Diverse Infrastructure and Conservation Efforts Highlight Utah Water Resources

Recent projects highlight Utah’s push to better utilize water as experts in water resources share in cautious optimism.
By Taylor Larsen

So far in 2023, Utah’s water situation has been auspicious. It has been a wet season not seen in the state in well over a decade.

It has those involved in water infrastructure—from water conservancy districts and contractors and engineers to wastewater treatment engineers—excited about the possibilities in Utah to reverse the recent trends in water use. 

As water resource administrators keep a steady rhythm on an important note—water conservation—three projects from around the state highlight decades of effort to improve water infrastructure.

Rebuilding Old Tech

One of the recent projects is the Strawberry Water Users Association (SWUA) Forebay Structure rehabilitation and reconstruction of the previous 100-year-old forebay structure.

According to water engineering experts and project designers at Franson Civil Engineers, its functionality and footprint will be nearly identical while still improving technology and processes.

As Eric Franson, President of Franson Civil Engineers explained, “The structure was working, so we weren’t reinventing the wheel.” 

But you can make the (water) wheel better.

After completing the design, water was pulled out of the canal in the fall of 2022, allowing construction teams access to build the new structure. But construction brought some unique, weather-related challenges. The project’s restrictions limited work strictly to winter months. Bone-chilling winds whipped the WW Clyde construction team as they pumped massive amounts of necessary concrete.

Water from Strawberry Reservoir will pass through the new, more efficient forebay structure to drop off some of its sediment before reaching the hydropower plant turbines and the water’s ultimate destination: Spanish Fork River, serving water shareholders across Utah Valley.

After installing screening components for sediment removal, construction teams installed digital infrastructure like improved SCADA components to improve remote operability.

So far, Franson said that sediment removal capabilities have improved, resulting in cleaner water for both the hydropower turbines and irrigation and more efficient use of the valuable resource.

SWUA Forebay Structure

Owner: Strawberry Water Users Association

Designer: Franson Civil Engineers

General Contractor: WW Clyde

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Out with Old, In with the New


Improving the wheel is one thing, but the new Logan Valley Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility is akin to switching a handcart out for a Cadillac.


Lance Ota, Assistant Project Manager for MHW Contractors, said the new facility replaced the work of approximately 500 acres of open-air lagoons, ponds used to sink wastewater solids. However, the lagoons did not remove nitrogen and phosphorus and would require a treatment facility for the city to meet more stringent EPA laws to protect fish and other aquatic life.


The CMGC delivery method from MHW Contractors brought construction costs down to the campus with value engineering and scope reduction bringing about exactly what Logan City needed. 


One value engineering success came from Malcolm Drilling utilizing auger cast piles instead of steel-driven piles. This, Ota said, saved several million dollars on the project and allowed it to come in at $130 million, millions below the initially planned budget.


MWH Constructors divided the project into four scopes over the three-year construction timeline. Ota explained that 30 contracts were drawn up with different, local participants in mind to complete construction—foundations, masonry, building finishes, equipment, process piping, SCADA systems, and a healthy serving of concrete.


Ralph L. Wadsworth (RLW) Construction was heavily involved in all four scopes as the concrete contractor. RLW representatives said that the intricate nature of water infrastructure construction required smaller, more precise pours for the non-standard shapes the project required. Careful coordination between MHW Constructors, RLW Construction, concrete supplier LeGrand Concrete, and reinforcing suppliers and installers at Champion Fabrication and KG Steel made for a great team that poured and formed 24,000 CY of concrete.


Project completion on the greenfield site came out ahead of schedule to allow the owner to train an entirely new staff to run the facility. What was once a one-man operation has turned into a staff of 15 to better sample, test, and treat the 12-15 MG of wastewater influent from the Logan Valley before effluent cycles back into Cutler Reservoir.

