Planning commission forwards general plan and zone recommendations for Provo Town Center redevelopment, continues concept plan for further refinement

The Provo City Planning Commission on March 11 voted to forward a positive recommendation to city council for (1) a general plan map amendment from Commercial to Transit‑Oriented Development and (2) a zone map amendment to ITOD for a 23‑acre parcel (Brixton Capital/Peg Development’s Provo Town Center redevelopment). The commission continued (deferred) the concept plan to allow staff and applicant time to address outstanding infrastructure, parking, displacement and affordability issues raised during the hearing.

Staff framed the project as a multi‑phase conversion of an underused indoor mall into an exterior‑oriented mixed‑use center with approximately 1,300 apartments and 83 townhomes in phased podium/wrap buildings, partial demolition of mall spaces, preservation of major anchors (Target, JC Penney, Cinemark), and large public amenity spaces around a central plaza/roundabout. Staff also flagged constraints and concerns: the concept’s near‑term residential parking totals appeared to be below code and could require reductions or additional parking; sewer capacity and some road improvements needed by the concept are not currently in the city CIP and would likely be developer‑funded; and townhome amenity access for owner‑occupants needed clearer guarantees.

Developers said the phased plan responds to market realities and transit proximity and that they are pursuing Housing & Transit Reinvestment Zone (HTRZ) incentives tied to affordable housing commitments. Economic development director Cody Hill explained how an HTRZ works and said it uses incremental tax receipts to reimburse infrastructure; he said the applicant expects to meet statutory affordable‑housing triggers but that detailed models and program numbers will be provided to staff.

Public comment was extensive. Neighbors and local small‑business owners urged preserving the mall’s indoor community spaces (farmers market, maker and gaming spaces) and sought stronger guarantees for displaced mobile‑home residents at Shady Acres. Neighborhood chair Daniel Friend said the community supports reimagining the property but asked that displacement and safety concerns around the proposed roundabout be remedied; one long‑time vendor said many small businesses use the indoor space year‑round and worried about access during winter months.

Commissioners voted to forward favorable recommendations for the general plan and zone changes but asked that council and staff consider separating the Shady Acres/townhome parcel from the ITOD request (e.g., rezoning the parcel to a medium‑density residential zone) or otherwise require stronger, enforceable commitments on relocation assistance, affordable for‑sale housing, parking mitigation, and infrastructure funding arrangements. The commission continued the concept plan to provide time for the applicant to return with clarified parking counts, binding affordable‑housing commitments, a relocation/assistance plan for mobile‑home residents, and more robust pedestrian safety and ADA measures for the plaza/roundabout.

What’s next: The city council will receive the commission’s recommendations on the general plan and zone map amendments; staff and applicants will revisit the concept plan and bring a revised package back to the commission for project‑plan review and to allow incorporation of development‑agreement commitments.