Steel CountryEra VI · 1946 to 1988New York TimesMay 2, 1946
Sealed bids for the Geneva plant were opened in Washington and ranged from $38.75 million to $222.6 million. The high bid came from Riley Steel Company of Los Angeles, a steel warehousing concern, which offered to pay in yearly installments. Columbia Steel, a U.S. Steel subsidiary, bid $47.5 million. Henry Kaiser did not bid and instead demanded lower debt charges on his own Fontana plant.
- Bids opened May 1, 1946
- Range: $38,750,000 to $222,607,840
- High bid from Riley Steel Company of Los Angeles
- Columbia Steel (U.S. Steel subsidiary) bid $47,500,000
- Kaiser Company did not bid on Geneva or South Chicago
- Utah Governor Herbert B. Maw attended
Read at New York Times ›TimeMay 13, 1946
Time reported on the opening of seven bids for the government owned Geneva plant by the War Assets Administration. The best bid in dollar terms came from Columbia Steel, U.S. Steel's Western subsidiary. U.S. Steel attached a condition that Western rail rates on steel be reduced. The Justice Department still had to approve any sale. Details here come from the search listing because the page could not be opened.
- Seven bids opened by the War Assets Administration
- Columbia Steel bid reported as $47 million for Geneva, including inventory
- Bid conditioned on lower Western rail rates on steel
- Justice Department approval required
Read at Time ›New York TimesMay 24, 1946
The War Assets Administration approved selling the Geneva plant, the government's largest wartime steel plant, to U.S. Steel for $47.5 million. The price covered the iron and coal mines, quarries and inventories as well as the mill. Seven bids had been received. The Justice Department still had to rule on antitrust questions before the deal could close.
- Approved May 23, 1946
- Price $47,500,000
- Includes iron and coal mines, quarries and inventories
- Seven bids received
- Justice Department must act next
“the Government's largest plant for the production of wartime steel”
Read at New York Times ›New York TimesMay 25, 1946
A Salt Lake City dispatch reported that Utah opinion overwhelmingly backed the War Assets Administration's choice of U.S. Steel. State officials, the congressional delegation, mayors, county commissioners, business leaders, CIO and AFL spokesmen, farm leaders and educators all urged Attorney General Tom Clark to approve. Utah AFL president Fullmer H. Latter said U.S. Steel offered the best bid and the only plan to take the government out of the steel business.
- Datelined Salt Lake City, May 24, 1946
- Unanimous support reported from state officials, labor (CIO and AFL), farm and business leaders
- Quotes Dr. J. R. Mahoney of the University of Utah and AFL state president Fullmer H. Latter
- Telegrams sent to Attorney General Tom Clark
“If there were any dissenters they have remained silent.”
Read at New York Times ›New York TimesJune 18, 1946
Attorney General Tom C. Clark approved the sale of the government's Geneva steel plant to U.S. Steel for $47.5 million, about a fourth of what it cost. Clark held that the purchase would not violate the antitrust laws. The Associated Press story framed the sale as a halt to the plant's falling output. This was the final federal approval that completed the June 1946 sale.
- Approved by Attorney General Tom C. Clark, June 17, 1946
- Price $47,500,000
- Plant cost described as $200,000,000
- Clark held the acquisition would not violate antitrust statutes
- Associated Press report
“Attorney General Tom C. Clark approved today the sale of the Government's $200,000,000”
Read at New York Times ›New York TimesJune 22, 1946
The War Assets Administration said it disposed of a record $808 million in surplus property, by original cost, in May 1946. Much of the jump came from the Geneva sale to U.S. Steel, which the agency booked at a reported cost of about $201 million. Plant and site disposals rose from $26 million in April to $301 million in May.
- May 1946 surplus disposals: $808,000,000 in original cost
- Geneva sale counted at a reported cost of about $201,000,000
- Plant and site disposals rose from $26,000,000 (April) to $301,000,000 (May)
Read at New York Times ›New York TimesJune 23, 1946Lawrence E. Davies
From San Francisco, the Times noted how quiet the West was about the sale, compared with a year earlier when the region fought the idea of U.S. Steel owning Geneva. Henry Kaiser's plans for a Western steel empire had not come to pass. U.S. Steel had pledged a $91.1 million Far Western program, and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce endorsed it. Some papers argued the sale meant steel was finally decentralizing from the East.
- Datelined San Francisco, June 22, 1946
- Sale price $47,500,000; plant called the $200,000,000 wartime steel plant
- U.S. Steel planned to spend $91,100,000 on a Far Western program
- Columbia Steel set aside $25,000,000 for its Pittsburg, Calif., plant
Read at New York Times ›TimeJuly 1, 1946
Time reported that U.S. Steel had bought the Geneva Steel plant for $47.5 million and planned further spending in the West. It described the choice the government faced between a private operator with monopoly overtones and smaller firms that would need subsidy, and noted grumbling inside the Justice Department. Details here come from the search listing because the page could not be opened.
- Plant described as the $190 million Geneva Steel plant
- Price $47,500,000
- $25 million planned for Columbia Steel expansion and $18.6 million for Geneva itself
Read at Time ›New York TimesOctober 16, 1946
Geneva Steel Company became the sixteenth major steel basing point in the country, pricing plate at about $53 a ton. The company would absorb a $4 freight difference to reach the West Coast until the Interstate Commerce Commission ruled on a lower rail rate. The story mentions an $18.6 million expansion at Geneva and notes that the Geneva Steel Company had been formed on August 18, 1943. It gives the purchase price as $47,000,000.
- Geneva named the sixteenth major basing point
- Sheared plate at $2.675 per 100 pounds, about $53 a ton
- Freight to the West Coast $12 a ton; Geneva sought $8
- $18,600,000 expansion program at Geneva
- Geneva Steel Company formed August 18, 1943
- Purchase price stated as $47,000,000
Read at New York Times ›New York TimesFebruary 11, 1947
U.S. Steel fired the third of three blast furnaces at the Geneva works. That put blast furnace operations at 100 percent for the first time since the end of the war. The short item marks the mill's return to full iron making under its new owner.
- Third of three blast furnaces fired
- Blast furnace operations at 100 per cent for the first time since the war
“bringing blast furnace operations there to 100 per cent for the first time”
Read at New York Times ›New York TimesMarch 15, 1947
The Interstate Commerce Commission refused to suspend reduced rail rates on steel from Geneva to the Pacific Coast beyond March 31. That let cuts of about 31 percent take effect. Kaiser, Colorado Fuel and Iron and Eastern producers had protested. Lower freight was the condition U.S. Steel had attached to its purchase bid.
- ICC ruling March 14, 1947
- Reductions of about 31 per cent
- Rates suspended March 1 to March 31
- Protests from Kaiser (Fontana), Colorado Fuel and Iron (Minnequa) and Eastern producers
Read at New York Times ›New York TimesMarch 28, 1947
A North American Newspaper Alliance report said a Congressional source had revealed the Anti-Trust Division report that Attorney General Tom Clark set aside when he approved the Geneva sale. A Senate Small Business Committee report criticized Clark and War Assets Administrator Littlejohn over the disposal. The story shows that the sale stayed controversial in Washington nearly a year later.
- Copyright North American Newspaper Alliance, datelined Washington, March 27, 1947
- Anti-Trust Division objection disregarded by Attorney General Tom Clark
- Senate Small Business Committee report criticized Clark and WAA Administrator Littlejohn
Read at New York Times ›New York TimesAugust 19, 1980Wallace Turner
Utah's business and political leaders lined up with U.S. Steel against the Environmental Protection Agency over cleanup at the Geneva Works. The company said cleanup costs could make it impossible to keep running the plant, which employed 5,000. It had agreed to about $78 million of air pollution equipment but was still at odds with the EPA over ammonia in water discharged to Utah Lake. Several thousand people rallied in Provo's Pioneer Park with Governor Scott Matheson, Senators Jake Garn and Orrin Hatch and Representative Gunn McKay.
- Datelined Provo, August 17, 1980
- Geneva Works employed 5,000
- About $78 million in air pollution equipment agreed
- Dispute centered on ammonia discharged into Utah Lake
- Deadline to meet EPA standards: July 1984
- Rally called by the Citizens Coalition to Save Geneva
“Our tests show that the water coming out of our plant is cleaner”
Read at New York Times ›United Press InternationalMarch 21, 1983
A UPI dispatch from March 1983 reported that storms were pouring water into both the Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake. The storms were blamed on an unusual weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean. Both lakes had climbed to their highest levels in years, weeks before the spring runoff. The state had also secured money to protect Interstate 15, which runs along Utah Lake.
- Early March 1983 storms pushed the Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake to their highest levels in years
- Storms attributed to an unusual Pacific weather pattern
- State secured funds to protect Interstate 15 near Utah Lake
Read at United Press International ›United Press InternationalJune 8, 1983
This UPI roundup of the June 1983 Utah floods opened with about 300 people fleeing a mudslide. It also reported that in Provo, street crews and neighborhood volunteers were working around the clock against waves from Utah Lake. The waves threatened eight homes near the lakeshore. The report shows the lake itself, not only the mountain creeks, was flooding Utah Valley that June.
- About 300 people fled a mudslide
- Provo crews and volunteers worked around the clock against Utah Lake waves
- Eight Provo homes threatened by lake waves
Read at United Press International ›United Press InternationalJune 11, 1983
UPI reported that high winds from a rainstorm drove Utah Lake waves over sandbag barriers near Provo, and water reached a highway though traffic kept moving. Army Corps of Engineers staff came to inspect the sandbagged dikes that protected the Provo airport from the rising lake. Provo city crews piled rock and heavy material on the dikes. Officials said the dikes showed slight erosion but held.
- Waves topped sandbag barriers near Provo in June 1983
- Army Corps of Engineers inspected dikes protecting the Provo airport
- Provo crews reinforced dikes with rock; dikes eroded slightly but held
Read at United Press International ›United Press InternationalMay 6, 1984
A year after the 1983 disaster, UPI reported Utahns were preparing for another flood season. Among the preparations, dikes were being built along Interstate 15 near Provo to keep Utah Lake away from the freeway. The lake had not fallen back after 1983, so the threat along the east shore continued into 1984.
- Dikes built along Interstate 15 near Provo to hold back Utah Lake
- Second straight year of flood preparations in Utah
Read at United Press International ›New York TimesFebruary 5, 1987Jonathan P. Hicks
Days after the six month USX work stoppage ended, the company said it would indefinitely idle three steelmaking operations and part of a fourth. The largest was the Geneva works in Orem, Utah, with 2,200 workers and a major supplier of hot rolled steel in the West. Chairman David M. Roderick called the closings temporary but said reopening was somewhat remote. He named industry overcapacity and the work stoppage by the United Steelworkers as factors.
- Announced February 4, 1987
- Cuts about 3,700 jobs and more than a fourth of USX steelmaking capacity
- Geneva works in Orem, Utah, the largest, employing 2,200
- Also idled: Saxonburg, Pa., sinter plant and National plant in McKeesport, Pa.; part of Baytown, Tex.
- Chairman David M. Roderick cited excess capacity and the six month stoppage
“The largest of the operations to be shut is USX's Geneva works”
Read at New York Times ›New York TimesNovember 23, 1988Linda Greenhouse and Andrew Rosenthal
A Washington briefing column on what two longtime aides of retired Chief Justice Warren Burger were doing next. It reports that Mark W. Cannon, Burger's special assistant at the Supreme Court and later staff director of the Bicentennial Commission, had gone into the steel business. The item says he acquired the Geneva Steel Mill in Provo, Utah, from USX and planned to run it with his nephews. It is an early national mention of the Cannon family's ownership of the mill.
- Mark W. Cannon was special assistant to Chief Justice Warren Burger for about a decade
- Column says he went into the steel business the month before (October 1988)
- Says he acquired the Geneva Steel Mill in Provo, Utah, from USX
- Planned to run it in partnership with his nephews
“plans to run it in partnership with his nephews”
Read at New York Times ›Deseret NewsDecember 28, 1999Joe Bauman
At the end of the century the Deseret News published National Weather Service meteorologist William J. Alder's ranking of Utah's ten most dramatic weather events of the 1900s. The 1983 flooding came first, ahead of the 1999 Salt Lake City tornado and the 1926 Bingham Canyon avalanche. The paper noted that floods were more likely than any other weather disaster to kill Utahns. The windstorm of April 4 and 5, 1983, which hit the Wasatch Front from Utah County north, also made the list.
- 1983 floods ranked first; at least seven people drowned and two towns were inundated
- Ranking compiled by William J. Alder of the National Weather Service
- April 4 to 5, 1983 canyon winds from Utah County northward ranked eighth
“Floods are more likely than any other type of weather disaster to kill Utahns”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsSeptember 13, 2010Lynn Arave
A retrospective on six decades of Geneva Steel drawn from the Deseret News archive. It covers the wartime build, U.S. Steel's 1946 purchase, the 1987 shutdown and restart under new owners, and the Wall Street Journal's 1991 'miracle mill' label. It ends with the 1999 and 2002 bankruptcies and housing rising on the 1,681 acre site.
- 1,681 acre site, nearly 180 buildings
- 4,200 wartime workers
- U.S. Steel's 1946 bid of $47.5 million
- Joe and Chris Cannon helped save some 1,100 jobs
- First financial loss in 1992
- Most of 1,200 workers laid off in 2001
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsMay 23, 2011Ronald Fox
This Deseret News history feature with a photo gallery compared the flood of 1983 with the largely forgotten flood of 1952. In both years thousands of acres of farmland went under water and damage ran into the millions. Bountiful, Provo and most of northern Utah were hit hard in 1983, and one photo shows a sandbag river routing Rock Canyon water around the Provo Temple. After 1983, pumps were built on the west side of the Great Salt Lake.