Logan Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility

Owner: Logan City 

Designer: Carollo Engineers

General Contractor: MWH Constructors

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Closing the Loop


Traveling south, Central Valley Water Reclamation Facility (CVWRF) in South Salt Lake has improved its capabilities to manage new EPA guidelines with the 3 Water (3W) Improvement project. The newest building not only helps bring the facility to code but allows the facility to utilize reclaimed water for campus operations, according to Bill Crowley, Project Manager for COP Construction


Wastewater influent from CVWRF’s seven member entities passes through multiple cleaning phases before reaching the 3W Improvement systems. While the overall facility treats 50–60 million gallons of wastewater per day, this building and its systems, Crowley said, constitute the treatment processes able to remove nitrogen.


Water tables from nearby Mill Creek required lots of dewatering to make construction and future operations as safe as possible for the new building, Crowley reported. With 30,000 tons of aggregate and 3,000 CY of concrete, the full structure extends 25ft underground, with a 1-MG tank taking up much of the excavated space. 


Water that enters the 3W Improvement facility passes through one of three state-of-the-art disc filters, producing 7 MG of reclaimed water daily. Treated water then passes through the UV ray system to kill the final bacteria. “It’s like we’re running the water through a tanning bed,” said Crowley. 


As the final treatment, Crowley said sewage has been entirely removed from the water to updated EPA standards. Then, water can discharge as effluent into Mill Creek or, with this project, recirculated via the 15 turbine pumps across the CVWRF campus for cleaning, maintenance, and machine cooling purposes—creating a self-contained system on site.


During golf season, 3W Improvement produces reclaimed water for the nearby golf course, Golf the Round. Sure, the course is next door, but Crowley foresees the benefits of reclaimed water going all over the Beehive State, watering parks, schools, athletic fields, commercial development, and residential landscapes. 


After all, he said, as long as the water is clean, “Grass does not care what water it gets.”

3 Water Improvement Building

Owner: Central Valley Water Reclamation Facility

Designer: Brown and Caldwell 

General Contractor: COP Construct

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New Ways to Water


From watering turf grass to watering the fields and farms that produce our food, Crowley is certainly correct, but efficiency is still the name of the game.


Paul Monroe, General Manager for the Central Iron Conservancy District (CIWCD) saw a decline in per capita use among the around 50,000 users serviced by the CIWCD. The biggest decline, he said, has been in agricultural use.


“Biggest bang for the buck has been helping agriculture conserve water,” he said. While agriculture accounts for over 80% of overall water use statewide, CIWCD took the challenge to bring efficiency to agriculture. The district incentivized a switch from standard center pivot sprinklers to  “LEPA” or Low-Energy Precision Application distribution bubbles to spray water closer to the ground and into the crop canopy.


“Drops aren’t missing out [on the crops] and blowing out to another county,” he said.


After converting 2,000 acres and saving 250-300 MG of water, Monroe is looking forward to converting another 8,000 acres in center pivots to the more efficient system. 


“We’re still in a rural area with lots of agricultural heritage,” Monroe said, “and we’re trying to help farmers get over the edge and implement [these systems].”


Improving yields and using less water—this is the beginning of a huge success for the area in and around Cedar City, with Monroe reporting that CIWCD stands to conserve around 1.5 billion gallons of water per year if the remaining acreage adopts these improved watering methods.


Residential Shift


Down the road in Washington County, Zach Renstrom said it has been a phenomenal year.


“We couldn’t have asked for better,” he said of the long, steady storms that have showered rain on the Beehive State.


And that’s just the weather.


As General Manager for the Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD), Renstrom and his team witnessed a strong push from their community of 180,000 to fully engage in conservation over the last year. He reported a significant decline in overall municipal water use—200 million gallons less than the previous year. 


“People here care about water conservation,” he said. “They want to be good stewards."


One recent push, he said, came from the homebuilding community. Recent restrictions—the most stringent in Utah—prohibit non-functional turf in new commercial, institutional, and industrial builds. Residential lots are restricted to turf covering a maximum of 8% of the overall lot size and a cap of total turf on larger lots.


Yet homebuilders jumped aboard. How? The enticing color of green.


Developers could conserve their dollars via decreased impact fees for projects and residences. But that decrease resulted from a change from much more efficient development, with the new level of service decreasing from 0.89 acre-feet of new residential construction to 0.59 acre-feet in 2022. The cost decrease per connection decreased from what would have been $21,209 to a WCWCD board-approved $13,500 per equivalent residential connection.


