retail users have moved into this shopping center, and the developer
is currently planning the next phase of development on the site.
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FIGURE 22: PORTER'S CROSSING SITE PLAN
This new phase will cover 17 vacant acres directly to the east and is planning to contain a mix of office
buildings, retail pad sites, with the potential of a hotel on the property as well.
FIGURE 23: PORTER'S CROSSING PHASE 2 SITE PLAN
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Across Pony Express Parkway to the south, there is additional
commercial development occurring, with recent openings of
Cascade Collision, a 7-11 gas station, Dollar Tree, and AutoZone.
Several medical office buildings are currently being constructed
in the area as well.
With strong anchors in place, and additional commercial
development planned for the near future, this area will continue
to serve as an important neighborhood commercial center for
the northern area of the City, as well as drawing from western
Saratoga Springs.
6.2 Ranches Parkway
Along Ranches Parkway, the City has several different smaller
commercial centers that are currently under development. The
initial development came right at the intersection of Pony
Express Parkway and Ranches Parkway. Commercial businesses
located there include a gas station, a medical office building,
several restaurants, and a few service-based retailers. A mixed-
use commercial building is under construction that will bring a
new restaurant, several retail establishments, and fourteen
one-bedroom apartments to the City.
There is one vacant corner remaining, which had a site plan
approved by the City Council in early 2022. This property is planned to include several restaurant and retail
buildings, and the potential for a hotel on the site as well.
6.3 Eagle Mountain Town Center Commercial
Retail development had been slow in the southern portion of the City, until 2019. The area only had one
gas station and a medical office building, which were both built around 2016. With the announcement of
the Meta Data Center, and Tyson Fresh Meats, commercial development has rapidly expanded in this area,
including several additional restaurants on the southern portion of Eagle Mountain Boulevard.
Currently under construction, Eagle Mountain Town Center Marketplace is located on the northwestern
area of the intersection of Pony Express Parkway and Eagle Mountain Blvd. As the figure below
demonstrates, this development houses grocery store, a hardware store, and several restaurants, as well
as a gas station.
FIGURE 24: RANCHES CORNER SITE PLAN
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FIGURE 25: EAGLE MOUNTAIN TOWN CENTER MARKETPLACE SITE PLAN
This development will include additional office and retail construction, which will continue the commercial
construction in this area for the next three to five years.
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Chapter Seven – Key Sites: Future
With land along the I-15 Corridor rapidly filling up, the abundant land
in Eagle Mountain has been, and will increasingly become, a
tremendous asset to the City. With thousands of planned commercial
acreage, the City is primed to capture both industrial and retail growth.
There are four major areas of future opportunity to the City as it moves
into the future:
• North Bench
• South Tech Campus
• Town Center
• Pole Canyon
7.1 North Bench
Located on the northern
eastern corner of the City,
along its border with
Saratoga Springs, this area
totals 500 acres and is
only 4% built at this time.
A large portion of this area is currently operating as a gravel
pit but will be available for development when those
operations cease. Currently, Dominion Energy, ACE Rents, and
Eagle Mountain Storage are located here. There are also two
multi-tenant flex space buildings in the area, with tenants such
as Cupertino Electric, ZAP Electric, Ultimate Air, and Elevate
Sports Center.
The City’s 2018 General Plan identifies this area for future
community commercial and business park/light industry. With
its proximity to Saratoga Springs, and Mountain View Corridor
and SR-73, this area is poised to experience tremendous
economic growth. Due to the proximity to the commercial developments in Saratoga Springs, some retail
uses might be more difficult in this area, but the City would be successful focusing on commercial uses that
do not have a current footprint in Saratoga Springs or that serve a smaller trade area. It is also likely that
this area would do well with a variety of commercial uses such as light manufacturing uses, distribution, or
even office development, including flex office space.
7.2 South Tech Campus
An area of the City that has already seen substantial development is the South Tech Campus of the City.
This development center is currently home to the City’s Community Development Building and Wastewater
Treatment Facility, LBI Satellite, and Meta’s Eagle Mountain Data Center. In 2018, the City announced
Meta’s plans to construct a hyperscale data center located on approximately 500 acres of land. This
investment necessitated Rocky Mountain Power to construct a massive substation directly to the South of
the Meta property and tapped into the adjacent 345 kV trunk line to provide reliable power to the area. As
of October 2022, Meta announced another investment into the property, which brought their total
FIGURE 26: GENERAL PLAN ZONES
FIGURE 27: NORTH BENCH ZONING MAP
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investment to $3 billion. In 2021, Google announced a
major land acquisition of 320 acres directly to the East of
Meta. It is likely that similar uses will continue to explore
development in this area.
