St. George sells property to developer in hopes of creating 'Tech Ridge'

California has its Silicon Valley and Utah has its Silicon Slopes. St. George took steps last week to get in the game, selling property it hopes will become “Tech Ridge.”

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At the St. George City Council meeting, city officials voted unanimously to finalize a purchase agreement with developer Tech Ridge LLC for part of the property at the site of the old city airport on the ridge west of downtown.  The council reviewed conceptual plans for the development of the complex that includes space for buildings housing multiple tech companies surrounded by residential neighborhoods, restaurants and hotels, all flanked by open space for recreation. The concept for Tech Ridge calls for a collaborative environment in which employees can work and play synergistically, regardless of their company affiliation.

The initial sale of land encompasses about 10 acres on the north end of the ridgetop where new facilities will be constructed for Southern Utah-based tech firms busybusy and Printer Logic near the Dixie Technical College complex. Additional phases are projected to be completed over a period of several years, eventually resulting in the sale of the entire 155-acre property.

“As we’re building a tech company down here, we’ve always kind of wondered, ‘What are we going to do to stay here?’” said Isaac Barlow, CEO of busybusy and a managing member of the development group. “To do that, we really have to attract and retain top talent that we have.”

At a price of $160,000 per acre, the city expects the sale of land to bring big returns to the St. George community. Long-term plans include development of an extensive park system with miles of trails around the ridge. Once fully developed, the developer plans to donate the property back to the city, potentially saving taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in open-spave development costs.

“It will be an incredible legacy for our public to go up there and share in the vision and the views, plus the value it has for downtown,” said St. George City Manager Gary Esplin.

City officials think the development has the potential to boost the St. George economy, leading to increased wages and a higher standard of living for the entire community.

“We’re tired of being down here on the bottom end of the pay scale, and that’s where we are right now,” said Esplin. “Wouldn’t it be nice for those Dixie State University folks that are graduating from those programs to have the opportunity to have a high-paying job?”

“This is, I think, the highest and best use (of the property) … to create jobs, and higher-wage jobs,” said St. George Mayor Jon Pike.

Construction on the first phase of the development is expected to begin this summer on the new busybusy and Printer Logic facilities.{/mprestriction}