But they cautioned that this has been a long, repeated process to bring out such efforts from the development community and water customers.


“These processes haven’t happened overnight,” he said of countless meetings and countless years it takes to see noticeable results—there’s no magic button to get residents and businesses on board with conservation. “This is something that you can’t just propose or do immediately. It is a multi-year process educating multiple people who are interested in conservation.”


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Many Washington County developers and residents have ditched turf for more natural landscapes (photo courtesy Washington County Water Conservancy District), amounting to 200 MG less water used than last year with 5% more people living in the area.

Where is Water Trending?


Sure, those interviewed for this story are a little biased, but all said that water in Utah is looking up.


Franson, the civil engineer, cautioned against pinpointing just one area to tackle. Instead, finding the low-hanging fruit of efficiencies within each industry—landscaping, fixtures, farming equipment and practices—will move the conservation needle.

 

“We can make gains in every aspect and come up with ways to help everyone instead of creating a hierarchy,” he said. Holistically prioritizing what is most needed will help us better navigate the process.


He advocated for understanding the full cost and value of water. While it might bring out the pitchforks at city meetings across the Beehive State, moving forward will help citizens fully grasp the seriousness of the state’s water woes.


Crowley with COP Construction said Utah is starting to recognize the gravity of the situation, but where nearby states like Arizona and Colorado are leading the way in stretching all water as far as possible, Utah sits behind. State leaders have yet to pass laws to utilize reclaimed water on a large scale.


Monroe in Iron County said, “We’ve gotta buckle down and focus for an uncertain future.” Along with creating better partnerships between users and water suppliers, Monroe said the A/E/C community needs to be involved in making water development decisions—especially with how infrastructure takes years, even decades, to go from initial idea to finished construction. 


Case in point: his district’s plan to develop water for the district via the Pine Valley Water Supply Project (PVWSP). While initial planning began in 2006, Monroe reported that construction for the PVWSP will begin, at its earliest, in 2028. 


Amidst that caution, Renstrom in Washington County felt like both his area and the state as a whole are trending in the right direction, even if it has taken some refocusing.


“Historically, we’ve understood the importance of water,” he said of the monumental undertakings to organize water resources in the 19th and 20th centuries. “We got complacent, but we’re waking up.”


Water-related bills in the legislature, public meetings surrounding water resources, and even joining with neighbors to say, “How about the drought?”


“It’s a great discussion we are having right now,” said Zach. These discussions must continue, at every level, especially encouraging elected officials and residents to prioritize water as drought issues are sure to resurface.


The real attention, he said, will come from making a difference financially—incentives, grants, budgets, or, as Franson mentioned earlier, realizing the true cost of water and allocating resources accordingly. “We have to spend the money to make these decisions,” said Renstrom.


Hard decisions are waiting to be made, but the time to act is quickly drying up.