This area also contains the Sweetwater Industrial Park,
an area of approximately 200 acres, which contains a
special zoning overlay. Because of the parks proximity to
the City’s wastewater treatment plant, this overlay
allows for some alternative design standards to help
attract businesses to an area that might not be attractive
for all users. Currently, LBI Satellite has a facility in this
industrial park. This area is an attractive option for
businesses that do not require large acreage or may
desire special design standards.
7.3 Town Center
Currently, the City is experiencing strong retail growth in
both the Porter’s Crossing development and the Eagle
Mountain Town
Center
Marketplace development. These will continue to serve immediate
commercial growth in both the Ranches and City Center. However,
the City has a third commercial center that is likely to be a main
commercial hub in the future. It consists of several different
sections: an eastern section along Pony Express Parkway and the
western section along Eagle Mountain Boulevard.
Eastern Section
The Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration
(SITLA) owns large amounts of land in Eagle Mountain City. It has
partnered with Ivory Homes to develop that land. Currently, Ivory
Homes has begun construction on the Overland subdivision, which
consists of over 3,000 residential units. A future phase of
development will occur on the east side of Pony Express Parkway
and is planned for Town Center- Mixed Use, according to the City’s
General Plan. This area allows for a mix of commercial and
residential uses. According to Ivory Home’s plans, this area will
contain higher density housing and various higher-end commercial
uses. This could be office uses that do not have warehousing or storage yards, or more upscale retailers.
The City also owns land on both sides of Pony Express Parkway with grass fields on the east and Cory B.
Wride Memorial Park on the west. Because of the proximity to City facilities, future growth patterns, and
the planned land uses, this area is projected to eventually grow into the downtown core of Eagle Mountain
City.
Western Section
Along Eagle Mountain Boulevard, the City has planned for large-scale development to occur for a variety
of uses. The land use contemplates light industry/business park, regional commercial, and employment
FIGURE 28: SOUTH TECH CAMPUS ZONING MAP
FIGURE 29: TOWN CENTER ZONING MAP
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center/campus zoning in this area. A future freeway is planned to come through this area and connect to
SR-73 and the Mountain View Corridor. This transportation access, currently unplanned and unfunded, will
provide a major impact to the future development of the area and make this area a regional development
and not just local.
Although there is a small amount of development along the southern edge of this are, it is largely vacant
land currently. Development interest in other areas of the City and the lack of City infrastructure to the
area are reasons why this area has not developed. Despite this, because of the strong potential of this area,
and the City’s need to capture additional commercial development, it is crucial for these areas remain
zoned for the intended uses.
7.4 Pole Canyon
In 2009, Eagle Mountain City approved
an annexation for a 3,000-acre
development on the western edge of
the City. The Pole Canyon
development contemplated almost
10,000 residential units as well as
several hundred acres of industrial and
commercial land. On the western side
of SR-73, there were a few dozen
homes in the White Hills
neighborhood, but until 2019, there
was not additional development in the
area. In 2019, the City announced
plans for Tyson Fresh Meats to
construct a “case ready facility” of over
300,000 square feet on 80 acres. This development brought necessary infrastructure investment to the
area and has introduced a major industrial park to the City.
Interest in the Pole Canyon subdivision remains high, and this is an area of the City that will do well with
industrial users. The area has good transportation access with SR-73 and is also planned to have a future
freeway to travel through the area. It is likely that this area will be attractive to manufacturers and logistics
& distribution providers. Because of the transportation infrastructure in the area (and planned
infrastructure) this area can take users that have a higher traffic impact, without it affecting the main
transportation corridors of the City.
In addition to the industrial land, Pole Canyon also includes several hundred acres of regional commercial
and town center/mixed use zoning. This will allow for further capture of sales tax generating businesses.
Chapter Eight – Regional Influences
The regional environment plays an important role in retail growth. As Utah and Salt Lake counties continue
to increase in population, there will be an increased demand for retail goods and services in the regional
area. Comparisons with a potentially competitive site in Saratoga Springs, as well as three locations in Eagle
Mountain, are shown on the maps on the following pages.