- Thousands of acres of farmland flooded in 1952 and 1983
- Bountiful, Provo and most of northern Utah had extensive damage
- West Desert pumps built after 1983
“Bountiful, Provo and most of northern Utah, for example, had extensive damage.”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsJanuary 4, 1989Michael Morris
A year end roundup of the top Utah County news stories of 1988. It says the resurrected steel plant was constantly in the news, including a December lawsuit Christopher Cannon filed against his brother Joe over Joe's plan to take the company public. With help from Sen. Orrin Hatch the brothers agreed to keep it private under a new board. The list also notes Geneva paid $41,000 for air quality violations, passed one million tons shipped within a year of reopening, and records a fight over Provo River flows below Deer Creek.
- Chris Cannon sued Joe Cannon in December 1988 over a plan to offer stock to the public
- Sen. Orrin Hatch helped the brothers agree to stay privately held with a new board
- Geneva agreed to pay $41,000 to the Utah Department of Health for air quality violations
- Geneva planned a $5 million plant to reach full compliance
- Shipments topped one million tons less than a year after reopening, much exported to Japan
- Provo River winter flow from Deer Creek set at 85 cfs instead of a planned cut to 50 cfs
“The resurrected steel plant was constantly in the news during 1988”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsApril 25, 1989
The Deseret News reported that Utah County commissioners had approved the petition to incorporate Vineyard, a 2,805 acre farming and industrial area west of Orem that surrounds the Geneva Steel plant. Rulon Gammon, the residents' spokesman, said they strongly supported incorporating. Homer Chandler of the Mountainlands Association of Governments had recommended waiting until options such as annexation into Orem were studied. He warned that the town's only stable revenue, about $80,000 in property taxes from Geneva, could shrink while the need for services grew.
- County commissioners approved the incorporation petition
- 2,805 acres west of Orem surrounding Geneva Steel
- About $80,000 in Geneva property taxes as the only stable revenue
- Homer Chandler, Mountainlands Association of Governments, advised postponing
“There's something new at the Geneva Steel plant - a town.”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsMay 22, 1989Michael Morris
A report on a clean air forum held by the Utah County Clean Air Coalition. Speakers including coalition leaders Sam Rushforth and Julie Mack named Geneva Steel as the valley's main source of fine particulate pollution while urging residents to cut their own emissions. BYU economist C. Arden Pope said local studies showed respiratory illness, especially in children, rose with the 1987 reopening of the plant, which had shut down in 1986. BYU botanist Paul Cox also spoke about dying lichens in the valley.
- Forum sponsored by the Utah County Clean Air Coalition
- Rushforth called Utah Valley air among the worst in the nation
- Pope said particulate pollution is eight to 10 times more harmful to children than passive smoke
- Article says the plant shut down in 1986 and reopened in 1987
“Air pollution makes people sick”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsSeptember 2, 1989Brooke Adams
Geneva Steel hired epidemiologist Dr. Steven Lamm to review BYU economics professor Arden Pope's study linking PM10 pollution to children's respiratory hospital admissions. Pope's study, published in the May 1989 American Journal of Public Health, found hospitalizations fell during 1986 and 1987 while the mill was shut down. Lamm argued respiratory syncytial virus, not pollution, drove the winter peaks. Pope and clean air advocate Sam Rushforth said Geneva released the review to sway a hearing on the state PM10 plan, and Pope called it crude and hastily assembled.
- Pope's study appeared in the May 1989 American Journal of Public Health
- Study period April 1985 to February 1988
- Hospitalizations for respiratory illness fell during 1986 to 1987 when Geneva was shut down
- Lamm, affiliated with Johns Hopkins and Georgetown, blamed RSV
- Lamm said RSV caused as much as 95 percent of infant pneumonia and bronchiolitis cases
“crude and very hastily put together”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsOctober 18, 1989Brooke Adams
The Utah County Clean Air Coalition accused Geneva Steel of using an American Iron and Steel Institute lawsuit against the EPA's PM10 standard to stall the state's cleanup plan for Utah County. Geneva had cited the suit in its comments on the draft state implementation plan. Executive vice president Robert Grow said Geneva was not a party to the suit and was moving ahead with the state. The company's comments also argued the plan should weigh the economic effect of closing the mill.
- Steel institute suit filed in August 1989 in the District of Columbia
- Coalition co-founders Julie Mack and Dr. Sam Rushforth
- Robert Grow was Geneva's executive vice president
- Geneva argued the plan required cuts larger than its share of emissions
“Geneva Steel cannot have it both ways”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsDecember 1, 1989Sheridan R. Hansen
Part of the refractory roof collapsed in open hearth furnace No. 98, sending extra red iron oxide emissions into the air before the hole was patched. The mishap came a day after Geneva announced a $70 million cleanup plan that would replace the open hearths with a basic oxygen process furnace. A company spokesman said the new furnace would make such mishaps virtually impossible. Geneva said the plan would cut emissions 55 percent.
- Collapse at 7:10 a.m.; steel poured at 9 a.m.
- Hole about one foot by one foot
- $70 million cleanup plan announced the day before
- Basic oxygen process furnace to be installed within two years
- Plan claimed a 55 percent emissions cut
Read at Deseret News ›New York TimesMarch 28, 1990
A list of financing announcements in the Times business section. It records that Geneva Steel was making an initial public offering of 7.75 million common shares at $10 a share. Merrill Lynch Capital Markets handled the offering. The brief lists the company's location as Orem, Utah.
- Initial public offering of 7.75 million common shares
- Priced at $10 a share
- Underwriter Merrill Lynch Capital Markets
- Company listed as Geneva Steel, Orem, Utah
Read at New York Times ›Deseret NewsSeptember 30, 1990Brooke Adams
A profile of Joe Cannon, 41, owner of Geneva Steel. It recounts his EPA years as assistant administrator for air and radiation, when he oversaw adoption of the PM10 standard he later had to meet at Geneva. Cannon voiced frustration with critics, many at BYU, and pledged $80 million for four facilities to cut particulate emissions. The piece also covers his philanthropy, his music, and a natural gas car.
- Cannon was 41
- Former EPA assistant administrator for air and radiation under Reagan
- Pledged $80 million for four emission reducing facilities
- First facility, a biological wastewater treatment plant, was finished
- Friend Jon M. Huntsman quoted in support
“I'm not going to let a few whiners prevent us”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsJuly 18, 1991Kara Leigh Hamilton
Joe Cannon opened a summer entrepreneur lecture series at Utah Valley Community College. He said the hardest part of buying Geneva was finding investors when USX was dumping mills like Geneva. Cannon credited a family bicycle trip from Los Angeles to New York for his confidence. The article says he took control of and reopened the mill in September 1987.
- Nearly 60 people attended the first lecture
- Series organized by three BYU students
- Article says Cannon reopened Geneva in September 1987
- Next speaker was WordPerfect co-founder Alan Ashton
“Make sure you steel yourself for a lot of rejection”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsAugust 26, 1991
A short question and answer profile of Vineyard's first mayor, J. Rulon Gammon, then 50. It listed his wife, Venice, their eight children and three grandchildren, and his schooling at Orem High School and two years at Brigham Young University. The town had one part time employee. Gammon described himself as a go-getter and listed farming, livestock, fishing and camping as his leisure.
- Age 50; wife Venice; eight children, three grandchildren
- Orem High School and two years at BYU
- One part-time town employee
- Favorite book the Book of Mormon; favorite movie "What's Up Doc?"
“I'm a go-getter. I like to work hard”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsNovember 4, 1991
A Deseret News fact sheet on Provo in 1991. Its note on the city's name says Provo was founded in 1850 as Fort Utah and renamed for trapper Etienne Proveau, who arrived in 1825. It lists the date of incorporation as April 3, 1849, explaining that a 1968 committee found the first settlers arrived April 1, 1849 and began the fort two days later.
- Says Provo was founded in 1850 as Fort Utah
- Named for trapper Etienne Proveau, who first arrived in 1825
- 1968 committee: settlers arrived April 1, 1849; fort begun two days later
- City has observed April 3 as its birthday since 1969
- Population 86,835
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsNovember 12, 1991
A Deseret News fact sheet on Vineyard two years after it incorporated. It describes residents as mostly dairy farmers and credits John Gillies, who planted the first grapevines in the area, with naming the town. About 75 percent of residents were related, and the Holdaways alone made up about 20 households. Geneva Steel was the largest employer and taxpayer.
- Name credited to John Gillies, who planted the first grapevines
- Incorporated April 24, 1989
- Population 151
- Holdaways account for about 20 households
- Geneva Steel employed about 2,800 and paid $984,566 in property tax
- Population 151, Utah's 211th largest city
“Credit for naming Vineyard is given to John Gillies”
Read at Deseret News ›New York TimesSeptember 8, 1992Jonathan P. Hicks
A Wall Street column on the Vineyard mill five years after investors bought it from USX. It calls Geneva the only integrated steel mill operating west of the Mississippi and notes it stayed profitable through much of the recession. Losses arrived in fiscal 1992, starting with $4.8 million in the December quarter. The column says investors led by Joseph Cannon, then a Senate candidate, bought the company for about $44 million.
- Purchase price given as about $44 million
- Lost $4.8 million in quarter ended December, $2.9 million in March quarter, $1.9 million in June quarter
- Fiscal year began in October
- Freight can be as much as 20 percent of a customer's steel price
- Plant had no continuous casting at purchase
“the only integrated steel mill operating west of the Mississippi River”
Read at New York Times ›New York TimesNovember 12, 1992Dirk Johnson
A national story on the federal court ruling that USX idled its Utah mill workers to avoid paying pension benefits. It follows Tony Pickering, who was one year short of full vesting when the mill shut, and his family's hardship. The ruling found USX idled 1,900 workers on purpose. Workers' lawyers predicted more than $100 million in damages while USX said $5 million to $10 million and planned an appeal.
- Article says the mill shut down in 1987
- 1,900 workers idled
- Pickering was one year short of his 20th year
- Workers' lawyers estimated over $100 million; USX estimated $5 million to $10 million
“There were suicides. There were divorces. It was a horrible time.”
Read at New York Times ›Deseret NewsFebruary 6, 1993
Lawyers for more than 1,900 former Geneva workers asked Judge Bruce S. Jenkins to amend his ruling that USX violated federal pension law by closing the mill to save pension costs. Jenkins' 154 page ruling found the sale to Joe Cannon in August 1987 nondiscriminatory, limiting benefits for half the plaintiffs to the date of the sale. Lead plaintiff Tony Pickering testified he was 13 months short of vesting when USX shut the plant in August 1986. Gerry Spence also represented the workers.
- Ruling handed down Nov. 3, 1992; 154 pages
- USX shut the plant in August 1986, per testimony
- Sale to Joe Cannon dated August 1987
- Of 1,900 plaintiffs, 200 retired before the idling and 1,000 still worked for Geneva Steel
- USX called closure part of a $1.2 billion restructuring of 10 mills
“victory of mammoth proportions”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsJune 30, 1995Dennis Romboy
A Deseret News report on the dismantling of Saratoga, called Utah Lake's last resort, to make way for the Saratoga Springs housing development. Owner Mick Eastmond recalls that his father Frank Eastmond bought Saratoga in 1928 and that fire destroyed the dance hall and first pool building in 1968. It recounts a riot at a failed Deep Purple concert and the opening of the Kamakazi water slide in 1980. The 1983 flood, Utah Lake's highest level ever, and competition from new water parks finished the resort.
- Frank Eastmond bought Saratoga in 1928
- Park turned over to his four sons in 1953; Mick Eastmond sole owner from 1962
- Fire destroyed the dance hall and original pool building in 1968
- Kamakazi water slide opened in 1980
- Utah Lake reached its highest level ever in 1983
- 30 acre resort sold for a 600 acre planned community
“What probably broke Saratoga was what made it famous to begin with”
Read at Deseret News ›New York TimesJuly 20, 1995
An Associated Press item in the Times company news roundup reports USX agreed to pay more than $47 million to end an eight year pension lawsuit. The suit charged USX illegally closed its Utah mill to cheat workers out of pensions. A federal judge had upheld a jury verdict that USX broke federal pension law when it idled Geneva Steel in 1986. Cash went to 1,674 class members plus $5 million to $20 million in pensions.
- Settlement of more than $47 million
- 1,674 plaintiffs in the class action
- Says USX idled Geneva Steel in 1986
- Additional $5 million to $20 million in pensions
Read at New York Times ›New York TimesDecember 19, 1996Peter Passell
An economics column criticizes Geneva Steel's use of a little used 1916 law against two steel importers. Geneva sued Ranger Steel Supply and Thyssen Steel over plate imported from Russia, China and Ukraine, while also seeking antidumping tariffs of 33 to 274 percent. The column describes Geneva as a 1987 spinoff from USX that was losing money despite heavy modernization spending.
- Lawsuit invoked the Antidumping Act of 1916
- Defendants Ranger Steel Supply and Thyssen Steel
- Requested tariffs from 33 to 274 percent
- Geneva described as a 1987 spinoff from USX
Read at New York Times ›New York TimesJanuary 21, 1997John H. Cushman Jr.