Economists Remain Optimistic about Utah

By Milt Harrison • February 28, 2025
Despite some minor economic headwinds, Utah is poised for another solid, if semi-unspectacular, year of construction and real estate development, according to top economists locally and nationally. Indeed, 2025 is shaping up to be much like 2024, a year where firms across the A/E/C spectrum completed dozens of life-enhancing, community-uplifting projects across every major building sector—in other words, a lot of projects were built outside of the still churning multi-family market. These firms thrived for the most part, posting positive revenue growth and maintaining momentum in the face of the usual challenges of shallow labor pools and volatile material costs. Utah continues to rank among the top states nationally on key economic drivers such as population growth, construction employment, a pro-business climate, and a legislative body that continues to be bullish on funding higher education and transportation projects. Prospects are good with a can-do mentality among developers, municipalities, and the firms designing and building the jobs. "Utah will continue to have above average growth and is in great position to continue its great track record with a growing population, and a strong economy and construction market," said Ken Simonson, Chief Economist for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGCA) in Washington, D.C. "Utah has been on a steady, strong upward path with 27% growth in construction employment—three times the national average of 9%—since 2020." Simonson said Utah's construction employment growth doubled last year, up 6%, which is twice the U.S. average. Growth would be even stronger, he added, if contractors could find workers, particularly skilled tradesmen. Simonson said a survey of 1,500 firms nationally stated 94% had openings for craft workers. "It's hard to fill (skilled) positions, more difficult than last year," he added. Utah's consistent population growth—the Beehive State ranked fourth according to the U.S. Census from 2023-24 with 1.8% growth (3.44 million to 3.50 million)—is a driver of demand for so many types of construction, as well as a course of construction labor. Simonson said the state has been more welcoming of immigrants, an important source of labor for contractors across the board. Utahns also have a reputation for being well-educated coupled with a strong work ethic and drive to succeed, making the state an attractive place for new businesses looking to expand. Developers Waiting Out Interest Rates; Hope for a Drop in '25 The Fed kept interest rates where they are in January—a decision not popular with many real estate developers simply itching to invest capital and have projects waiting to cut loose the minute rates become more favorable. That pent-up demand could heat up the market if rates drop by even half a point, particularly in the multi-family arena. Simonson said multi-family was down nationally 8% from September 2023-24, with Utah seeing an equivalent slowdown, despite a huge amount of inventory that hit the market in 2024, including attractive high-end downtown properties like Camber, The Worthington, and Astra Tower, and many others along the greater Wasatch Front. "Reductions in the [Fed]’s short-term interest rate target will make financing a bit less expensive but developers still can't get loans or want to proceed if rents aren't high enough to cover the financing and construction costs, including time to complete if there are extended delivery times for electrical equipment such as transformers and switchgear," Simonson added. "Utah isn't immune from these challenges, but if the underlying population growth will be supportive of rent increases, that may bring back multi-family construction sooner than in areas that aren't growing as fast, or at all." Spendlove Keynote at 2025 NAIOP Symposium Senior Economist for Zions Bank, Robert Spendlove, said Utah is well-positioned to maintain solid economic activity, with factors of low unemployment (hovering around 4%), solid wage growth (3.9% in December), and more than a quarter million jobs added at the end of last year. "Utah had unexpected, continued strength in the labor market," said Spendlove at NAIOP Utah's 2025 Symposium in January. "If we could pause the economy and stay where we're at now, we'd be in a perfect position." Consumer inflation, he said, remains sticky at nearly 3%, with the Fed targeting 2% before they can lower interest rates. "Until it's at 2%, they can't claim victory," he said. Overall, consumer prices are up a whopping 22% since 2020. "It's a struggle for people—those prices are never going back down. Inflation is just adding to those price increases. [Fed Chair Jerome] Powell said they will not make the same mistake as the 70s; they will not cut rates until inflation is down." In addition to strong 1.65% [WHAT TYPE OF] growth and 1.8% employment growth, Utah rebounded quickly from the pandemic. "That shows the strength of Utah's economy and labor market," said Spendlove. He added that Utah's GDP was up 4.6%, indicating the strongest economic growth in the U.S., with consumer sentiment improving and greater small business optimism. Utah Maintains Steady Growth, Says Eskic The Beehive State's remarkably consistent and steady growth remains a major reason why its economic outlook remains rosy, said Dejan Eskic, Senior Research Fellow at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah. "Utah's population growth has never dropped below zero since 1950—we're still increasing with net migration," said Eskic at an event hosted by the Intermountain Chapter of the American Concrete Institute in January, with growth slowing by only .08 to 1.65% "There is so much demand in our economy that even in a down year for housing, construction employment is up 6.2%," he said. "The American household, on average, has never looked better on paper when looking at financial stability," with 70% of household debt tied to mortgages. Living in Utah is still expensive, even though the state is now listed as the 10th most expensive state to live in, down from 8th. "It doesn't mean Utah is more affordable, other states are just more expensive." The housing crisis will remain among the biggest challenges, both with affordable housing and overall number of units that need to be built. Governor Spencer Cox has made his intentions known that communities need to prioritize ways to address all housing issues, with a desire to see tens of thousands of single family homes built in the next decade. Way easier said than done, simply because developers cannot be expected to be altruistic when market conditions are competitive and profit margins potentially volatile and risky. He expects rents to increase once absorption is reached. Other items of note: —Consumer Price Index dipped to 2.6%, where it is expected to stay. —Expect growth in wages and employment. —Commercial construction will be primarily flat, similar to the last two years. —Office is flat, medical and industrial markets will continue to grow; industrial may be dictated by international trade. —Utah expects to add 500,000 people in the next decade, and will need a jaw-dropping 275,000 more housing units in that time, primarily along the Wasatch Front. "We need to change the dialogue if we're going to solve the housing crisis," said Eskic. "Currently, 92% of renters are priced out of the market. Construction must be optimized."