FIGURE 30: POLE CANYON ZONING MAP
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FIGURE 31: COMPETITIVE SITES
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FIGURE 32: COMPARISON SITES
Population numbers are calculated for a 1, 3 and 5-mile radius from several commercial centers in Eagle
Mountain, specifically the North Bench commercial area, Town Center, and South Town, as well as from a
commercial center site located in Saratoga Springs. Population projections are based on Traffic Area Zone
(TAZ) data compiled by Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) and Mountainland Association of
Governments (MAG). The purpose of this analysis is to see where the greatest concentration of population
is now and will be by 2040. The analysis below shows that the key commercial sites in Eagle Mountain will
have substantial population growth by 2040 and will be competitive for expanded commercial
development in the regional area.
TABLE 19: PROJECTED POPULATION GROWTH FROM NORTH BENCH
Eagle Mountain North Bench
Distance
2022
2030
2040
Growth by 2030
Growth by 2040
1 Mile
6,423
7,053
8,360
630
1,937
3 Mile
43,475
58,490
76,004
15,015
32,529
5 Mile
79,579
124,111
179,481
44,532
99,901
Source: WFRC & MAG TAZ Data
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TABLE 20: PROJECTED POPULATION GROWTH FROM TOWN CENTER
Eagle Mountain Town Center
Distance
2022
2030
2040
Growth by 2030
Growth by 2040
1 Mile
2,508
7,411
14,257
4,903
11,749
3 Mile
33,238
49,898
78,161
16,660
44,922
5 Mile
62,194
97,322
147,740
35,128
85,546
Source: WFRC & MAG TAZ Data
TABLE 21: PROJECTED POPULATION GROWTH FROM SOUTH TOWN
Eagle Mountain South Town
Distance
2022
2030
2040
Growth by 2030
Growth by 2040
1 Mile
9,444
12,141
15,757
2,697
6,313
3 Mile
17,054
32,664
56,855
15,610
39,801
5 Mile
41,572
66,297
104,476
24,724
62,904
Source: WFRC & MAG TAZ Data
TABLE 22: PROJECTED POPULATION GROWTH FROM SARATOGA SPRINGSA COMMERCIAL CENTER
Saratoga Springs Commercial Center
Distance
2022
2030
2040
Growth by 2030
Growth by 2040
1 Mile
6,245
8,501
11,355
2,257
5,110
3 Mile
61,589
89,523
119,925
27,934
58,336
5 Mile
125,707
168,505
219,379
42,798
93,671
Source: WFRC & MAG TAZ Data
Chapter Nine – Infrastructure
Existing traffic counts are shown on the map below, as well as the forecasted traffic counts for 2024 and
2030. Future traffic counts show marked growth throughout the City. By monitoring the change in traffic
counts, the City can use the data as a tool when approaching potential businesses to locate in the City. As
stated previously, strong traffic counts are an important component in retail recruitment.
As shown in the following maps, Pony Express Parkway and Eagle Mountain Boulevard are expected to see
steadily increasing Average Annual Daily Trips (AADT) over the next ten years. In addition, the East
Expressway and the Hidden Valley Rd are expected to help traffic move through the east side of the City by
2030. These two roads will help facilitate quicker travel to and from Saratoga Springs and will provide an
alternate route to the Pony Express Parkway. It is notable that the Cedar Valley Freeway is expected to
travel just west of the City’s center at some point in the future, however, that project does not have a
projected completion date yet.
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FIGURE 33: 2019 AADT
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FIGURE 34: 2024 AADT
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FIGURE 35: 2023 AADT
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FIGURE 36: TECHNOLOGY TYPE
Chapter Ten – Small Business Development
An important part of the City’s economy is the numerous small and home-based businesses. Across the
nation, there are a total of 31.7 million small businesses, or 99.9% of all the total businesses in the United
States.
15
These businesses make up most of the total businesses in Eagle Mountain City. As the City
continues to pursue large-scale economic development, it is important that these small businesses are
supported to help continue their positive impact on the City.
10.1 Support Strategies
Communication
An important piece of small business support is communication with the small businesses. The City should
conduct regular surveys of local small businesses to determine successes as well as pain points for these
15
“The State of Small Business Now,” U.S. Chamber of Commerce, published September 16, 2021.