A national report on EPA hearings over tougher soot and smog rules. It recalls BYU researcher Arden Pope's finding that two thirds fewer children were hospitalized for lung ailments in the winter the Provo area mill was closed. Pope's later studies helped drive the federal proposal. Top Geneva Steel executives were leading an industry coalition trying to turn back the EPA's plan.
- Pope's finding dates to nearly 10 years earlier
- Two thirds fewer children hospitalized during the closure winter
- Article describes the closure as caused by a strike
- Geneva executives led an industry coalition against the EPA proposal
“two-thirds fewer children were hospitalized for lung ailments”
Read at New York Times ›Deseret NewsFebruary 1, 1999Dennis Romboy
Geneva Steel filed for Chapter 11 reorganization after skipping a $9 million bond interest payment. The company blamed debt from modernizing the 54 year old mill and a flood of cheap imports after the Asian economic crisis. It had spent $637 million on upgrades since 1989 and was about $325 million in debt. The workforce had fallen from about 2,600 to 1,600 in four years.
- Skipped $9 million interest payment due Jan. 15
- Arranging $125 million debtor in possession credit line
- $637 million spent on upgrades since 1989
- About $325 million in debt
- Orders on hand 74,000 tons vs 309,000 a year earlier
- Made nearly $180 million in first four years under Cannon and Grow
“Although Chapter 11 is indeed strong medicine”
Read at Deseret News ›New York TimesFebruary 2, 1999Bloomberg News
A Bloomberg News report in the Times on Geneva Steel's Chapter 11 filing in federal court in Salt Lake City. The company, with $720 million in sales in its latest fiscal year, blamed a dramatic surge in imports. It had skipped a $9 million interest payment on Jan. 15 and was negotiating a $125 million loan. Its shares had dropped 74 percent in a year.
- $720 million in sales in latest fiscal year
- Skipped $9 million payment on 9.5 percent senior notes due 2004
- Seeking a $125 million loan
- Shares down 74 percent in a year, at 56.25 cents
- Company based in Vineyard
“a dramatic surge”
Read at New York Times ›Deseret NewsJuly 16, 1999Frank Curreri
Months into bankruptcy, Geneva Steel pitched a high tech ironmaking plant at a Department of Energy public meeting. The DOE intended to contribute almost $150 million toward the facility, which would let Geneva use low quality Utah coal. Geneva engineer Reginald Wintrell said it would keep the mill competitive for at least 30 years. The plan still needed an environmental study by Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
- Lede describes a $1 billion facility; later the body cites $850 million
- DOE to donate almost $150 million
- Planned 17 acre plant, second of its kind in the world
- Geneva laid off more than 400 workers in the past year
Read at Deseret News ›New York TimesSeptember 9, 2001Andrew C. Revkin
A science report on an EPA experiment testing the toxicity of airborne particles. Agency scientists exposed volunteers to material filtered near a Utah steel mill when it was running and when it was dormant. Particles collected while the mill operated were more harmful to the lungs.
- EPA scientists compared particles from the same spots at different times
- Particles collected while the mill ran were more harmful to volunteers' lungs
Read at New York Times ›New York TimesNovember 15, 2001Bloomberg News
Geneva Steel, which had emerged from bankruptcy in January 2001, closed its Utah mill and warned it might file again because of low steel prices. Most employees at its only mill in Vineyard would be laid off. The company planned to meet suppliers whose cooperation was needed to avoid a filing. The brief notes more than 15 steelmakers had filed since early 1998.
- Mill closed Nov. 14, 2001
- Mill had 1,500 employees
- Emerged from bankruptcy in January 2001
- More than 15 steel makers, including Bethlehem and LTV, filed since 1998
Read at New York Times ›Deseret NewsApril 24, 2002
This story about Davis County first graders visiting a dairy in Syracuse closed with a note on Utah County's spring farm days. Most Utah County classes went to the traditional location, the Gammon Dairy in Vineyard, which had hosted the event for years, while some went to Harward Farms in Springville. The eighth annual event was held at the Gammon Dairy on Tuesday and Wednesday of that week.
- Eighth annual Utah County farm field day at the Gammon Dairy in Vineyard
- Some classes went to Harward Farms in Springville
Read at Deseret News ›New York TimesAugust 5, 2002The Associated Press
An Associated Press report that Geneva Steel was asking lenders for a fourth extension in under four months to keep using cash collateral. It had missed an Aug. 1 deadline to apply to the Emergency Steel Loan Guarantee Board. Geneva was pinning its hopes on a $250 million Deutsche Bank loan to repay Citicorp USA and others and install an electric arc furnace.
- Fourth extension request in less than four months
- Missed Aug. 1 loan guarantee application deadline
- Cash collateral access set to end Aug. 15
- Sought $250 million Deutsche Bank loan for an electric arc furnace
Read at New York Times ›Deseret NewsOctober 23, 2002Dave Anderton
Deutsche Bank declined to extend a $250 million financing package that would have let Geneva buy an electric arc furnace, convert to a minimill and restore about 1,100 jobs. Chairman Joseph Cannon called the outlook grim. The company owed more than $108 million to the federal government and CitiCorp USA. CEO Ken Johnsen said options ranged from selling the company to breaking it up.
- $250 million loan declined
- Would have restored roughly 1,100 jobs
- More than $108 million owed to secured creditors
- Roughly $400 million spent modernizing in the 1990s
- Article says Cannon's group bought the mill in 1987 for $40 million
- 35 domestic steel companies filed Chapter 11 since 1997
“We're at the end of a chapter, near the end of a book”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsDecember 2, 2002Jesse Hyde
A Deseret News report on tiny Vineyard after Geneva Steel's collapse, as farmers weighed selling land. It says most residents trace their heritage to grape farmer Shadrach Holdaway, who homesteaded the land in 1860. Grape vineyards once stretched from the Orem bench to the lake and gave the community its name. Grant Holdaway, 71, says farming is out.
- About 150 people lived in Vineyard
- Shadrach Holdaway homesteaded the land in 1860
- Vineyards once extended from the Orem bench to Utah Lake
- Steel mill covered 1,700 of the town's 4,000 acres
- About 150 residents, most descended from grape farmer Shadrach Holdaway
- Four farmers sold 180 acres to developer Catalyst
“Grape vineyards once extended from the Orem bench to the shores of Utah Lake”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsMay 17, 2003Tad Walch
Three BYU sociologists mailed a survey with a $2 bill to about 1,200 laid off Geneva workers, reviving a 1989 company practice of paying bonuses in $2 bills. Their first survey found nearly half were still unemployed in July 2002 and 83 percent said their standard of living had worsened. Only 19 percent of 617 respondents had full time jobs. Many working had seen pay fall from $16 to $20 an hour to $10 or $11.
- Researchers Marie Cornwall, Ralph Brown and Carol Ward
- 617 questionnaires returned in the first survey
- Article says Geneva closed in November 2001 after more than 55 years
- About 95 percent of employees were men
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsDecember 31, 2003Dave Anderton
Qingdao Iron and Steel Group offered $35.3 million in cash for bankrupt Geneva Steel's core equipment, less than 10 percent of the more than $400 million spent modernizing in the 1990s. The package covered the Q-BOP steelmaking shop, slab caster, rolling mill and plate finishing line. CEO Ken Johnsen called it the first major acceptable offer and said Chinese mills were the main buyers of used equipment. About 25 people still worked for the company.
- Offer of $35.3 million cash
- Described as nearly $5 million less than the 1987 purchase price
- Would cover about one third of roughly $108 million owed secured creditors
- About 2,500 unsecured creditors owed about $35 million
- Pipe mill equipment sold for $1.45 million to an Indian company
- Mill employed 2,850 at one point under Cannon
“this is the first major offer that we've found acceptable”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsFebruary 5, 2004Dave Anderton
Bankruptcy Judge Glen E. Clark approved a $40 million sale of Geneva's core assets to Qingdao Iron and Steel Group, to be shipped to Shandong province. A bidding war with Nanjing Iron and Steel raised the price from $35.3 million; Nanjing's higher $41.5 million bid lacked a letter of credit. Qingdao representatives said rebuilding would take 18 to 24 months and cost more than the purchase. The article says the price equaled what Cannon's group paid U.S. Steel in 1987.
- Sale approved Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004, for $40 million
- Nanjing bid $41.5 million but had no letter of credit
- Qingdao backed by Bank of China
- More than $645 million spent on plant since 1989
- Reversing mill sold for $1.42 million; temper mill for $650,000
- Government paid CitiCorp $92.1 million in March 2002 on the loan guarantee
“It will be a new day dawning for the Geneva equipment in Qingdao”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsFebruary 10, 2004
A timeline of Geneva Steel from 1941 to 2002 published after the equipment sale. It says the 1987 buyer was Basic Manufacturing and Technology of Utah Inc. and credits Joe and Chris Cannon with saving the plant and 1,100 jobs. It notes the Wall Street Journal's 1991 'miracle mill' label, the end of open hearth steelmaking, the first loss in 1992 and the two bankruptcies.
- 1987 buyer Basic Manufacturing and Technology of Utah Inc.
- 1,100 jobs saved
- 1990 stock began trading
- 1991 Wall Street Journal called Geneva a miracle mill
- 1992 first quarter net loss of $4.8 million
- 1999 entry cites a $365 million modernization
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsMay 31, 2004Laura Warner
The first in a Deseret News series on Utah Lake, contrasting the lake's poor modern image with its past. It says Mormon settlers, like the Utes before them, fed on June sucker and Bonneville cutthroat trout. Historian D. Robert Carter says poor irrigation, overfishing and spawning season fishing had thinned out the trout by 1875. The story also touches on Ute water baby legends, lake monster tales and the Saratoga and Provona resorts.
- Settlers ate June sucker and Bonneville cutthroat trout
- Trout thinned out by 1875, per D. Robert Carter
- People returned to the lake for food in the depressions of the 1890s and 1930s
- Lake stretches 24 miles from Goshen to the Jordan River outlet
“the lake was thinned out of trout by 1875”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsAugust 27, 2004Tad Walch
Mayor Rulon Gammon, the only mayor Vineyard had known since 1989, told fellow Utah County mayors on a bus tour of Utah Lake that he had sold his farm and was leaving the town of about 150. He had been working to find a new tax base since Geneva Steel closed, and PacifiCorp had announced it would build its Lake Side Power Plant on the Geneva site. Gammon had a heart valve problem and wanted to serve a church mission with his wife before surgery. His 94 acres would go to Anderson Development, giving it more than 300 acres in town.
- Gammon born in the home 64 years earlier
- Town of about 150 residents
- Lake Side plant: 534 megawatts, $330 million
- 94 acres to Anderson Development, which would then own more than 300 acres in Vineyard
- 32 dairy farms once operated along Geneva Road
- Rep. Margaret Dayton recalled a farm day for hundreds of fourth graders
“Dramatic changes are taking place in Vineyard,”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsJanuary 31, 2005
The town council chose Randy Farnworth, a longtime resident and council member, as Vineyard's new mayor. He was one of three council members who applied for the seat vacated by Rulon Gammon, who resigned that month after serving as the only mayor since the town incorporated in 1989. Farnworth owned Randy's Mechanical, a plumbing, heating and air conditioning business in Orem.
- Selected by the town council from three council member applicants
- Gammon resigned in January 2005
- Farnworth owned Randy's Mechanical in Orem
Read at Deseret News ›The Daily Universe (BYU)March 17, 2005
The BYU student paper said Rulon Gammon's retirement after 15 years as first mayor came just as Vineyard, population 150, faced major change. Developers were fighting in court over the 1,750 acres under Geneva Steel, while Anderson Geneva had bought much of the town south of the mill, including Gammon's land. The council had approved a master plan easing zoning from one unit per 40 acres to close to two units per acre. New mayor Randy Farnworth said he wanted more for the town than becoming an extension of Orem.
- Gammon retired after 15 years; leaving to serve a mission in Hawaii
- Population 150
- Developers in litigation over the 1,750 acre Geneva site
- Zoning eased from one unit per 40 acres to close to two units per acre
- Farnworth expected a light rail extension through Vineyard
“maybe we can develop in a way to take a young family, newly married”
Read at The Daily Universe (BYU) ›Deseret NewsMarch 21, 2005Sharon Haddock
Randy Farnworth, appointed to replace Rulon Gammon, was the first Vineyard mayor not descended from Shadrach Holdaway and was related to nobody in the town of 134. Gammon had resigned in January, sold his dairy farm and moved to Pleasant Grove. Farnworth, 50, had lived in Vineyard 13 years and named water and sewer as the town's biggest issue while two Geneva creditors fought in bankruptcy court over the mill site. He dismissed talk of annexing into Orem as nonsense.
- Town of 134 residents
- Shadrach Holdaway homesteaded the lakeside land in 1860
- Gammon resigned in January and moved to Pleasant Grove
- Anderson Geneva LLC and Silver Point Capital filed competing plans for the Geneva site
- Farnworth, 50, lived in Vineyard 13 years
“It's no longer all in the family in Vineyard.”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsMarch 31, 2005Dave Anderton
Ken C. Johnsen said he would leave as Geneva Steel's CEO on May 15, handing the bankruptcy estate to a trustee, and chairman Joseph A. Cannon would also step down. The article says the $40 million Qingdao sale and an $88.5 million sale of water rights to the Central Utah Water Conservancy District nearly covered $135 million owed secured creditors. About 1,700 acres remained to be sold. A consultant called the full repayment unusual for a bankrupt steelmaker.