Waterworks in the Wilderness

By Taylor Larsen • February 28, 2025
July 23rd, 1847 was a pivotal day for the pioneers. Records from the time detailed how the advance party trekking into the Salt Lake Valley built a dam to convey water from City Creek to freshly plowed land. Years later, the city hired civil and hydraulic engineer Herman Schussler to design a system to bring water through laminated wood pipes to 20,000 Salt Lake City residents while preparing for future growth. Schussler said, in a presentation to Brigham Young in 1872, “I propose to construct the pipe system of the City of such dimensions as to be capable of supplying five million gallons per diem.” While those original pipes couldn’t make it to year two, the design was in place for cast iron pipes to go in their place in 1876. The 37 carloads of cast iron pipe, plumbing tools, water gates, and more came from multiple suppliers from eastern US industrial hubs of St. Louis, Boston, and Louisville, KY. Those collaborative efforts brought modern waterworks “in our lovely Deseret,” collecting water from 19.2 square miles of watershed that feeds the 14.5-mile-long City Creek stream. Modernity Fast forward nearly 150 years, past chlorination that arrived in the 1920s, past the first water treatment facility constructed in Utah, the City Creek Water Treatment Plant in 1953, past filter installation in 1966, and past the canyon reopening for recreational use in 1975—Salt Lake City needed a new treatment facility to keep clean water flowing. The Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities (SLCDPU) partnered with engineering firm Brown and Caldwell in design in 2018 to envision and engineer something new to ensure resiliency and reliable water service to its customers. While the plant escaped any critical damage in the March 2020 earthquake, it was a reminder of the urgent need to create a new facility. Design and construction would work around a coterie of barriers and challenges—keeping operations ongoing while building on a challenging site three miles into the wilderness—to produce the future of water treatment for Salt Lake City.