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members of the community. This can aid the City in identifying trends and better understand how the City’s
perception of the business climate. This could also be done with new businesses as they complete their
business licensing process, building permit approvals, or site plan approval.
Part of this communication strategy would be formulating a business retention expansion program (BR&E).
This program would allow City staff to engage in direct communication with business decision makers
throughout the community. BR&E programs allow government officials to proactively connect with
businesses to understand and respond to local needs. Often, small businesses are overlooked in these
programs for large businesses that have more name recognition, or command more of a community’s
resources. Focusing BR&E efforts on small businesses can pay large dividends. Between 2000 and 2020,
small businesses accounted for 65.1% of new net job creation and so these businesses are prime targets
for a community looking to expand its job base.
16
The data derived from a BR&E program can aid the City
in analyzing the strength of the local economy and identify and implement strategies that can help
strengthen existing businesses.
Regulation
In April of 2022, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce unveiled a five-point “Small Business Bill of Rights.”
17
These
five points represent key principles the small business community wants to see from government. While
not all these principles relate to the influence of local government, the final principle was to be free of
onerous regulations. The City can examine its code, policies, and procedures to ensure that there are not
regulations that are extraordinarily burdensome to small businesses. Currently, the City has the RTI Overlay
Zone to incentivize large-scale industrial development. The City could explore similar process
improvements for small business approval.
Incentives
Across the country, various local governments have approved the use of incentives for small businesses, in
addition to the incentive programs that are already in place for large businesses. These take the form of
business grants, reduced or waived fees, business loans, free land, and more. Up until 2017, the City leased
office space from Direct Communications that was then used to provide free or discounted office space to
small businesses in the community. The City may consider discussions on the feasibility of setting aside
funds to provide some form of financial incentive program for local small businesses. This can be coupled
with workforce development goals to attract and retain a high-quality workforce.
Incentives do not necessarily need to be financial. Until 2022, the City operated a small business focused
street fair that grew into an event called ShopFest. The Eagle Mountain Chamber of Commerce took over
operations of this event in 2022. Providing events such as this can serve as an incentive to small businesses
as it potentially provides them with increased marketing and foot traffic that they may not have seen
without these events. To help promote small businesses throughout the City, the City should continue to
explore events such as these, even as a supporting sponsor. The City could consider marketing and
promoting events such as “Small Business Saturday” (Saturday following Thanksgiving) to help promote
small businesses in the area.
Partnerships
In these efforts, the City need not act alone. A part of the federal Small Business Administration (SBA), Utah
has its own Small Business Development Center (SBDC) that provides many training and funding services
for businesses in this area. The closest SBDC to the City is located at Utah Valley University in Orem. At this
16
“Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business,” U.S Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, 2020.
17
“Small Business Bill of Rights,” U.S. Chamber of Commerce, published April 26, 2022.
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center, small businesses can meet with business advisors to discuss their businesses, attend training events
and clinic, or participate in mentorship programs. Many of these services can even be utilized virtually. The
City may consider fostering relationships with the SBDC to be better able to educate small businesses on
support programs.
The Eagle Mountain Chamber of Commerce has been a tremendous partner to the City since it was created
in 2018. The Chamber serves as an advocate for businesses in Eagle Mountain and provides various
business-related training, marketing, and networking services. Often, the Chamber provides services that
the City is unable to. The City was one of the founding members of the Chamber and has been a key
supporter ever since. By utilizing the resources of the Chamber, the City may be able to expand its support
of small businesses. A strategy for the City to consider would be to expand its financial support of this
organization for key initiatives that directly support the expansion or development of small businesses in
the community.
Planning
Another strategy for the City to consider is to effectively plan for small businesses. One major challenge for
small businesses located in the City is the lack of available office or retail space for smaller users. The City
previously ran an incubator program that helped smaller businesses, primarily home-based businesses,
with office/retail space at reduced rates. This program assisted these businesses to develop, in conjunction
with business development counselors from Utah Valley University, and to expand their operations. Other
locations have found success in partnering with higher education and private development to create
incubator spaces, or to provide opportunities for “co-working” space with small offices to be rented. As
commercial areas are developed, the City could explore opportunities to provide for these types of spaces
or encourage developers to provide adequate smaller/transitional spaces in these areas.
