Gary Barnett is the CEO of Extell, the development company building East Village. He visited Utah to see the latest progress on resort construction and meet with the board of MIDA, the state agency approving its development plans.
That’s the Military Installation Development Authority, an agency originally founded to serve the military. MIDA is overseeing massive economic development projects in Wasatch County, including East Village.
Some locals have criticized the structure of MIDA, since it’s making some of the largest development decisions in the state and levying taxes without accountability to voters. MIDA board members are appointed, not elected.
MIDA leaders, meanwhile, say they’re helping the county’s economy and supporting the military.
Within the Wasatch County developments, MIDA has publicized the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley, plus forthcoming golf and equestrian facilities in the SkyRidge development, as fulfilling its stated mission. Some veterans, but not all, are eligible for hotel discounts. Any corresponding ski benefits haven’t been announced, and the “meaningful discounts” at SkyRidge are so far unspecified.
Meanwhile, construction continues. Barnett said at least 80% of the road and sewer infrastructure for East Village is complete, and excavation is in progress for skier services facilities. He said the newly approved $390 million in bonds are essential to finish construction faster.
“It’s critically important for us to accelerate the development there, so that we have a true resort flavor, a true village,” he said. “We don’t want people to say, ‘Oh yeah, we went there, but there’s no place to eat dinner. We can’t get to the ski slopes. It’s a construction zone the whole time.’”
Once hotels, retail and restaurants are complete, he said East Village will be “a jewel in the crown of Utah.”
“It’s going to be beautiful,” he said. “I think people can see that, but they want to feel that.”
MIDA board chair and Utah Sen. Stuart Adams had similarly superlative things to say about the resort plans.
“I don't think there's any question about it,” he said. “It will be probably the premier resort destination in not [just] the United States, but probably in the world.”
Barnett said MIDA has been “instrumental” in moving the development quickly through approvals and in offering financial support – and nodded to the results of the presidential election.
“Big news, you know – developers are getting elected president again,” he remarked, to laughs from the board. “New York developers, I might say. Now you've got to be nice to me.”
Barnett also thanked Wasatch County councilmember and MIDA board member Steve Farrell for supporting MIDA’s work in the county from the beginning.
Farrell is retiring from both roles at the end of the year. He said he was hesitant to partner with MIDA at first.
“We was a little leery of MIDA and working with them, but as time went by, we’ve gained a real ally, and they proved they can do the job,” he said.
Wasatch County taxing entities get a quarter of the property tax revenue from new MIDA development for the first 40 years of the partnership. MIDA keeps the other 75%.
MIDA leaders anticipate revenue from their Wasatch County projects will soar in the coming years as ski, golf and equestrian amenities open to the public.
Deer Valley is planning to open 300 acres of its new East Village terrain Dec. 18, along with three new lifts.