AGC of Utah 2025 Convention

By • February 28, 2025
The Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Utah successfully hosted its 103rd Annual Convention January 23-24 at Little America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake, a popular event that brought together A/E/C industry leaders, professionals, and stakeholders for two days of celebration, education, and networking. The convention highlights the outstanding achievements of Utah's construction industry and provides valuable insights into emerging trends shaping the economically impactful sector, along with the announcement of new chapter leaders and board members for the 2025 season. Brett Nielsen, President of Brigham City-based Whitaker Construction, who has served on the AGC of Utah board since 2017, most recently as National Governor, was installed as 2025 Chairman, taking over the reins of the venerable association from Slade Opheikens, President of Ogden-based R&O Construction. In addition, Nielsen is in line to become the first Utahn to serve as AGC of America President in 2030. "What an honor to be standing here, to be in front of a group of people I have the utmost respect for," said Nielsen at Friday night's Installation Banquet. "It's still surreal to me to be here and know that I'm getting the opportunity to work with a group of people that I'm so passionate about. This chapter is truly one of the finest chapters in all of America." Nielsen started as a Laborer at Whitaker Construction in 1992, gradually climbing the company ladder until taking over in 2021 as President of the powerhouse municipal/utility contractor, the first non-Whitaker to lead the firm. The firm cracked the $288 million mark in 2024 in annual revenues, a notable increase from $109 million in 2018. Nielsen's introduction to the AGC was unassuming, attending the packed annual summer golf tournament and then his first convention in the late '90s. "I saw it as more a networking opportunity, primarily with other Whitaker employees, vendors, and occasionally competitors," he said. His eyes were opened to AGC's real value when the chapter hosted a Young Constructors Forum in 2000, which is the predecessor to the Construction Leadership Committee (CLC). "I remember meeting other young contractors from throughout the country, and discussing the nuances of our markets, type of interstate pavements [this is when the original I-15 was constructed pre-Olympics], margins to the segment of construction, etc." he recalled. "I vividly remember a general contractor telling me their margin and how low it was compared to our underground utility segment, and I for the life of me couldn’t understand why a contractor would subject themselves to such headaches for such a low margin." In 2013, Nielsen became Chair of the Utility Infrastructure Committee for the Utah chapter and attended an AGC of America (AGCA) meeting in Phoenix later that year related to highway and utility contractor issues, something he called "an eye-opening experience." It was held at the posh Biltmore Resort and didn't know anybody. At the opening reception, he was standing alone when several individuals—including Toby Crow, AGC of South Dakota Chapter Executive, and his wife Liz—approached him to strike up conversation. They in turn introduced Nielsen to Scott Berry, who at the time was Director of AGC's National Utility Infrastructure Division, which led to dinner with long-time AGC CEO Steve Sandherr and several other AGC of America staff, along with fellow contractor members. "The rest is history," said Nielsen, who has been a member of the AGC of America Utility Infrastructure Division since then, including a stint from 2018-2020 on the AGCA Board. "I'm a relationship guy. They are important to me, and AGC provides the platform for me to collaborate with like-minded individuals to work on being informed, educating, and ultimately protecting not only our company the livelihoods of our employee-owners, but our industry. The benefits that AGC brings are real and measurable. AGC members are the 'Voice of the Construction Industry' both on the hill here in Utah, as well as in Washington, D.C. The issues that face our industry are complex, and those who want to exploit regulation, slow growth, and leverage legislative change to benefit their personal or industry interests cannot be overstated. We as contractors need a collective voice and for the Construction Industry, that voice is the AGC." Nielsen talked about the unique relationship that forms between AGC member firms, and how they work together for the good of the entire industry, despite competing against each other weekly to land new projects. "It makes me proud for what we accomplish here within this state," he said. "We come together, we solve tough problems related to our industry and we compete fiercely against one another." He mentioned competing that week head-to-head with Orem-based W.W. Clyde & Co., led by its President, Dustin Olson, on two sizable projects. Each team won a job, and subsequently lost a job. Said Nielsen: "I reached out to Dustin and congratulated him and told him it was a hell of a bid—he congratulated me as well [...] and followed up with the statement: 'If I'm going to lose to a contractor, I want it to be someone like you'. Many of us do that day-in and day-out. To be a part of a group that can accomplish what we accomplish, and then to turn around and be able to come to an event like this and celebrate all our hard work, is something that is astonishing to me." Nielsen said recruiting and retaining new skilled talent for the industry will be one of his top priorities this year and encouraged AGC firms to get involved with the Construction Leadership Committee (CLC). "I'm passionate about the future of people in our industry," he said. "I realize we're not the young spring chickens that we once were. It's our duty that we are setting the stage and making sure we're prepared to continue what we do. We all have great people who have gotten us where we're at today—we want to make sure we're bringing [new people] along." Nielsen closed his remarks by thanking his immediate family, including wife Hilary, daughter Emery, his mother, Shirley Harding, and mother-in-law, Ginny Butikofer, in addition to the Whitaker family and fellow co-workers.

One for the Ages

By Brad Fullmer • February 28, 2025
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At Home in the Mountain Modern

By Taylor Larsen • February 28, 2025
Salt Lake City finally has the modern take on mountain living it has needed with Camber, the 422-unit multifamily project developed by Endeavor Real Estate Group, designed by Texas-based GFF Architects and built by Murray’s very own Zwick Construction. Camber’s neighborhood environment extends inside and out, bringing comfort on multiple levels. The commitment from the project team to lead on the multifamily front resulted in community over commodity with a luxury, mountain modern example of an apartment community.