- Johnsen leaves May 15, 2005
- $88.5 million water rights sale to Central Utah Water Conservancy District
- $135 million owed to secured creditors
- Unsecured creditors owed an estimated $60 million to $80 million
- Liquidation expected to bring $205 million
- Says plant shut down in November 2001; second filing January 2002
Read at Deseret News ›Daily Herald (Provo)June 13, 2005
A feature on the teardown of Geneva Steel told through plant manager Mike Curtis, whose father helped build the mill, and longtime workers Tony Pickering and Blaine Frazier. Curtis called it disheartening to tear down good buildings and equipment. The article says Joe and Chris Cannon and Robert Grow bought the plant in 1987 through Basic Manufacturing and Technologies of Utah. It states the plant shut for good in November 2002, after a January 2002 filing.
- Plant sold to Basic Manufacturing and Technologies of Utah Inc., renamed Geneva Steel Co.
- Became Geneva Steel LLC in January 2001
- 10,000 workers took 13 months to build the original plant
- Peak output as much as 2 million tons a year
- Pickering said he lost 40 percent of his pension
“It's quite disheartening, to tear down perfectly good buildings and equipment.”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Deseret NewsJuly 1, 2005Marin Decker
At daybreak Thursday, 5,000 pounds of explosives in more than 300 drill holes brought down two smokestacks, nine stoves and three blast furnaces at Geneva Steel. Four of the 170 foot stoves did not fall. Plant manager Michael Curtis called it the end of an era, and former workers gathered at 6 a.m. to watch. A Chinese company was dismantling machinery, and above ground structures were to be gone by the end of 2006 before cleanup of the 1,750 acre parcel.
- 5,000 pounds of explosives in more than 300 drill holes
- Two smokestacks, nine stoves, three blast furnaces
- Structures stood 61 years
- About 1,400 employees when the plant closed
- Final shutdown November 2001
- 1,750 acre parcel
“The skyline will always permanently be changed now.”
Read at Deseret News ›KSL.com (Associated Press)November 18, 2005
The AP reported that Sandy based Anderson Development LLC had submitted the high bid of $46.8 million for Geneva Steel's 1,700 acres at a closed auction, beating Utah Lake Development LLC. The land was the bankrupt steel company's last major asset. Trustee James Markus predicted the site would be changed within five years, and creditors expected to recover at least 50 cents on the dollar. Anderson agreed to take on remaining demolition and environmental cleanup.
- High bid $46.8 million for 1,700 acres
- Rival bidder Utah Lake Development LLC, partnered with Prudential Real Estate Investors
- Unsecured creditors owed about $75 million
- Core equipment sold to a Chinese firm for $40 million; water rights for $88.5 million
“It will be a changed site in five years.”
Read at KSL.com (Associated Press) ›UPI (via Phys.org)March 2006
A wire report from 2006 on the scale of Utah Lake's carp problem as the state prepared to remove the fish. Officials estimated millions of carp in the lake and planned to pull out about a million a year to help the endangered June sucker. The central difficulty was what to do with the fish once caught.
- Roughly 7 million carp estimated in the lake (per search listing)
- Plan to remove about 1 million carp a year
Read at UPI (via Phys.org) ›Deseret NewsAugust 9, 2006Sara Israelsen
State environmental officials said contamination on the 1,700 acre former mill site was less pervasive than feared, though hot spots remained. Anderson Geneva Development, an affiliate of Sandy based Anderson Development, was mapping contamination and had offered Real Salt Lake 30 free acres for a stadium. Its project manager estimated less than a tenth of the land held hazardous waste. Chemicals included benzene, toluene, coal tar and lead, with cleanup costs in the tens of millions.
- About 1,700 acres
- Plant shut in 2001; main stacks dynamited in 2005
- Anderson offered RSL owner Dave Checketts 30 free acres
- Cleanup and construction estimated at six to 10 years
“it's inhabitable land”
Read at Deseret News ›KSL.com (Associated Press)October 25, 2006
An Associated Press report that a bankruptcy judge approved a plan under which Geneva Steel would pay creditors little more than a quarter of what they were owed. The plan also covered overdue wages and benefits for more than 300 employees by year end. The story recaps the 1999 filing and the second filing two years after the company emerged.
- Creditors to receive little more than a quarter of claims
- Overdue wages and benefits for more than 300 employees
Read at KSL.com (Associated Press) ›Deseret NewsJune 16, 2007Sara Israelsen
The Deseret News reported that the Lake Side Power Plant in Vineyard was nearly ready to produce an average of 545 megawatts. The $350 million natural gas plant sat on nearly 70 acres in northwest Vineyard, though the plant itself used 22 acres of former Geneva land. Once testing finished, builder Lake Side Power LLC would hand it to PacifiCorp, which does business as Rocky Mountain Power. The article explained its two combustion turbines, two heat recovery steam generators and a steam turbine.
- $350 million plant
- Nearly 70 acres; plant itself on 22 acres of former Geneva land
- Average 545 megawatts
- Plant manager John Bowater; Rocky Mountain Power runs 64 plants in six states
“The demand just keeps growing,”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsOctober 14, 2007Sara Israelsen
Cristina Peterson and former Geneva archivist Rick Fish launched the Geneva Project to save stories, photos and artifacts of the mill. The article describes a 1,681 acre site with nearly 180 buildings, shut down in 2001 and dynamited in July 2005. CST Environmental had bought salvage rights for $16 million. Vineyard Mayor Randy Farnworth wrote a letter of support.
- 1,681 acre site with nearly 180 buildings
- Says the plant was dynamited in July 2005
- Salvage rights sold to CST Environmental for $16 million
- Supported by UVSC, BYU and Anderson Geneva Development
“We tore down a perfectly good mill.”
Read at Deseret News ›Daily Herald (Provo)March 12, 2008
Lindon council members toured the Lake Side Power Plant in Vineyard, where managers insisted the plume over the plant was water vapor, not smoke. The natural gas plant had opened in September 2007. It averaged 540 megawatts and reached upward of 600 on the coldest days, and employed 46 people. Officials said either the Vineyard plant or the Mona plant could be chosen for an expansion within the next year.
- Opened September 2007
- 540 megawatts average, up to 600 on coldest days
- 46 employees
- 56 percent efficiency
- Vineyard or Mona plant considered for expansion
“There is no smoke here,”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›The Bulletin (Bend, Ore.) / Associated PressOctober 23, 2008Mike Stark, Associated Press
An Associated Press story on the start of large scale carp removal from Utah Lake. A commercial fishing business was hired under a $500,000 contract to remove 2.5 million pounds of carp over six months, with most of the fish going to nearby farms as compost. The goal was to help the June sucker, since carp rip out the weeds young suckers hide in. Supporters hoped to ramp up to 5 million pounds a year.
- $500,000 contract to remove 2.5 million pounds over six months
- Hoped to reach 5 million pounds a year
- More than $39 million already spent on the June sucker
- June sucker listed as endangered since 1986
- Coordinator: Mike Mills
“millions of pounds of unwanted carp pulled from Utah Lake”
Read at The Bulletin (Bend, Ore.) / Associated Press ›Deseret NewsMarch 15, 2009Associated Press
More than a million pounds of carp were pulled from Utah Lake in the winter of 2008 to 2009, most of it going to a farmer's fields and a mink farm. The work was part of a $500,000 state contract to remove 2.5 million pounds. Wildlife officials said about 5 million pounds a year would have to come out to give the June sucker room to recover.
- About 1.2 million pounds removed so far that winter
- About 23,000 pounds netted on an average day
- About $40 million spent to save the June sucker, listed in 1986
- Reed Price headed the Utah Lake Commission
“with most of it going to a farmer's fields and a nearby mink farm”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsOctober 11, 2009Associated Press
Commercial crews began what was described as the nation's most ambitious effort to remove carp from a lake. About 6 million pounds were expected to come out of Utah Lake over the fall and winter, starting Sept. 21, 2009. Biologists estimated 7 to 8 million carp made up more than 90 percent of the fish weight in the lake, and hoped removing 75 percent over five or six years would crash the population.
- Fishing started Sept. 21, 2009
- 7 to 8 million carp, over 90 percent of fish weight
- 2008 pilot by fisherman Bill Loy pulled about 1.4 million pounds
- Lake described as 151 square miles
“the nation's most ambitious effort to remove the bottom feeders from a lake”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsJune 7, 2010
Marking the Clean Air Act's 40th anniversary, the article revisits BYU professor C. Arden Pope's landmark Utah Valley study. Pope found pediatric respiratory admissions fell while Geneva Steel was closed for 13 months in the late 1980s, then nearly doubled after it restarted. An EPA official called his work among the seminal in the field. The piece then turns to current fine particulate research.
- Closure described as 13 months
- Admissions nearly doubled after restart
- Effect not seen in Salt Lake or Cache valleys
- EPA's Dan Costa praised the work
“Dr. Pope's work is among the seminal in the field”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsJune 12, 2010Justin Ritter
Utah Valley University's board of trustees approved buying 100 acres of the former Geneva Steel site for intramural fields. The land was valued at $20 million, with Anderson Geneva Development donating half that value, Vineyard's redevelopment agency adding $5 million and UVU and others paying the rest. The deal still needed the regents, the state building board and the Legislature. Anderson Geneva had already sold land on the site for a FedEx terminal and a power plant, and Mayor Randy Farnworth welcomed the university's involvement.
- 100 acres for intramural fields
- Valued at $20 million; Anderson Geneva to donate half
- $5 million from Vineyard's redevelopment agency
- FedEx terminal and power plant already built on the site
“We'd like to get that property moving in the right direction,”
Read at Deseret News ›KSL.com (Associated Press)June 13, 2010
The AP reported on a 40 year plan for more than 2,000 acres between I-15 and Utah Lake at the former Geneva Steel site. It called for three lake activity areas, new roads, an intermodal hub, 11 million square feet of commercial space and zoning for more than 7,500 homes. Vineyard and Anderson Geneva wrote the plan together, said town planner Nathan Crane. Anderson Geneva estimated cleanup at $100 million to $300 million, and the plan's budget was $300 million.
- More than 2,000 acres
- Over 40 years; more than 7,500 homes; 11 million square feet commercial
- Cleanup estimated at $100 million to $300 million
- Town planner Nathan Crane
“We're starting a town that basically has no infrastructure at all,”
Read at KSL.com (Associated Press) ›Deseret NewsSeptember 26, 2010Marc Haddock
Researchers found eight wild juvenile June suckers in ponds of a man made delta at the Lower Hobble Creek Wildlife Management Area west of Springville. The find was a milestone because no adult June sucker raised outside a hatchery had been found in Utah Lake in decades. The Hobble Creek delta, built the year before, was an early test of the delta idea later used on the Provo River.
- Recovery spending of $5 million a year for 10 years
- Eight juvenile suckers caught in one pond
- Lower Hobble Creek delta created in 2009
“We ended up catching eight juvenile suckers in one of the ponds”
Read at Deseret News ›KSL.com (Associated Press)December 27, 2010
The AP, citing the Daily Herald, reported that developers of the Geneva site were seeking final approval of tax breaks to start building infrastructure. The Alpine School District still had concerns about a redevelopment agreement worth up to $300 million in tax breaks over 40 years. Project manager Dennis Astill said roads and sewer lines could start within six months of approval.
- Up to $300 million in tax breaks over 40 years
- Alpine School District raised concerns
- Project manager Dennis Astill
Read at KSL.com (Associated Press) ›Deseret NewsMarch 3, 2012Steve Fidel
A long Deseret News feature, carried under the running head "Top List: A historical glimpse of Utah Lake," on how the lake lost and might regain its appeal. It recounts that pioneers relied on the lake's fish and that overfishing led the U.S. Fish Commission to ship live carp to Utah in the 1880s. It lists early resorts: Saratoga in 1884, Garden City in 1889 and Geneva, which it says opened in 1903 where the Lindon Boat Harbor is today. It describes the 1930s drought, the steel mill that took the Geneva name in the 1940s and closed in 2001, and the effort to remove carp to help the June sucker.
- Saratoga resort opened 1884; Garden City Resort near the Provo River mouth 1889
- Geneva Resort opened in 1903 at the site of today's Lindon Boat Harbor (per this article)
- About 20 resorts came and went, per a June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program history
- U.S. Fish Commission shipped live carp to Utah in the 1880s
- June sucker listed as endangered by 1986
- Goal of removing 40 million pounds of carp
“A century ago Utah Lake was a destination spot dotted with leisure resorts”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsMarch 3, 2012Steve Fidel
A companion fact list to the Deseret News Utah Lake package. It says the Dominguez Escalante expedition first documented the lake in 1776 and that more than 10 resorts once stood on its shores. It counts fourteen native fish species, including the extinct Utah Lake sculpin, last seen in 1928, and the June sucker. It also gives the lake's size and depth.
- Dominguez Escalante expedition first documented the lake in 1776
- At one time more than 10 resorts on the shores
- Fourteen fish species native to the lake; Utah Lake sculpin last spotted in 1928
- Surface area 95,000 acres; 14 feet at deepest, 9 feet average
- 13 miles wide and 24 miles long
- An estimated 40 million pounds of carp
Read at Deseret News ›KSL.comAugust 22, 2012Lori Prichard
KSL reported that a transformation expected to take up to 20 years was under way at the former Geneva Steel site. The mill had run for 60 years on the 1,680 acre property, served by more than 100 miles of track and over 100 buildings. More than 140,000 cubic yards of concrete had been removed, and more than 750 acres were designated for homes. Project manager Stewart Park said the site was not a Superfund site.
