August 14 Board Meeting Highlights

Written By Matthew Lusty

This is an unofficial summary of the Board Meeting produced by MIDA Communications staff. Minutes will be posted to the Utah Public Notice website once they are approved.

Board members present at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley: Adams, McMillan, Shepherd, Harter, Stevenson (in room); Froerer, Ostermiller (online); and Ryan Starks (non-voting member, online.)

At the Aug. 14 MIDA Board meeting, MIDA CFO Paula Eldredge was honored with the GFOA Recognition for Outstanding Public Service Award. The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), founded in 1906, represents public finance officials throughout the United States and Canada. The association’s more than 20,000 members are federal, state/provincial, and local finance officials deeply involved in planning, financing, and implementing thousands of governmental operations in each of their jurisdictions. GFOA’s mission is to advance excellence in public finance. GFOA Recognition for Outstanding Public Service honors individual GFOA members for their dedication to the profession, their colleagues, their organizations, and their communities. The work of finance professionals is critical to government’s ability to serve, yet it often happens behind the scenes. Eldredge is one of 53 recipients of the 2025 award, and the only recipient from Utah. Chairman Adams acknowledged that Eldredge and MIDA have “taken us from a startup to a significant part of the Utah economy.”

BOARD ACTION

  • Unanimous Approval of meeting minutes from the June 24, 2025 MIDA board meeting.

  • Unanimous Approval of Resolution 2025-12 Adopting the Military Recreation Facility Project Area Plan Part 9 and Directing the Publication of a Notice of its Approval in a Newspaper of General Circulation as Provided by Law.

    • Executive Director Paul Morris explained that the new property coming into the MRF Project Area has the consent of Wasatch County and the local landowner. A master planning process will now get underway.

    • Unanimous Approval of Resolution 2025-13 Approving the MIDA Mountain Village PID Boundary Adjustment.

      • Properties coming in were acquired by UDOT; MIDA turned over to Extell.

  • Unanimous Approval of Resolution 2025-14 Approving Interlocal Cooperation Agreement with MIDA Mountain Village PID and MIDA.

  • Unanimous Approval of Resolution 2025-15 Amending MIDA Military Recreation Facility Project Area Standards and Guidelines.

    • MIDA counsel Richard Catten explained that this is a small amendment to add certain small lot single family dwellings to the list of permitted uses.

  • Unanimous Approval of Resolution 2025-16 Authorizing the Executive Director to Enter Into a Loan Agreement to Obtain Funding from an Energy Fund Created by the State of Utah to Perform Site Work Pursuant to a Ground Lease and Sublease Entered Into Regarding an Energy Project at Camp Williams.

    • Morris reminded the board that MIDA recently entered into a ground lease with the Armory Board – an up to 40-year lease with two 40-year extensions.

    • Of up to 750 acres identified at Camp Williams, 400 of which Utah Energy is exploring for potential energy projects.

    • A RFP (Oct. 1 deadline) has been sent to excavation companies in Utah to make the first 50 acres flat and buildable. It is believed that the excavated gravel could be revenue-generating.

    • Next step, explained Morris, is finalizing a sub-lease with Utah Energy. MIDA is working alongside the State of Utah to explore energy solutions that meet national security goals and military mission, and in so doing, is currently exploring a manufacturing project (an enrichment facility is a potential future project) with Utah Energy. MIDA has spent considerable time understanding safe operations, as well as how this project will support the Utah National Guard in developing several large-scale capital projects that assist in their military readiness that would otherwise be unattainable.

    • The sub-lease allows three years to determine where everything goes, starting with manufacturing. MIDA will cover the costs via a loan to prepare the site and will be paid back after issuing a bond in the future.

    • Morris also explained that MIDA is confident that if Utah Energy decides not to build, other projects and private sector parties are interested in the site.

    • Morris added that a manufacturing project will be very positive for tax generation (site currently producing zero dollars.)

    • In expressing his support for pursuing energy opportunities, Chairman Adams noted that the arms race has changed. “AI will change the world. Military will be AI-driven. If we don’t lead, the world, someone else will,” Adams stated.

PROJECT AREA UPDATES

Falcon Hill

SRDP’s Jason Przybyla provided several updates including a significant focus on infrastructure.

  • 550 acres of development

  • 1.3M SF of completed construction (100% leased), 114 room hotel

  • Completed 30k SF GSA buildout in QUAD

  • Under construction:

    • SDL #13 & #14 inside fence flex buildings 55k SF

    • 1800 N Interchange (UDOT)

    • DRMO Demolition (IGSA/MIDA)

    • Quad Area – Amenity Plaza

Planning / Design Stages:

  • 1800 N Interchange (UDOT)

  • DRMO Demolition (IGSA/MIDA)

  • Quad Area – Amenity Plaza

  • Planning/Design Stages:

    • 1800 N Gate Entrance

    • Building 1573

  • South End – frontage road

    • Grant submitted with Davis County

    • North end planning, completed new Roy Gate

  • 1800 N – West Side

  • 3 Gate trail

  • RFP for building 1573 (first AF replacement building)

  • 5600 S Interchange

  • 1800 N Interchange

  • UDOT Land Exchange

  • 3-Gate Trail

  • Pedestrian Bridge

  • South End Infrastructure

  • New frontage road

Military Recreation Facility

Extell’s Kurt Krieg provided a village construction update, including the completion of the 319-Connector Road, employee parking, the Canopy by Hilton and the Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences.

Deer Valley Resort President & COO Todd Bennett, above, walks MIDA board members through a model of Deer Valley East Village currently under construction. Bennett went on to provide a mountain construction update that when completed, will more than double the terrain at the resort. More than 1,000 community members attended a lift tower placement event recently.

Morris followed Bennett’s comments by thanking the resort for providing a significantly reduced day ski pass (last season and again this coming winter) for eligible service members staying at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley as part of the Salute to Service program that also offers significantly reduced hotel rates.

Skyridge’s Tyler Aldous provided a homebuilding activity update.

The lodge, pictured below, is seeing great progress.

On Aug. 9, a golf preview event with MIDA staff and Hill Air Force Base representatives took place. Two of the four facilities among the Golf & Equestrian centers are completed.

Mountain Veterans Program

Sundance Resort partner, Bill Jensen, said the Sundance Inn, that will serve families participating in the MVP non-profit program for wounded veterans, is on budget and at 75% completion. It is expected to be open between December 2025 and February 2026. The search for an executive director for the new non-profit is under way with winter programming expected to commence in February 2026.

Utah National Guard

MIDA Deputy Director Ariana Farber reported that, in addition to the previous action within the overall project area . Has visited each site and ideas coming to fruition.  

Matthew Lusty
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