Towering Construction Adds to Glistening Skyline

By Taylor Larsen • February 28, 2025
Glittering in copper metal cladding and reflective glass, and towering in the capital city skyline, is The Worthington. Developed by Chicago-based Convexity and designed by SCB’s Chicago office, the Worthington stands tall and cracks the top 10 tallest structures in Utah. Ownership Marks the Spot But long before residents took a dip in The Worthington’s 12th-floor pool, Convexity saw an opportunity with both site and market, said Jessica Minton, the developer’s Senior Vice President. A high-rise on the eastern edge of downtown could offer spectacular views from above and afford residents walkability through the city below. Research from the firm included tours around the city to see what the market had in place, but crucially what it wanted. “Luxury high-rises are our niche. We knew we were capable of delivering a product that was successful in other markets,” said Minton. “And we knew it would succeed in Salt Lake City.” Construction was a joint partnership between Sandy-based Layton Construction, who helped to bring the local know-how, and Chicago-based high-rise building experts W.E O’Neill. The luxury amenities and high-quality residential finishes came from a project that looked toward accountability and collaboration in construction to take Worthington all the way up. Safety for Tenants, Public, and Builders Phased delivery, a newer process for Salt Lake City in high-rise construction, was an essential part of Convexity’s plans to bring the project to market. Minton praised the collaboration between Salt Lake City officials and the project team for “a smooth transition to get us to market.” “There’s a liability and a risk involved from the city to sign off on life safety measures while construction is ongoing,” she said. "It was a fully vetted and well-thought-out process from all of us—developer, city, and contractor— no party took this lightly." Phased delivery dictated that construction would turn over the first 16 floors for occupancy before moving on up to finish the rest. Rick Millward, Project Manager for Layton Construction, thanked Salt Lake City for being as forward-focused as the project team to ensure a high-quality building, namely helping to fine-tune solutions provided by the project team. He said the construction team was up to the challenge on multiple fronts to be a good neighbor and partner as they built. The give-and-take was brilliant as construction installed fire sprinkler systems throughout the structure instead of just completed residential floors, limited road closures to late night hours, and shifted pedestrians to a new walkway—simultaneously meeting city and construction goals. Millward said the team created a buffer zone of three completed floors as construction finished on floors 1-20 to keep construction noise from reaching the floors below. “You have to have residents come in and expect not to have to care about us at all,” said Millward. Minton added that the construction team’s commitment to an ironclad logistics plan created dedicated entrances and exits for workers and residents. “It needed to be a fully coordinated, daily effort,” she said. After all, “Residents aren’t moving into a construction site. There is no margin for error when people live there.” They went so far as to perform “concierge” duties to ensure residents only accessed specific elevators programmed to keep people from accidentally stumbling into active construction. Coordination between construction teams and apartment staff was seamless, actively informing residents 48 hours in advance on water and power shutoffs to keep people comfortable and in the know. With a busy street below, coordination kept pedestrians worry-free as they passed by. A covered and reinforced canopy sidewalk went in along 300 South, as Millward said, for the construction team to take full ownership of safety. Being a good neighbor paid off in more ways than one. Millward said Kathie Chadbourne, who runs From the Ground Up nearby, served coffee to the concrete truck drivers who worked through the night during the 13-hour foundation pour. Her work added to the buzz on site as the construction crew placed 3,600 yards of concrete foundation for the main structure. Three pump trucks took concrete from a cycling set of six trucks delivering slurry from “all of Geneva [Rock’s] concrete plants in the area” to help pour through the night. Millward says The Worthington isn’t going anywhere, especially with a super-stable matte footing that dips between 18 and 24 feet below street level.

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Dynamic Electrical

By Taylor Larsen • November 1, 2024
Electrical contracting is competitive as hell. With a plethora of mega projects upcoming, a bidding war for the best electricians and estimators, and even a race to secure the energy to power Utah buildings, the competition at every level seems to grow more intense with each passing year. How can electrical contractors respond to upcoming trends and win work in the Beehive State? It Starts with Labor Ken Hoffman, Preconstruction Manager at Ludvik Electric, said that the competition for labor has been particularly fierce since he and his team began working on the New SLC International Airport some years ago. Competing for great people has always been the case, but the influx of high-level projects over the last decade, he recalled, “pulled everyone up” with drastic increases in wages that helped electricians bring more money home and brought in a cadre of workers from out of state to push jobs past the finish line. There is additional work to be done to bring in the next generation of fieldworkers to help build the state’s future, specifically the financial incentive to enter into a demanding, sometimes dangerous field. Contracting tech company ServiceTitan reports that salaries for entry-level electricians have risen 9.14% since the beginning of 2023, but is it enough? No, and it is hampering project execution. At a recent Urban Land Institute (ULI) Trends Conference, Hunt Electric CEO and President Troy Gregory offered a sobering statistic: currently, for every electrician who enters the trade, three electricians depart. Nathan Goodrich, Division Manager of Helix Electric, said that the industry needs to find solutions fast, as competing for the same people in a wage-based arms race is unsustainable. “We have to promote the trades as people are coming through high school,” he said. Exposure through industry days and other presentations is one way while granting release time for high school student workers was another that Goodrich mentioned as two ways to bring in the next generation of electrical contractors. Gregory agreed, saying that Hunt Electric and other industry groups have become much more involved at the high school level by showcasing and giving interested students career opportunities. He and his team have had success working on pre-apprenticeship that gives the most eager hands-on experience in prefabrication, an area that only grows in importance for contractors. “We’re getting them in a better position to be more productive on a job site on day one,” said Gregory.

