The Point Announces Phase I Partner
The Point of the Mountain State Land Authority has selected as its Phase I development partner Lincoln Property Company, a large and diversified real estate development company founded in 1965 with headquarters in Dallas and regional offices throughout the US. Two local companies are joining Lincoln to execute phase I of The Point development: Colmena Group founded in 2008 in Salt Lake City, and Wadsworth Development Group founded in 2006 and based in Draper, Utah. The announcement comes after a competitive selection process to identify a partner with experience building large-scale, sustainable communities.
“Through a rigorous, months-long competitive process that engaged qualified firms from across the country, Lincoln-Colmena-Wadsworth rose to the top as a partner who will build Utahns’ vision for the site,” said Alan Matheson, The Point executive director. “Their extensive experience, technical expertise, and passion for The Point uniquely positions them to support development that will directly improve Utahns’ quality of life for decades to come.”
On December 15, 2021, the Land Authority issued a Request for Qualifications and Request for Proposals for a mixed use (residential, institutional, office, R&D and entertainment/recreation) 600 acre campus with specific criteria (all daily needs must be found within a 15 minutes walk, a footbridge crossing I-15 from the Jordan River to the mountainside east of the freeway, generous public parks, civic spaces, bike and pedestrian paths).
A dozen firms initially submitted responses.
In March 2022, The Point’s selection committee narrowed the field to three outstanding finalists: Catellus Development Corporation, Boyer-Gardner, and Lincoln-Colmena-Wadsworth. The finalists were asked to demonstrate how their proposed approach for the first phase of development at The Point would align with the following Key Vision Elements established through years of public feedback:
- Community- Create an iconic, vibrant, mixed-use community
- Transit- Serve the site with a high-quality, multimodal transportation system
- Economic Opportunity- Promote enduring statewide economic opportunity
- Innovation- Catalyze cutting-edge research, creativity and ingenuity
- Sustainability- Improve air quality, reduce water and resource use
- Collaboration- Work closely with the public to implement Utahns’ vision for The Point
Lincoln-Colmena-Wadsworth aligned most closely with the above Key Vision Elements and therefore was selected. Abbey Ehman, vice president with Lincoln Property Company's Los Angeles office, graduate of the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, and spokesperson for the collective team says, “The Point represents the single largest development site in the country in recent years. Lincoln and our partners are honored that the Land Authority has chosen our team to deliver an innovative, community-centric development that leverages sustainable, transit-oriented solutions and celebrates the area’s natural beauty and wealth of outdoor opportunities. We are committed to Utah for the long-term and look forward to strengthening our relationships in the community.”
“We are truly grateful to have a team of national and local experts who will help us develop the site ‘The Utah Way,’” said Utah State Representative Lowry Snow, co-chair of the Land Authority. “This land is owned by all Utahns, so we look forward to working with the public and our development partner to ensure The Point’s unique heritage and promising future are well represented in everything we do.”
In addition to their alignment with The Point’s Key Vision Elements, Lincoln-Colmena-Wadsworth has shown a commitment to engage with Utahns throughout the process.
For example, Utahns may provide input on an iconic feature, or multiple features, for the site. Called “The Focal Point,” the survey is available at bit.ly/focalpointsurvey and will be open until August 31, 2022. Results of the survey will be used to help inform the design contest for an iconic feature such as a landscape art, sculpture, an architectural structure, a water feature, or digital art, such as "The Bean" in Chicago or "The Spiral Jetty" on the shoreline of the north Great Salt Lake.
TechBuzz will provide updates on the design contest in the coming months. In addition, today's partner announcement that took place at the State Capitol will be posted on The Point's YouTube Channel in the coming days.