Chapter Eleven – Tourism & Outdoor Recreation
Despite being the second most populous County, Utah County ranks fourth in visitor spending in the State
($537 million), behind Salt Lake County ($1.68 billion), Summit County ($821 million), and Washington
County ($613 million).
18
In 2020 alone, Utah County received a total of $93.31 million in tourism tax
revenue.
19
The bulk of tourism visits to Utah come from visits to ski resorts, national parks, and national
monuments. Salt Lake City, St. George, Park City, Moab, and Provo/Orem make up the top five destinations
for Utah visitors.
20
Although the City may not have the same level of tourism amenities as other areas, the City can still focus
on its areas of relative strength to gain tourism visits. The City has an extensive trail system that is slowly
gaining more interest from users both internally, and from outside the City. This can serve as a regional
draw to users and help capture additional revenue for the City. Additionally, while not in the City, Camp
Floyd is a major historical site in the State and attracts over 6,000 visitors a year. Most of these visitors
need to pass through Eagle Mountain on their way to and from the State park.
11.1 Opportunities
By expanding the trail system, and mountain bike park, the City will be better able to attract events that
utilize these amenities, or users looking for a recreational experience. This would require collaborating with
landowners (including the BLM and other Federal agencies) to establish trail access and trailheads for public
18
Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
19
Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
20
Utah Office of Tourism
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use. The trail network’s mapping could also be expanded. The City has already received grant funding to
work on both efforts, but more would be required to allow these areas to fully realize their potential.
The City could also focus on attracting businesses (restaurants, outdoor recreation focused retail, hotels)
that help to service these industries and allow for greater opportunities to attract outdoor recreation
events.
Chapter Twelve – Fiscal Sustainability
Cities need to plan for fiscal sustainability and for steady cash flows during the ups and downs` of different
economic cycles. Property taxes remain relatively constant while sales taxes are more subject to economic
swings. A review of the major revenue sources in the table below shows that Eagle Mountain has
significantly lower revenues than surrounding cities – overall and for both property and sales taxes. This
will make it difficult for the City to keep up with the increasing expenses due to its rapid growth and rising
inflation.
TABLE 23: REVENUES PER CAPITA
Revenue Category
Eagle
Mountain
Saratoga
Springs
Lehi
Bluffdale
Herriman
Property Taxes
$26.62
$77.87
$124.63
$0.00
$13.43
Sales & Use Taxes
$80.42
$101.76
$148.29
$127.55
$99.26
Municipal Energy Taxes
$19.90
$27.77
$0.00
$0.00
$26.15
Other - Transient Room
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.04
$0.00
Other - Fee-in-Lieu of Property Taxes $2.86 $7.34 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Other - Penalties and Interest on Delinquent
Taxes
$0.00 $0.10 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Other
$0.00
$4.70
$58.79
$59.15
$0.00
Other Taxes
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$4.13
Licenses & Permits
$97.80
$32.65
$76.47
$79.74
$142.36
Charges for Services
$0.00
$85.62
$29.07
$91.04
$25.86
Fines & Forfeitures $2.31 $0.00 $10.56 $17.08 $3.88
Intergovernmental $25.70 $30.01 $3.02 $0.94 $25.08
Miscellaneous $32.79 $57.79 $18.37 $31.87 $19.18
Contributions & Transfers & Other Sources
-$44.78
$0.00
$24.67
$45.25
$0.00
Total General Fund Revenues
$270.24
$503.48
$618.50
$537.27
$372.77
Source: Utah State Auditor’s Office, ZPFI
Both property taxes and sales taxes are responsible for the lower revenues in Eagle Mountain. The following
table shows that Eagle Mountain’s property tax rate is significantly lower than that in surrounding cities
and thereby produces significantly less revenue per dollar of taxable value. In terms of sales tax, the City
receives a sales tax distribution based on both a population distribution and point of sale. Eagle Mountain
currently receives most of its sales tax revenues from the population distribution portion of the formula.
TABLE 24: COMPARATIVE TAX RATE AND IMPACTS – PRIMARY RESIDENCE OF $500,000 MARKET HOME
City
Tax Rate
Property Tax Impact
Eagle Mountain
0.000724
$199.10
Saratoga Springs
0.001359
$373.73
Lehi
0.001429
$392.98
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City
Tax Rate
Property Tax Impact
Bluffdale
0.001519
$417.73
Herriman
0.001997
$549.18
Source: Utah State Auditor’s Office, ZPFI
This sustainability analysis makes evident that the City needs to concentrate on developing retail, which it
is sorely lacking, and which brings in the highest revenues to the City. The highest and best fiscal impacts
for the City come from retail and set forth in more detail in a later section of this report.