Youthful Impact

By Taylor Larsen • November 1, 2024
Editor's note: UC+D's annual look at age 40 & Under A/E/C professionals includes individuals from a wide range of market segments including a general contractor VP, an interior designer, a rising UDOT director, a steel industry entrepreneur, an equipment dealer owner, and an electrical contractor safety/HR executive. Each holds a key position at their respective firm and has proven their skill and capability along their unique career paths.

Scintillating Sustainability

By Bradley Fullmer • November 1, 2024
Architect Brian Backe was succinct when he stated, "when I try to describe the Climate Innovation Center, one of the phrases is 'big things comes in small packages'." His words couldn't be more profound. An ambitious adaptive reuse project that is generating significant buzz in the sustainable building arena locally, Utah Clean Energy's new Climate Innovation Center (CIC) is the transformation of a modest, nearly 70-year-old, 3,000 SF single-level commercial structure into a state-of-the-art, two-story, zero-energy building that will serve as UCE's home for the next half century. "Within a 3,000 square foot footprint it has urban infill, is an adaptive reuse site, Net-Zero, combustion-free, hybrid mass timber structure—we really packed in a lot," said Backe, Principal-in-Charge for Blalock & Partners, who worked closely with Salt Lake-based Okland Construction to ensure optimum sustainability throughout the construction process. The $5.4 million, 5,260 SF project officially opened in June to much pomp and circumstance, and rightfully so. The center showcases the potential of what homes and buildings can be—spaces that are not only comfortable and inviting, but also produce zero pollution. The building will offer a space dedicated to learning, exploration and collaboration centered on climate solutions and improving local air quality, and a place for the community to engage and create solutions to the challenges we face. The project is a testament to CEO/Founder Sarah Wright and her team at Utah Clean Energy, and their commitment to increasing awareness of environmental sustainability. Their new home makes a bold, walk-the-walk statement about the importance of renewable energy in the built world. "There needs to be an education and understanding that renewables (solar, wind, hydro, geo-thermal) are our cheapest resources," said Wright, a Chicago-native whose diverse background includes work in geology, environmental consulting, air quality, and occupational health. She founded UCE, a mission-driven non-profit, in 2001 and is thrilled to see the CIC finally come to fruition after years of planning. The project, she said, embodies UCE's dedication to transforming Utah's built environment to be zero energy and emission-free, while helping the community reimagine the places we live and work. "This is a living laboratory and teaching tool for the public and the business community, demonstrating the tremendous role that buildings have in solving climate change," said Wright. "Everyone that's been here loves it and other owners say they are inspired by it." Kevin Emerson, Director of Building Decarbonization and an 18-year UCE veteran, said the project became a necessity in recent years as UCE's staff swelled to 15 people. "We've had a dream to really 'walk to talk' through our office headquarters and (CIC) is the result of that dream coming to fruition," said Emerson. "It is more than just office space—it's meant to be a showcase and teaching tool for the construction and design industry." "There is nothing more sustainable than reusing our existing buildings and breathing a new 50-year-life into a structure than was slated for demolition," said Backe, adding that construction crews seismically braced the primary existing CMU block wall, in addition to reusing over 65 tons of CMU and 50 tons of concrete.
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