- 1,680 acre property
- More than 140,000 cubic yards of concrete removed
- More than 750 acres designated residential
- 45,000 tons of scrap metal and 100 tons of copper recycled
“This is not a Superfund site,”
Read at KSL.com ›Daily Herald (Provo)February 14, 2023
Mayor Julie Fullmer walked the city with her predecessor J. Rulon Gammon as a time capsule letter he wrote about incorporation was read aloud. Gammon wrote that in January 1989 Geneva Steel's chief executive, Bud Patten, called him about studying incorporation, which Geneva had refused to consider in the 1970s. The paperwork was filed with the lieutenant governor on May 11, 1989, making Vineyard the state's newest town with 156 residents. Orem and the Mountainland Association of Governments argued against it for an hour and a half, and Gammon answered in seven minutes.
- Incorporation idea raised by Geneva Steel CEO Bud Patten in January 1989
- Paperwork filed with the lieutenant governor May 11, 1989
- 156 residents at incorporation
- Earlier attempt in the early 1970s
“It took me 7 minutes to respond.”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Deseret NewsMarch 18, 2013Rachel Lowry
Developers of the former Geneva Steel site announced plans for 2 million square feet of office space as part of a 100 acre mixed use project. The project at 800 North and Geneva Road had been approved in January 2011 by the Vineyard Redevelopment Agency, and construction was to begin that summer. Plans for the whole site called for 7,500 homes on more than 1,700 acres along 1.5 miles of Utah Lake shore.
- 2 million square feet of office space
- 100 acre mixed-use project at 800 North and Geneva Road
- Approved January 2011 by the Vineyard Redevelopment Agency
- 7,500 residential units planned; site more than 1,700 acres
Read at Deseret News ›KSL.comSeptember 7, 2013Martha Ostergar
Anderson Development held an open house announcing plans for @Geneva on the 1,750 acre former Geneva Steel site. Greg Miller said a Larry H. Miller Megaplex with a five story IMAX screen and 13 auditoriums would anchor it, and UVU President Matthew Holland announced an option to buy 125 more acres. Gerald Anderson said Day's Market would open a store. The plan listed housing for 26,000 residents and space for 20,000 jobs.
- 1,750 acre site
- Megaplex for up to 3,000 people with 100 jobs, targeted for 2014 holidays
- UVU option for 125 more acres
- 7,600 residential units; 26,000 residents; 20,000 jobs
Read at KSL.com ›Fox 13 (KSTU)September 9, 2013
Fox 13 reported that the old Geneva Steel mill was being cleaned up for a 1,700 acre mixed use development with hundreds of apartments, dozens of restaurants and a movie theater. Stewart Park of Anderson Development said it would be an entirely new city of 26,000 residents and 20,000 jobs. Mayor Randy Farnworth said the rural community of 600 was expected to grow to 75,000 over the next decade. He described tar pits, a huge slag pile and more concrete underground than above.
- 1,700 acres
- 26,000 residents and 20,000 jobs projected
- Vineyard population given as 600, expected to reach 75,000
- Eight years of cleanup by Anderson Development
“This will be an entirely new city”
Read at Fox 13 (KSTU) ›KSL.comMay 28, 2014Sam Penrod
KSL reported that development was moving fast on the old Geneva Steel property almost 12 years after the mill shut down. Stewart Park of Anderson Geneva said the company bought the site out of bankruptcy in 2005 and spent eight to nine years cleaning it, recycling hundreds of thousands of tons of concrete. Work on a 13 screen Megaplex with the area's first IMAX had just begun. About 60 percent of the available land was under contract, and a FrontRunner stop was still a couple of years away.
- Purchased out of bankruptcy in 2005
- Plans: over 2 million sq ft retail, over 3 million office, 5.5 million industrial
- 13-screen Megaplex with IMAX begun the previous week
- About 60 percent of available land under contract
“We have spent the past eight to nine years cleaning the site.”
Read at KSL.com ›Deseret NewsJune 19, 2014Benjamin Wood
Utah Valley University announced the purchase of 125 more acres within the @Geneva development, bringing its Vineyard holdings to 225 acres and doubling its footprint in Utah County. UVU had bought its first 100 acre parcel in September 2011 for intramural fields. President Matthew Holland said the land freed the university from its landlocked 200 acre Orem campus. Gerald Anderson said @Geneva would eventually have 20,000 jobs and housing for 25,000 people, and all but about 600 of the original 1,700 acres had been bought by developers. The same story ran on KSL.
- 125 acres bought; total 225 acres in Vineyard
- First 100 acres bought September 2011
- Orem campus described as 200 acres
- @Geneva: 20,000 jobs, housing for 25,000; nine projects under construction
“it basically makes Geneva kind of a college town.”
Read at Deseret News ›KUERJune 19, 2014
KUER reported that Utah Valley University had acquired 125 more acres at the @geneva development. UVU's first 100 acres there held intramural fields, and the new land doubled its Geneva footprint to nearly match the 235 acre Orem campus. President Matthew Holland said the school was land locked and would start by moving auxiliary operations and drafting a new master plan. The development was to include 2,000 housing units, a Megaplex and a UTA intermodal hub.
- 125 acres added to first 100
- Orem campus given as 235 acres
- @geneva to include 2,000 housing units, a Megaplex and a UTA intermodal hub
Read at KUER ›Deseret NewsFebruary 12, 2015Andrew Adams
Fishermen had passed the halfway point of a cleanup aimed at wiping out 75 percent of Utah Lake's carp. About 17 million pounds had been removed over four years, against a goal of 32 million pounds. The article notes a 1979 state report showed June sucker numbers declining and that the fish was listed as endangered by 1986.
- 17 million pounds removed over four years
- Goal of 32 million pounds
- Lake once held an estimated 40 million pounds of carp
- Fisherman Bill Loy Jr. of Loy Fisheries
“We’re not planning to see a Lake Tahoe or anything like that”
Read at Deseret News ›The Daily Universe (BYU)February 25, 2015
The BYU student paper previewed the Megaplex Theatre at the @geneva community on the old Geneva Steel mill site, with Utah County's first digital IMAX screen and more than 100 new jobs. Construction began shortly after the September 2014 announcement. Project manager Stewart Park called it a catalyst for traffic and business, and said it had drawn interest from other retail developers. The grand opening was set for March 13, 2015.
- 13 digital Dolby Atmos auditoriums and Utah County's first digital IMAX
- More than 100 new local jobs
- More than 2,000 residential spaces planned at @geneva
- Grand opening slated for March 13, 2015
“This will be a tremendous catalyst to bringing additional traffic”
Read at The Daily Universe (BYU) ›KSL.comMay 19, 2016Morgan Jacobsen
KSL reported new Census Bureau estimates showing Vineyard, a town of 5 square miles, growing faster than any other city in Utah. From 2014 to 2015 its population went from 617 to 3,195, an increase of 418 percent, while the next fastest in Utah, Ophir, grew less than 13 percent. Demographer Pamela Perlich credited redevelopment of the Geneva Steel site for creating an instant city. Finance director Jacob McHargue said the hard part was building a staff while managing that growth.
- 617 to 3,195 residents, 2014 to 2015
- 418 percent increase
- Ophir next in Utah at less than 13 percent
- Vineyard covers 5 square miles
Read at KSL.com ›Salt Lake TribuneMay 25, 2016Lee Davidson
The Tribune reported that Vineyard quintupled its population in 2015, from 617 to 3,195, adding 2,578 people, more than Herriman, Lehi or Eagle Mountain. Finance director Jacob McHargue estimated the town had already passed 5,000 in 2016, with 1,000 building permits issued. @Geneva was expected to add as many as 27,000 people in less than a decade on its 1,700 acres. UVU had 225 acres there, and new movie theaters had just opened.
- 617 to 3,195 residents in 2015; 2,578 added
- 1,000 building permits issued in 2016
- @Geneva: up to 27,000 people on 1,700 acres
- Four freeway exits and a future FrontRunner stop
“available land is hard to come by in the middle of Utah County,”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›Deseret NewsJune 26, 2016Katie McKellar
The Deseret News followed Vineyard's longtime farm families as the town grew from 617 to 3,195 people in a year, a 417 percent jump fueled by Utah County's tech boom. Margaret Robins, 93, held on to the last 11 acres of her family's 40 acre poultry farm, and the Holdaways had sold all 350 acres of their dairy over 15 years. The story said the population had stayed just under 200 for 20 years after 1989 before doubling to 400 in 2013. Mayor Randy Farnworth said the town would be fully developed in 30 to 40 years with at least 40,000 people.
- 617 to 3,195, a 417 percent jump
- Population lingered just under 200 for 20 years; 400 in 2013
- Holdaways sold 350 acre dairy; Clegg Farm, 350 acres, the last farm
- 1,700 mill acres sold in 2005 to Anderson Geneva for $46.8 million
- About 30 percent of Vineyard built out
“The quiet town is gone,”
Read at Deseret News ›Fox 13 (KSTU)July 15, 2016
Health officials closed all of Utah Lake on July 15, 2016, because of a large toxic algae bloom. Officials believed the bloom covered about 90 percent of the lake, and lab results showed algal cells at three times the closure threshold. DEQ said it was the first time the entire lake had been closed. People who took fish from the lake since July 10 were told not to eat them.
- Bloom covered about 90 percent of the lake
- Cell counts three times the closure threshold
- First closure of the entire lake
“this is the first time the entire lake has been closed”
Read at Fox 13 (KSTU) ›Deseret NewsJuly 17, 2016Katie McKellar
Toxic algae from Utah Lake spread into the Jordan River and lower Little Cottonwood Creek, and state and local agencies posted warnings. Residents getting secondary water from the Jordan River were told not to use it, and farmers and ranchers were warned against using Utah Lake water for crops or livestock. Drinking water was not affected.
- Warning signs at Jordan River access points in Salt Lake County
- Farmers told to use other water sources until lab results came back
“Algal blooms can last for days or weeks”
Read at Deseret News ›KUERJuly 18, 2016Bob Nelson
After Utah Lake's closure, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality extended its warnings to the Jordan River and lower Cottonwood Creek. Testing of the lake the week before showed three times the World Health Organization's recommended safe levels. DEQ spokesperson Donna Kemp Spangler said conditions were ripe for the problem to spread.
- Lake tested at three times WHO recommended levels
- Warnings extended to the Jordan River and lower Cottonwood Creek
“The algae seems to be moving and entering into places like Jordan River”
Read at KUER ›The Daily Universe (BYU)August 1, 2016Jeremy Stanford
The BYU student paper reported that Utah Lake was off limits because of the largest algal bloom ever recorded there. As of July 28, boats were allowed back on the lake but swimmers were not. A Health Department spokesman said the water becomes dangerous above 100,000 cyanobacteria cells per milliliter.
- Boats allowed back July 28, 2016, swimmers not
- Danger threshold 100,000 cells per milliliter
- A dog was reportedly killed by the toxins in 2014
“the largest algal bloom ever recorded in the area”
Read at The Daily Universe (BYU) ›Deseret NewsAugust 10, 2016Amy Joi O'Donoghue
Drought dropped Utah Lake's storage below 125,000 acre feet, so under the 1992 Utah Lake Management Plan the state engineer cut off secondary users whose rights came after 1901. Those users, about 25 percent of the lake's use, turned to replacement water. When the lake fell even lower in 2004, the main users had agreed voluntarily to cut back.
- Trigger: storage below 125,000 acre feet
- Secondary users are rights after 1901
- About 25 percent of current use affected
- Users notified included Utah Lake Distributing Co., Kennecott and Draper Irrigation Co.
“It is a distribution decision to protect those primary users”
Read at Deseret News ›Daily Herald (Provo)February 9, 2017
Jacob McHargue, who joined Vineyard four years earlier as deputy treasurer, was named its first city manager as the city moved into new offices at 125 S. Main St. He said Vineyard had about 500 residents when he started and 7,000 now, with 2,500 more expected each of the next two years. The planned downtown would allow 12 story buildings, a FrontRunner station and about 9,000 residents. Mayor Randy Farnworth said a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
- First city manager Jacob McHargue
- About 500 residents four years earlier; 7,000 in 2017
- Up to 30,000 residents expected in 10 to 15 years
- Staff grew from three to 18 full-time employees
- 225 acres of UVU campus and sports fields in place
“The benefit the city has that many other cities do not have”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Deseret NewsMarch 3, 2017Amy Joi O'Donoghue
Rep. Mike McKell sponsored HCR26 urging an aggressive treatment program for Utah Lake after the unprecedented 2016 algal bloom. State water quality director Walt Baker said the lake could not heal itself from nutrient pollution, invasive species and suspended silt. McKell would sponsor the 2018 lakebed bill the next year.
- Resolution: HCR26, Rep. Mike McKell
- Walt Baker, Utah Division of Water Quality
“It's time to turn Utah Lake into a gem”
Read at Deseret News ›KSL.com (Associated Press)May 29, 2017
This short AP story reported Census estimates that Vineyard had grown from 611 residents to 3,953, making it Utah's fastest growing city in 2016. Citing the Salt Lake Tribune, it said City Manager Jacob McHargue believed the population had already reached 8,000. The story also noted Utah led the nation in population growth.
- 611 to 3,953 residents
- Fastest growing city in Utah in 2016
- McHargue estimated 8,000 residents
- 202 of Utah's 246 cities and towns gained residents
- Census estimate: 611 to 3,953 residents
- City manager's own estimate about 8,000
“The once tiny town of Vineyard in Utah County has exploded in popularity”
Read at KSL.com (Associated Press) ›KSL.comOctober 25, 2017Jacob Klopfenstein
KSL reported that planning to extend the Vineyard Connector north toward Pioneer Crossing had some American Fork and Lehi residents questioning the process. UDOT said the road would give an alternate route to I-15 for people in Orem, Vineyard, American Fork, Lindon and Lehi. One option followed today's 6500 West in American Fork, and another ran about a mile west along the Spring Creek Ranch subdivision.