Chapter Thirteen – Economic Development Tools
Funding opportunities are considered for Eagle Mountain, with consideration for what financial resources
and/or incentives may be required to realize some of the potential development and activity outlined in
this plan. Possible options include the following:
Community Reinvestment Areas – is a defined area within which taxing entities consent to the Eagle
Mountain Redevelopment Agency (RDA) to receive a portion of the increased property taxes associated
with new development that occurs within the project area’s boundaries for a specified period of time.
• Allows for the use of tax increment in project areas for a wide variety of purposes, including
infrastructure costs, beautification, relocation, land buy-downs, recruitment incentives, etc.
• Use in areas where economic incentives are necessary and likely to encourage economic
development or redevelopment.
Special Assessment Areas – is a defined area within which businesses are required to pay an additional tax
(or levy) to fund projects within the district's boundaries.
• Originally created for infrastructure improvements such as curb, gutter, sidewalk, streetlights, etc.
• Can be difficult to get support from multiple property owners who must consent to having this
additional assessment paid, in addition to property taxes.
• Use in large, greenfield areas of development with one or small number of property owners and
where infrastructure needs are substantial.
Public Infrastructure Districts – allows for the creation of a separate taxing entity to fund public
infrastructure.
• PIDs are generally most successful in larger, undeveloped areas where there are significant
infrastructure needs. Because the unanimous consent of all property owners is required for the
creation of a PID, it is difficult to establish PIDs in areas with numerous property owners.
• Can be combined with other revenue sources such as tax increment.
• Any debt issued is not on the books of the local government entity.
Public Private Partnerships (P3s) – is a contractual agreement between a public agency and a private sector
entity.
• Shared skills and assets of each sector (public and private) in delivering a project for the use of the
public.
• In addition to sharing resources, each party shares in the risks and potential rewards in the delivery
of the project.
• A P3 is not privatization. The public sector retains ownership and ultimate control of the public
asset.
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Revolving Loan Fund – is an Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) grant award that establishes revolving
loan funds that make loans to businesses that cannot otherwise obtain traditional bank financing.
• Have often been successfully used in downtown areas for façade improvements.
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Appendix A – Retail Site Criteria
A sampling of various retailers is listed below, along with some of the criteria the retailer considers during
site selection. This list does not specify if a specific retailer is targeting Utah, only that a retailer has provided
information about site criteria or expansion plans.
Entertainment Site Criteria:
• Altitude Trampoline Parks – minimum of 25,000 square feet, up to 50,000 square feet – desired
store growth of 4 over next 24 months
• Catch Air – population minimum of 50,000, average household income of $50,000, minimum of
10,000 square feet, up to 25,000 square feet – desired store growth of 6 over next 24 months
• Dave & Buster’s – minimum population of 500,000 in ten-mile range, minimum of 26,000 square
feet, up to 40,000 square feet – desired store growth of 8 over next 24 months
• Flite Golf & Entertainment – minimum of 65,000 square feet, up to 100,000 square feet – desired
store growth of 9 over next 24 months
Retail Site Criteria:
• Albertsons – minimum of 50,000 square feet, up to 60,000 square feet – desired store growth of
12 over next 24 months
• Charley’s Philly Steaks – population minimum of 30,000, minimum of 600 square feet, up to 2,000
square feet – desired store growth of 100 over next 24 months
• It’s Sugar – minimum of 2,000 square feet, up to 15,000 square feet – desired store growth of 7
over next 24 months
• Salad Creations – minimum of 1,200 square feet, up to 2,000 square feet – population minimum
of 20,000 – average household income of $75,000 – 20,000 traffic count – desired store growth of
200 over next 24 months
• Old Navy – minimum of 15,000 square feet, up to 19,000 square feet – desired store growth of 60
over next 24 months
• Big 5 Sporting Goods – minimum of 10,000 square feet, up to 12,000 square feet – 25,000 traffic
count – desired store growth of 30 over next 24 months
• Buffalo Wild Wings – minimum of 4,000 square feet, up to 7,000 square feet – population minimum
of 40,000 – average household income of $30,000 – 25,000 traffic count – desired store growth of
160 over next 24 months
Retailers with Major Growth:
• Subway – desired store growth of 2,500 over next 12 months
• Dollar General – desired store growth of 730 over next 12 months
• Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken – desired store growth of 600 over next 12 months
• Sephora – desired store growth of 500 over next 12 months
• KFC – desired store growth of 350 over next 12 months
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Appendix B – Department Analysis
As part of the Economic Development plan, an analysis was performed regarding the current economic
development department organizational structure. The analysis evaluated staffing capabilities and budgets
compared to other municipalities in the region. The findings of the analysis are shown below.