- UDOT spokeswoman Eileen Barron quoted
- Would link Pioneer Crossing south to Vineyard
- Two alignments discussed in American Fork and Lehi
“has left some residents questioning the process”
Read at KSL.com ›Salt Lake TribuneFebruary 21, 2018Brian Maffly
Rep. Mike McKell's HB272 would allow sovereign lakebed to go to developers who could show island subdivisions would improve Utah Lake's water quality. It cleared a path for a proposal to dredge the lake into up to 20,000 acres of islands for 250,000 to 500,000 people. McKell cited restoration estimates of $6 to $7 billion.
- Bill: HB272, Rep. Michael McKell
- Up to 20,000 acres of islands for 250,000 to 500,000 people
- Islands on about 30 square miles, about 20 percent of the lake
- Average lake depth 10.5 feet
“Utah Lake is an ecological wreck”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›KSL.comAugust 28, 2018Sam Penrod
KSL TV profiled Vineyard as one of the fastest growing cities in the country, built mostly on the old Geneva Steel property. The story said Vineyard had fewer than 200 residents in the Geneva days and had grown to 14,000 once the land was cleaned up. Residents described new apartment complexes and restaurants near the Megaplex.
- Fewer than 200 residents in the Geneva era
- Population given as 14,000 in 2018
- Growth on the cleaned-up Geneva Steel site
“the population has exploded to 14,000 people”
Read at KSL.com ›Daily Herald (Provo)May 23, 2019Stacy Johnson and Kurt Hanson
The Daily Herald reported that 2018 Census estimates put Vineyard first among U.S. cities over 1,000 people, with 62.79 percent growth from 2017 to 2018. The city grew from 6,175 to 10,052 residents, after counting just 139 in 2010. Its rate was nearly double that of second place Iowa Colony, Texas. Mayor Julie Fullmer said the city would soon be built out.
- 62.79% growth, 2017 to 2018
- 6,175 (2017) to 10,052 (July 1, 2018)
- 139 residents in 2010 Census
- Iowa Colony, Texas second at 36%
“we’re growing fast and soon, we’ll be built out.”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Salt Lake TribuneMay 23, 2019
The Tribune reported that for the fourth year in a row Census estimates ranked Vineyard as America's fastest growing city of at least 1,000 people. Its population rose 63 percent in a year, adding 3,877 people to reach 10,052 on July 1, 2018. Demographer Pam Perlich of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute called the growth astonishing. Herriman, West Haven and South Jordan also ranked high nationally.
- Fourth straight year as fastest growing U.S. city over 1,000
- Up 63%, adding 3,877 people, to 10,052 (July 1, 2018)
- 139 in 2010; 6,175 in 2017
“For the fourth year in a row, the city of Vineyard”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›Deseret NewsNovember 29, 2019Amy Joi O'Donoghue
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed moving the June sucker from endangered to threatened. The population was only 300 in 1999, which led to the recovery program in 2001.
- Population 300 in 1999
- Recovery program founded 2001
- Chris Keleher, recovery program director
“trust is the glue that holds them together”
Read at Deseret News ›Salt Lake TribuneDecember 3, 2019Brian Maffly
After three decades of recovery work, the June sucker had rebounded enough for a proposed downlisting. Hatchery rearing raised the spawning count to 3,500, ten times the 1999 level. Biologist Mike Mills said construction would soon begin to recreate 300 acres of delta at the Provo River mouth.
- 3,500 spawning fish
- Delta project described as 300 acres
“re-create 300 acres of delta”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›KSL.comFebruary 19, 2020Carter Williams
KSL reported a plan to open about 1,000 acres of Utah Lake shoreline between marinas in Provo and Vineyard for hunting, fishing and recreation. Cattle would graze the land to clear invasive reeds. A 2.8 mile bike path would link Orem and Vineyard trails. The plan grew out of decades of disputes over who owns the shore land.
- About 1,000 acres of lakeshore
- 2.8-mile bike path linking Orem and Vineyard
- Cattle grazing to clear invasive reeds
- Rep. Brady Brammer presented it to a legislative committee
“Cattle will soon graze again along the eastern shore of Utah Lake”
Read at KSL.com ›The Daily Universe (BYU)February 28, 2020
The BYU student paper described Vineyard's shift from a farm town that hosted one of the nation's largest steel mills to a self described urban city. Fewer than 150 people lived there in 2000, and more than 55 percent of residents were now under 18. City Manager Jacob McHargue called the old Geneva site a clean slate for development. The article also covered odor complaints from cleanup of the site's tar pits in 2019.
- Fewer than 150 residents in 2000
- About 12,403 residents by 2017, as reported
- 1,700 acre mill closed permanently in 2002; structures removed 2005 to 2008
- More than 55 percent of residents under 18
“We're really kind of (an) urban city.”
Read at The Daily Universe (BYU) ›Salt Lake TribuneMay 21, 2020
The Tribune reported that Census estimates made Vineyard the fastest growing place in America over the decade among cities of at least 1,000. The estimates had it growing 10,687 percent, from 110 people in 2010 to 11,866 in 2019. City Manager Jacob McHargue credited its location on Utah Lake, four freeway exits, a coming FrontRunner station and the large tract freed by the steel mill's closure and cleanup.
- Growth of 10,687% in the decade
- Estimates: 110 (2010) to 11,866 (2019)
- Four freeway exits; FrontRunner station coming
“It’s the old adage of location, location, location”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›Daily Herald (Provo)January 4, 2021Connor Richards
The final rule to downlist the June sucker was published on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. The article explains the legal difference between endangered and threatened.
- Final rule published Jan. 4, 2021
“came one step closer to recovery on Monday”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›KSL.comJanuary 14, 2021Carter Williams
Fish and Wildlife announced in late December 2020 that the June sucker would move to threatened status starting Feb. 3, 2021. The wild spawning population had been estimated at 300 in 1999. Harming or possessing the fish remains illegal.
- Effective Feb. 3, 2021
- 300 wild spawning fish in 1999
“This is a historic moment for one of Utah's few remaining native fish species.”
Read at KSL.com ›Daily Herald (Provo)April 3, 2021Connor Richards
The Division of Wildlife Resources hauled tree trunks and stumps to the Provo River Delta for habitat features. The article says officials first broke ground on the 260 acre project in summer 2020.
- 260 acres
- Ground broken summer 2020
“after initially breaking ground on the 260-acre project last summer”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›KSL.comMay 13, 2021Carter Williams
KSL covered the groundbreaking for a $5.6 million FrontRunner station in Vineyard, between the American Fork and Orem stops. It was expected to be finished by the end of 2021 and would be the first stop added since 2012. Mayor Julie Fullmer said the event was years in the making. The Legislature had set aside $4 million in 2018, but double tracking requirements delayed the work.
- $5.6 million station
- Between American Fork and Orem stations
- First new stop since 2012
- Legislature allotted $4 million in 2018
“If you know anything about Vineyard and our 10,000% growth rate”
Read at KSL.com ›Deseret NewsAugust 12, 2021Annie Knox and Carter Williams
The Deseret News reported the first detailed 2020 census results for Utah. Nearly one in four Utahns was a racial or ethnic minority, up from about one in five. The story said Vineyard, once the site of the Geneva Steel mill, grew about 9,000 percent in a decade, from 139 residents to more than 12,500.
- Utah population 3.27 million, up 18.4% since 2010
- Vineyard 139 to more than 12,500
- 75.4% of Utahns white and not Hispanic
“has ballooned a whopping 9,000% as it has transformed into subdivisions”
Read at Deseret News ›Salt Lake TribuneSeptember 8, 2021Brian Maffly
New Lake Restoration Solutions CEO Ryan Benson said the company had secured financing for its $6.4 billion plan to dredge Utah Lake and build islands. Speaking at Lindon Marina, he said the islands would contain polluted sediments that feed algae. He compared the plan to Florida's Venetian Islands and San Diego's Balboa Island.
- Plan cost $6.4 billion
- CEO Ryan Benson
- Company said it was weeks from the permitting process
“These projects have been done around the United States for over 100 years.”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›KUERJanuary 11, 2022Emily Means
Public radio look at the fight over the Utah Lake Restoration Project. It opens with longtime water skier Keith Morgan, who recalled thick algae mats in the 1980s, joining a Conserve Utah Valley event to learn about the dredging and islands proposal.
- Keith Morgan started a waterskiing club on the lake in the 1970s
- Event hosted by Conserve Utah Valley in December 2021
“It's a wonderful, unique lake”
Read at KUER ›Daily Herald (Provo)January 15, 2022Genelle Pugmire
The Daily Herald reported that after ranked choice voting, women held the mayor's office and three of the four other City Council seats in Vineyard. Tyce Flake was the only man on the council. Mayor Julie Fullmer was starting her second term. The city was planning a new downtown, a Utah Lake boardwalk, transit facilities and more homes and businesses.
- Mayor plus three of four council members are women
- Tyce Flake the lone man
- Fullmer starting second term
- Elected by ranked choice voting
“Our council has the wonderful commonality of being majority women”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Deseret NewsJanuary 20, 2022Kyle Dunphey
Lake Restoration Solutions filed a defamation and false light suit on Jan. 10, 2022, against BYU aquatic ecologist Ben Abbott. The project would deepen the lake by 7 feet on average and use the dredged material for islands, and the company filed for federal permits on Jan. 6. More than 100 scientists had signed a letter opposing it.
- Suit filed Jan. 10, 2022
- Permit application filed Jan. 6, 2022
- Lake to be deepened 7 feet on average
- Over 100 scientists signed opposition letter
“many demonstrably false statements”
Read at Deseret News ›Salt Lake TribuneFebruary 1, 2022Brian Maffly
Documents obtained by the Tribune showed island real estate from the dredging project being offered to back investments, including conduit financing through an unnamed municipal entity. A prospectus said up to $1 billion had been pledged to buy land that did not yet exist. The company had declined for four years to explain how it would raise $6.4 billion. The lead photo shows Utah Lake at Vineyard Beach.
- $6.4 billion project cost
- As much as $1 billion pledged for future real estate
- Financing tied to federal and state loan guarantees
“real estate that doesn’t, and might not ever, exist”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›Deseret NewsFebruary 12, 2022Kyle Dunphey
Lays out the scale of the island plan: at least four roads, 34 islands totaling 18,000 acres, 190 miles of new shoreline and a price above $6.5 billion over 15 years. Opposition came from the public and several Utah County cities, and a House committee had just backed HB240 to add hurdles. Company president Jon Benson defended the project.
- 34 islands, 18,000 acres, 190 miles of shoreline
- More than $6.5 billion over 15 years
- HB240 got a favorable committee recommendation
“The problem is big.”
Read at Deseret News ›Salt Lake TribuneFebruary 17, 2022Brian Maffly
Rep. Brady Brammer's HB232 would create a Utah Lake Authority with exclusive jurisdiction over the lake and its sovereign lakebed, overseen by a 15 member appointed board. Critics saw it as a tool for developers. The House Political Subdivisions Committee advanced it on an 8 to 2 vote.
- Bill: HB232, Rep. Brady Brammer
- Committee vote 8 to 2
- 15 member appointed board
“Our population is growing so fast. We need to get ahead of this.”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›Salt Lake TribuneFebruary 23, 2022Brian Maffly
The Utah House approved Rep. Keven Stratton's HB240 in a near unanimous vote, with only three no votes, raising guardrails on any transfer of lakebed to developers. The bill responded to the plan to build 34 islands from a billion cubic yards of sediment, funded by real estate on about half of the 18,000 new acres. A critique signed by 26 Utah scientists warned it could devastate the lake.
- Bill: HB240, Rep. Keven Stratton
- Three no votes on the House floor
- $6.4 billion, 34 islands, 18,000 acres
- 26 scientists signed a critique
“sculpting 34 artificial islands from a billion cubic yards of lakebed sediments”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›Daily Herald (Provo)April 16, 2022Ashtyn Asay
The Daily Herald reported on records requests by Vineyard resident Shawn Herring and Provo resident Kaye Nelson about Mayor Julie Fullmer's letter backing the Utah Lake Restoration Project. In a September 2020 letter to the EPA, Fullmer voiced strong support for the island dredging project and offered $5 million. The records showed no public council discussion of the letter. Fullmer said the funds had been approved through the Redevelopment Agency for a landowner working with the group.
- September 2020 letter to the EPA
- $5 million offered as a match
- GRAMA requests filed January and February 2022
- Records sent April 4, 2022
“Who approved the $5 million?”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Daily Herald (Provo)June 28, 2022Kelcie Hartley
The Daily Herald reported that UTA set Aug. 8, 2022, as the first day passengers could use the Vineyard FrontRunner station. UTA planned an opening ceremony on Aug. 12, with a city celebration the next day. The spring opening had slipped because the design was changed for traffic growth at Main Street and 800 North and because of supply chain delays.
- First passenger day Aug. 8, 2022
- Opening ceremony Aug. 12, community celebration Aug. 13
- Delay blamed on redesign and concrete supply
“The Utah Transit Authority announced Aug. 8 will be the official first day”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Daily Herald (Provo)July 22, 2022Ashtyn Asay
The Utah Lake Authority board met for the first time at the Utah Lake State Park visitor center. Vineyard Mayor Julie Fullmer was named chair and Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi vice chair. The same day the county issued algal bloom warnings for several marinas.
- Chair: Vineyard Mayor Julie Fullmer
- Vice chair: Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi
- Eric Ellis then director of the Utah Lake Commission
“the mayor of Vineyard, was named chair of the Utah Lake Authority Board”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Fox 13 (KSTU)August 12, 2022Melanie Porter
Fox 13 reported the first new FrontRunner stop in ten years, in downtown Vineyard near the Vineyard Connector overpass. It said the station cost over $20 million, with more than $5.5 million from the Legislature and $16.9 million from UTA. Officials announced an 800 acre development called Vineyard Station around it, with 12 acres of green space leading to Utah Lake.
- Cost over $20 million
- Over $5.5 million from the Legislature, $16.9 million from UTA
- 800-acre Vineyard Station development
- 12 acres of green space
“We cannot keep adding lanes to I-15, that’s impossible”
Read at Fox 13 (KSTU) ›KSL.comAugust 12, 2022Emily Ashcraft
KSL reported that UTA added its first FrontRunner station in 10 years, between Orem and American Fork. Gov. Spencer Cox called Vineyard an example of high density housing done right with good infrastructure. City leaders described the station as the start of a new downtown.
- First new station in 10 years
- Between Orem and American Fork on the 83-mile line
“I believe in building. I believe that as people we should be builders.”
Read at KSL.com ›KUTVAugust 12, 2022Jared Turner
KUTV reported the ribbon cutting for Vineyard's FrontRunner station, the first new station in 10 years and the 15th on the line. The stop sits at 800 North and Main Street between the American Fork and Orem stations. Mayor Julie Fullmer said it anchored a new downtown in a master planned development of more than 800 acres near Utah Lake. Gov. Spencer Cox said transit was key to cleaner air.
- First new station in 10 years; 15th on the line
- At 800 North and Main Street
- Development of more than 800 acres
“The Vineyard Station is like a pressure valve”
Read at KUTV ›Daily Herald (Provo)August 13, 2022Genelle Pugmire
The Daily Herald covered the Aug. 12, 2022, ribbon cutting with Gov. Spencer Cox and Mayor Julie Fullmer. The paper called it the 16th station on the 83 mile line between Ogden and Provo and the first since UTA's southern expansion. The Legislature approved $5.6 million for it. A rendering showed the planned 800 acre Vineyard Station development, and the green spaces were to lead to Vineyard Beach Park.
- Ribbon cutting Aug. 12, 2022
- Called the 16th station on the line
- Legislature approved $5.6 million
- 800-acre development planned
“We should be builders; there are too many deconstructing.”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Salt Lake TribuneAugust 13, 2022Blake Apgar
The Tribune reported that the first new FrontRunner station in a decade opened Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, in downtown Vineyard near the Vineyard Connector overpass and Utah Lake. It called Vineyard the 15th station on the 83 mile line. It noted Vineyard had grown nearly 9,000 percent since 2010. Gov. Spencer Cox said the state cannot keep adding lanes to I-15.
- Opened Aug. 12, 2022
- 15th station on 83-mile line
- Vineyard up nearly 9,000% since 2010
“marks the 15th station in the train’s 83-mile service area”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›Salt Lake TribuneAugust 17, 2022Brian Maffly
State lands director Jamie Barnes told a legislative committee that privatizing the lakebed would run afoul of the state's public trust duty over sovereign land. The company had claimed for five years that dredging a billion cubic yards would bring public benefits while creating up to 20,000 acres of real estate.
- Official: Jamie Barnes, state lands director
- Up to 20,000 acres of developable land proposed
“material and substantive legal issues”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›Daily Herald (Provo)October 27, 2022Harrison Epstein
The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands ended the Utah Lake Restoration Project, saying the application would impede navigation and permanently transfer sovereign lands to private parties in violation of the public trust. The decision came months after director Jamie Barnes told lawmakers the plan was not legal. Company president Jon Benson said the firm had been addressing the state's concerns.
- Announced Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022
- Jon Benson, president of Lake Restoration Solutions
“the man-made island proposal for Utah Lake is done”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Salt Lake TribuneJanuary 12, 2023Brian Maffly
Lake Restoration Solutions sued in Provo's 4th District Court to force the Department of Natural Resources to reinstate its application. The state's 22 page October decision found that privatizing 16,000 acres of lakebed would violate the public trust. The suit called that a misreading of the doctrine and of the Legislature's directives.
- 22 page state decision in October 2022
- 16,000 acres of lakebed for development
- Project described as $6 billion
“a misguided and legally incorrect understanding”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›Daily Herald (Provo)February 10, 2023Genelle Pugmire
The Daily Herald reported that UDOT would start extending the Vineyard Connector from Main Street to the 1600 North area, with completion expected in fall 2023. The road would have two lanes each way at first and room for four. A bridge for cars, bikes and walkers to the Vineyard Station downtown was to start in 2024. UDOT said the connector would eventually reach Lehi as funding allowed.
- Main Street to 1600 North
- Completion expected fall 2023
- Overpass to start 2024, finish ideally 2025
- Eventually to Lehi
“The road is critical for the growth of our city”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›KUERMarch 3, 2023Curtis Booker
On March 2, 2023, the Provo River was diverted into its rebuilt delta, and Interior Assistant Secretary Tanya Trujillo released tagged June suckers into it. The project broke ground in 2020 on a 260 acre site half a mile north of Utah Lake State Park. Recovery director Chris Keleher said the idea began more than 30 years earlier.
- Diversion March 2, 2023
- 260 acre site
- Broke ground in 2020
“The project broke ground in 2020 on a 260-acre site”
Read at KUER ›Deseret NewsMarch 4, 2023Carter Williams
Officials cheered at the Lakeshore Bridge Trailhead as an excavator removed the last dirt barrier and the Provo River flowed into its restored delta. Crews had built 23,050 linear feet of new channel on 260 acres, planted more than 150,000 native plants and seeded about 58 acres. The project began in 2020.
- 23,050 linear feet of new channel
- More than 150,000 native plants
- About 58 acres seeded and mulched
“allowing the river water to flow into the restored delta”
Read at Deseret News ›Daily Herald (Provo)June 11, 2023Nichole Whiteley
Biologists said the Provo River Delta, built for the June sucker, also draws birds and benefits people. Keith Lawrence of the Division of Wildlife Resources said 5,000 June suckers were detected in the old channel in 2022. Only 10 to 20 percent of the fish carry tags, and around 4,000 detections had already been logged in 2023.
- 5,000 detected in the old channel in 2022
- About 4,000 detections in 2023 so far
- 10 to 20 percent of fish carry PIT tags
“detected swimming up the Provo River through the old channel last year”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Daily Herald (Provo)June 14, 2023Harrison Epstein
Lake Restoration Solutions president Jon Benson filed a notice of dissolution in 3rd District Court, citing lack of money and inability to find new funding. He asked to dismiss the company's defamation case against BYU professor Ben Abbott, though Abbott said his counterclaim would continue. The company's lawyers had withdrawn on May 23.
- Notice filed in 3rd District Court, Salt Lake City
- Case No. 220900164
- Counsel withdrew May 23, 2023
“no longer exists as a functioning entity”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›KUERJune 19, 2023Curtis Booker
In 2023, the delta's first spring, thousands of June suckers came from Utah Lake to spawn. Biologist Andrew Nagy said a little over 7,000 tagged fish had been seen and, with about 15 percent tagged, estimated upwards of 50,000 fish.
- A little over 7,000 tagged fish
- About 15 percent tagged
- Upwards of 50,000 fish estimated
“upwards of 50,000 fish in the delta”
Read at KUER ›Daily Herald (Provo)August 29, 2023Genelle Pugmire
The Daily Herald reported that the Flagship Companies and Woodbury Corporation named their development on the old U.S. Steel Geneva Works land Utah City. The master planned project of over 700 acres would focus on sustainability and walkability. It was more than 100 acres larger than the Point development at the old state prison. Managing partner Jeff Woodbury called it a legacy development.
- Over 700 acres
- Developers Flagship Companies and Woodbury Corporation
- More than 100 acres larger than the Point
- URL slug says 650 acres
“This is Utah County’s new downtown”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›KUERSeptember 1, 2023Sean Higgins
KUER reported that construction had begun on Utah City's first 450 homes, with builders saying full buildout could take a decade. The 700 acre plan centers on the FrontRunner station and includes 3 million square feet of commercial and office space and over 50 acres of open space. Some residents worried about water, roads and the pace of growth.
- First 450 housing units under construction
- 3 million sq ft commercial and office
- Over 50 acres of open space
- About a decade to finish
“I don't feel like we have the roads to sustain it.”
Read at KUER ›Deseret NewsSeptember 6, 2023Logan Stefanich
The Deseret News described Utah City as a development of more than 700 acres in Vineyard, about 100 acres larger than the Point. It is planned to hold over 17 million square feet of mixed use space. The first 450 homes were underway. Plans included 50 acres of green space and a 12 acre promenade from the FrontRunner station to the lake.
- More than 700 acres
- Over 17 million sq ft mixed use
- 450 units underway
- 12-acre promenade from station to Utah Lake
“A walkable sustainable downtown development known as Utah City”
Read at Deseret News ›Daily Herald (Provo)September 7, 2023Genelle Pugmire
The Daily Herald reported plans for Bella's Market, a 40,000 square foot custom grocery built with Lee's Marketplace. It would sit at 800 North near the FrontRunner station and the planned Huntsman Cancer Institute campus. It was slated to open in 2025 as one of Utah City's first amenities.
- 40,000 square feet
- Partnership with Lee's Marketplace
- Slated for 2025
- Abel Porter and Jon Badger quoted
“on Thursday it was announced that Vineyard will be getting a grocery store”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›The Daily Universe (BYU)September 15, 2023Emma Butler Price
BYU's student paper reported on Utah City, a 700 acre project meant to put walking and cycling first. City Manager Ezra Nair said full buildout could take 10 to 15 years. A linear park would carry pedestrians from the FrontRunner station through downtown to Utah Lake. The plan listed more than 50 acres of parks.
- 700 acres
- Buildout 10 to 15 years
- More than 50 acres of parks
- Concept introduced with the station in August 2022
“When people have safe means of transportation through biking or walking”
Read at The Daily Universe (BYU) ›Salt Lake TribuneSeptember 28, 2023Julie Jag
At a Sept. 12, 2023 creditors meeting in the Chapter 7 case, CEO Ryan Benson named lobbyist Jeff Hartley among the company's partial owners. Hartley also represented Vineyard, and Vineyard Mayor Julie Fullmer had pledged $5 million to the project and written a support letter for its EPA financing. The company had planned island communities for about 500,000 people.
- Chapter 7 bankruptcy filed July 2023
- Vineyard Mayor Julie Fullmer pledged $5 million
- Lobbyist Jeff Hartley also represented Vineyard
“island communities for about 500,000 people”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›Utah BusinessOctober 6, 2023Diana Manos
Utah Business profiled Utah City as a project of more than 800 acres by Flagship Homes and Woodbury Corporation. It described Vineyard as a city of more than 23,000 people. The plan calls for over 17 million square feet of mixed use space, more than 60 acres of parks and a 12 acre promenade from the lake to the train station. The Huntsman Cancer Institute campus was expected to bring 2,000 jobs.
- More than 800 acres (per article)
- Vineyard population over 23,000 (per article)
- More than 60 acres of parks
- Huntsman campus: 2,000 jobs
“What we’re creating is the downtown of Utah County.”
Read at Utah Business ›Salt Lake TribuneOctober 25, 2023Leia Larsen
Eric Ellis, executive director of the Utah Lake Authority, resigned less than an hour after the Tribune asked about letters he wrote pledging commission money to help the dredging company get a federal loan. The funds were not his to commit. That night the Vineyard City Council unanimously named him city manager.
- Eric Ellis became Vineyard city manager
- Council vote was unanimous
- Utah Lake Authority formerly operated as the Utah Lake Commission
“The hiring process the city went through was extensive”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›Salt Lake TribuneOctober 27, 2023
The Tribune reported that letters showed the Utah Lake Commission director secretly pledged millions to the island dredging project of Lake Restoration Solutions. A separate letter showed Vineyard's mayor pledged millions as well. The Holdaway family, angered by the deals, pulled out of the Walkara Way trail and open space project. They said the island plan would have put a road through their property.
- Utah Lake Commission director pledged money without board knowledge
- Vineyard mayor's letter pledged millions
- Walkara Way left in limbo
“A separate letter shows Vineyard’s mayor pledged millions, too”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›Daily Herald (Provo)October 28, 2023Chris Gonzalez
The Daily Herald reported a ribbon cutting on Oct. 10, 2023, for an educational plant walk on the Utah Lake Shoreline Trail. It runs along a 1 mile loop near Sunset Beach Park on UVU's Vineyard land. UVU professor Ashley Egan and her students created signs on native and invasive plants with Vineyard City.
- Ribbon cutting Oct. 10, 2023
- 1-mile loop near Sunset Beach Park
- Signs with QR codes
- Led by UVU's Ashley Egan
“Each sign is equipped with a QR code”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Daily Herald (Provo)December 14, 2023Carlene Coombs
The Daily Herald reported that the Vineyard City Council tabled a resolution to begin considering a Utah Inland Port Authority project in the city. The meeting was packed, and residents objected to a 199 page agenda posted 24 hours ahead. Incoming council member Jacob Holdaway called the process un-American.