TABLE 25: DEPARTMENT ANALYSIS
City
Department
Staff Level
2021/2022 Budget
Eagle Mountain
Economic Development
1
$260,266
Saratoga Springs
Community Development
3
$311,563
Herriman City
Economic Development
2
$387,170
Cottonwood Heights
Community & Economic Development
7.75
$1,073,349
Lehi
Economic Development
1
$233,676
South Jordan
City Commerce & Sustainability
2
$318,622
West Jordan
Economic Development
3
$481,668
Taylorsville
Economic Development
3
$626,401
Millcreek
Economic Development
4
$271,150
Midvale
Community Development
5.50
$787,144
Murray
Community & Economic Development
2
$149,129*
*A portion of the cost of this division is allocated to the Redevelopment Agency Fund
As shown above, Eagle Mountain has a lower staffing level in comparison to other communities in the
valley. As Eagle Mountain continues to grow in population and the number of businesses increase, the City
may want to consider hiring additional staff to help with some of the recommendations / strategies in the
Economic Plan. Examples of job responsibilities include marketing, business recruitment and expansion,
shop local programs and administrative functions. In the interim, the City may choose to contract with a
recruitment company to assist with retail recruitment. Marketing efforts may also be partnered with the
local Chamber of Commerce for ribbon cuttings, business luncheon events, and social media marketing.
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Appendix C – Interviews
As part of the Economic Plan, interviews were conducted to receive input from various perspectives. The
outreach included developers, real estate brokers, key partners (government and private groups),
residents, and elected officials. A summary of takeaways is listed below.
Development
• Interest rates are going up and affordable housing is scarce
• Construction pricing is completely out of whack and is negatively impacting new development
• There is an increasing need for lower cost housing. More specifically, lower cost housing other than
single family residential homes because they are just too expensive for young people
• Retail development obstacle is the proximity to all the new retail development in Saratoga Springs
• Need affordable housing conducive to a live/work community
Key Sites
• Gateway Project. It should be one of the more marketable and developable areas. There are a lot
of commercial, educational, and medical opportunities there, along with several hundred acres
• Eagle Mountain Blvd / SR73
• Community center/regional retail by the high school
• City Center and the area in the western part of Eagle Mountain
• The Ranch Area. This is a great spot for retail because there are major roads next to it and that is
where development is happening
• Silver Lake
Economic Development Needs
• Sit down restaurants
• Office spaces that would enable small businesses to share spaces
• More entertainment, anything for families such as a bowling alley, mini golf, movie theater, etc.
• Satellite university campus
• Medical campus
• Outdoor recreation
• Event venue
• Neighborhoods with places to live and work, with open space and parks for all ages
• Youth oriented spaces
Employment
• More tech related jobs (not only data centers)
• Restaurants, entertainment, outdoor retailers
• High paying jobs
• Diversity in employment
• Medical technology
Business Recruitment
• The City is Development Ready Communities (DRC) certified, and has been through the RFIs, Site
Selection and incentives training sessions with EDCUtah’s Business Development team
• Be proactive – go to the businesses you want to recruit; they typically do not come to you
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
• Tech subsectors are in play for Eagle Mountain, as well as health care, defense, and financial
industries
• Some mixed use and retail will benefit the City as it continues to grow
• Hospitality is probably the easiest sector of retail for the City to pursue
• Manufacturing companies with low to moderate water use
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
Appendix D – Development Counsellors International 2020 Winning Strategies
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
Appendix E – Merchant Void Analysis
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Eagle Mountain City, Utah | Economic Development Master Plan
Zions Public Finance, Inc. | March 2023
Appendix F – Retail Tenant Lists