- Resolution tabled; no public hearing held
- 199-page agenda posted 24 hours before
- Incoming council member Jacob Holdaway critical
“This is just un-American, the whole process”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Salt Lake TribuneDecember 15, 2023
The Tribune reported that the outgoing Vineyard City Council tried to pass several contentious measures weeks before half its members left. One draft resolution would make it nearly impossible for the new council to remove the city manager, who with the mayor had backed the island building project. Notice was posted exactly 24 hours ahead with a 200 page packet.
- Meeting notice posted 24 hours ahead
- 200-page agenda packet
- Measures to protect the city manager
“It’s not what the voters voted for. They voted for transparency.”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›Daily Herald (Provo)January 26, 2024Carlene Coombs
The Daily Herald reported that Utah City's developers, Woodbury Corp. and Flagship Cos., gave a $20 million, 20 acre land donation to the Huntsman Cancer Institute. The campus would sit just north of the Vineyard FrontRunner station on a 48 acre plot. CEO Mary Beckerle said it would widen access to the institute's research and care.
- $20 million, 20-acre donation
- On a 48-acre plot north of the station
- URL slug says 48 acres
“This new campus will enable us to expand access”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›KSL.comJanuary 26, 2024Emily Ashcraft
KSL reported that Flagship Companies and Woodbury Corporation donated 48 acres worth about $20 million for a Huntsman Cancer Institute campus in Vineyard. The site would offer views of Utah Lake and be close to I-15 and FrontRunner. The institute planned research ties with UVU and BYU.
- 48 acres, about $20 million
- Near I-15 and FrontRunner
- Collaboration with UVU and BYU planned
“Developers donated 48 acres of land, worth about $20 million”
Read at KSL.com ›KUERJanuary 30, 2024Tilda Wilson
KUER reported the $20 million land gift for a Huntsman Cancer Institute campus in Utah City. Donations from the Huntsmans, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and others totaled $300 million, and $75 million more was sought to break ground by year's end. CEO Mary Beckerle said the campus would focus on reaching rural patients. The story noted Vineyard grew from 139 people in 2010 to 12,543 in 2020.
- $20 million in land
- $300 million in other donations; $75 million still needed
- Vineyard: 139 (2010) to 12,543 (2020)
“how to deliver the highest quality specialty cancer care and services at a distance”
Read at KUER ›Daily Herald (Provo)February 9, 2024Carlene Coombs
State engineer Teresa Wilhelmsen said the Utah Lake floodgates were opened for the first time since 2011 after the lake reached its court ordered compromise level. The lake was about 98 percent full, near 4,489 feet. The record high came in 1984, about 5 feet above compromise.
- Compromise level about 4,489 feet
- Lake about 98 percent full
- Record high in 1984
“about 5 feet above the compromise level”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Daily Herald (Provo)February 16, 2024Carlene Coombs
Sen. Mike McKell, who ran the 2018 Utah Lake Restoration Act as a House member, led a bill to repeal it, with Rep. Brady Brammer as House sponsor. The law had let lakebed go to a private party in exchange for conservation work and opened the way for the failed island project.
- Senate sponsor Mike McKell, House sponsor Brady Brammer
- Repeals the 2018 Utah Lake Restoration Act
“a clean canvas as we move forward with Utah Lake”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Daily Herald (Provo)April 20, 2024Carlene Coombs
The Daily Herald reported that Walkara Way, a shoreline project created by Vineyard council member Jacob Holdaway, was moving again. It would use grazing to control invasive phragmites on private land and add a bike path to the lake. The project had stalled since early 2022 over the island proposal. With Lake Restoration Solutions dissolved and new Utah Lake Authority leaders, it restarted, though the Legislature pulled $1.5 million for a lake study.
- Paused since early 2022
- Lake Restoration Solutions dissolved
- Legislature moved $1.5 million to a Utah Lake study
“the Walkara Way project is slowly starting to get off its feet again”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Salt Lake TribuneApril 22, 2024
The Tribune reported that Vineyard's mayor and two staff members took trips to Paris, London, Ukraine and India paid for with city money. Taxpayers paid nearly $16,000 to send two employees to Paris and London for a week. The city also spent $150,000 on a three year World Trade Center Utah membership. The mayor said the trips would bring economic returns.
- Trips to Paris, London, Ukraine and India
- Nearly $16,000 for two employees' week in Paris and London
- $150,000 three-year World Trade Center Utah membership
- City has a one-room library and no fire station
“the equivalent of every Vineyard resident handing over more than $12”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›KSL.comMay 11, 2024Cassidy Wixom
KSL reported a heated Vineyard council debate over the cost of two trade group memberships. A new council member called on Mayor Julie Fullmer to resign, alleging a lack of transparency. Fullmer said membership in World Trade Center Utah and similar groups helped the city's growth.
- Debate over two trade group memberships
- Council member called for mayor to step down
“at odds over the price tags for two trade group memberships”
Read at KSL.com ›Deseret NewsOctober 16, 2024Amy Joi O'Donoghue
Utah Lake Authority director Luke Peterson told lawmakers that public opinion of the lake lags decades behind its recovery. The article notes eight treatment plants discharging into the lake adopted new nutrient standards, and that the June sucker grew from as few as 300 to more than 30,000.
- June sucker once as few as 300, now more than 30,000
- Eight publicly owned treatment plants discharge into the lake
- Utah Lake Symposium at UVU
“we are perpetuating an image that is 50 years old”
Read at Deseret News ›KSL.comOctober 26, 2024Cassidy Wixom
Officials cut a ribbon of native wetland plants to reopen the Provo River Delta after a four year, $53 million restoration of 260 acres. Restoration started in March 2020, and about 20 mature June suckers from a Logan hatchery were released. The article says the population fell below 1,000 in the 1980s and is now up to 45,000.
- $53 million, 260 acres
- Started March 2020
- Almost five miles of new channel, 150,000 native plants
- Population up to 45,000
“the population is now up to 45,000”
Read at KSL.com ›Daily Herald (Provo)October 28, 2024Curtis Booker
A Friday ribbon cutting and a Saturday grand opening at the Skipper Bay Trailhead opened the nearly 260 acre Provo River Delta. Crews broke ground in spring 2020 and diverted the river in March 2023. The project got $10 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and Utah County, Provo and the DWR will manage parts of it.
- Nearly 260 acres
- $10 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
- Broke ground spring 2020
“We’re finding young June sucker out here in the delta”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Salt Lake Tribune (with The New York Times)December 13, 2024Leia Larsen
Tribune reporter Leia Larsen, on a year long New York Times fellowship, reported that Vineyard voters moved to weaken Mayor Julie Fullmer's powers in the November 2024 election. Fullmer was elected to the council in 2013 and mayor four years later. Residents had signed two petitions calling for her resignation. The story examined her secret 2020 support for the Utah Lake island project and questions about her income.
- Fullmer elected to council 2013, mayor four years later
- Two petitions calling for resignation
- Voters weakened the mayor's powers in November 2024
“from a farming town of 177 to a city of more than 14,000”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune (with The New York Times) ›Daily Herald (Provo)February 12, 2025Jacob Nielson
The Daily Herald reported the Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, groundbreaking of Bella's Market at 875 N. Main St. City officials, Utah City developers, Lee's Marketplace and Associated Food Stores took part. The store aimed to open by year's end as the first grocery west of I-15 in Vineyard, Orem or Provo.
- Groundbreaking Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025
- 875 N. Main St.
- Utah City is 700 acres
“braved sub-freezing temperatures and wind gusts Wednesday morning”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›KSL.comFebruary 20, 2025Cassidy Wixom
KSL reported the groundbreaking for Bella's Market, Vineyard's first grocery store and one of the first major Utah City amenities. Residents had long complained that the nearest grocery was across the freeway in Orem. The 40,000 square foot store sits at 875 N. Main Street. KSL dated the ceremony Feb. 13.
- Groundbreaking dated Feb. 13 by KSL
- 40,000 square feet
- 875 N. Main Street
“One of Vineyard residents' biggest gripes is about to be eliminated”
Read at KSL.com ›KSL.comApril 8, 2025Emily Ashcraft
KSL reported the groundbreaking for the Huntsman Cancer Institute campus in Vineyard on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. The center aimed to open in 2028 and shorten travel for cancer patients in Utah County and beyond. Donor David Bearss, who lost family members to cancer, spoke at the ceremony.
- Groundbreaking April 8, 2025
- Target opening 2028
- Donor David Bearss
“deeply personal endeavor”
Read at KSL.com ›Deseret NewsApril 11, 2025Cassidy Wixom
The Deseret News reported that the council voted 4 to 1 on April 3 to authorize sales tax revenue bonds for a new city center. The bonds could not exceed $35 million, 35 years or 6 percent interest. Councilman Jacob Holdaway voted no and led a referendum, calling the debt financially reckless. Mayor Julie Fullmer said the center would be shared with the community.
- Vote 4-1 on April 3, 2025
- Up to $35 million, 35 years, 6% interest
- Holdaway leads referendum
“issuing this level of debt with no money down”
Read at Deseret News ›Daily Herald (Provo)May 15, 2025Jacob Nielson
The Daily Herald reported that the Vineyard City Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to cancel its city center bond resolution after resident pushback. The April 3 resolution had capped the bond at $35 million, 6 percent interest and a 30 year term. Councilwoman Mardi Sifuentes said she had wanted community support that never came.
- Unanimous vote to cancel
- Bond had been authorized April 3
- Cap: $35 million, 6%, 30 years (per Herald)
“I also wanted community buy-in. And I don’t feel like that has happened”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Deseret NewsMay 15, 2025Carter Williams
The Deseret News reported Census estimates for Utah cities from mid 2023 to mid 2024. Salt Lake City added the most people, close to 6,000. Vineyard grew almost 10 percent, the top rate among Utah cities of at least 10,000. Utah County held seven of the 10 fastest growing spots by percentage.
- Vineyard grew almost 10%
- Top rate among Utah cities over 10,000
- Salt Lake City added close to 6,000
“Vineyard’s population grew by almost 10%”
Read at Deseret News ›Deseret NewsOctober 30, 2025Carter Williams
At the Utah Lake Symposium, Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi, chair of the Utah Lake Authority board, set a goal of clearing carp and invasive plants from the lake by 2034. The authority will lean on Minnesota research linking carp reduction to clearer water. Phragmites had already been cut by about 85 percent along the shore.
- Target year 2034
- Phragmites reduced about 85 percent
- Russian olives can use 200 gallons a day
“Carp, we are coming for you”
Read at Deseret News ›Daily Herald (Provo)November 14, 2025Jacob Nielson
The Daily Herald visited Bella's Market the day before its Saturday grand opening, when it would become the first grocery store inside Vineyard city limits. Lee's Marketplace of Logan manages the store through a partnership with Utah City, and it was the first commercial business to open in the 700 acre development. The paper put Vineyard's population at over 16,000.
- Grand opening Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025
- First commercial entity in Utah City
- Vineyard over 16,000 people
- Abel Porter quoted
“most industry experts would say that Vineyard’s not big enough”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Deseret NewsNovember 22, 2025Curtis Booker
The Deseret News reported that Bella's Market opened the previous Saturday as one of Utah City's first major amenities. Associated Food Stores said the opening drew over 1,000 people. Mayor Julie Fullmer called it a historic moment. Lee's Marketplace CEO Jonathan Badger, a co-owner, called it a gathering place.
- Opened Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025
- Over 1,000 attendees per Associated Food Stores
- Utah City is 700 acres
“This is the first store in Vineyard in 100 years.”
Read at Deseret News ›Daily Herald (Provo)December 8, 2025Jacob Nielson
Anglers and bow hunters removed 20,407 pounds of carp in 10 events during the Utah Lake Authority's first Great Carp Hunt. Bow hunting Team BPS won the $10,000 prize with 1,406 fish. The 2026 contest would focus on spring spawning season.
- 20,407 pounds in 10 events
- Team BPS caught 1,406 fish
- $1,000 monthly prizes
“seeing if there’s a proof of concept here”
Read at Daily Herald (Provo) ›Deseret NewsJanuary 10, 2026Cassidy Wixom
The Deseret News reported that Zack Stratton was sworn in as mayor on a Tuesday with an almost entirely new City Council. A state audit of the Redevelopment Agency from January 2018 to March 2025 had found inaccurate reporting of transactions. Former city manager Ezra Nair joined the council. The story called Vineyard an approximately 6.5 square mile city.
- Mayor Zack Stratton sworn in
- Audit covered RDA, Jan. 2018 to March 2025
- City about 6.5 square miles
“an almost entirely brand new City Council and a focus on financial transparency”
Read at Deseret News ›Salt Lake TribuneJanuary 10, 2026
The Tribune reported that Utah Valley University would lease 4.83 acres of its Vineyard land to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 50 years so the church could build meetinghouses. The church would pay $4.2 million upfront over two years. UVU owns more than 225 acres in Vineyard and hopes to expand there but has not set plans or funding.
- 4.83 acres leased for 50 years
- $4.2 million paid over two years
- UVU owns more than 225 acres in Vineyard
- Says Vineyard had 110 residents in 2010
“UVU has envisioned expanding its campus beyond its current Orem center”
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›The Daily Universe (BYU)January 13, 2026Daisy Arvonen
BYU's student paper reported on Bella's Market as a centerpiece of Utah City. Store director Justin McFadden said more than 5,000 people came on opening day in November. He called it the largest grand opening in Associated Food Stores history. The store is managed by Lee's Marketplace.
- More than 5,000 on opening day
- Largest grand opening in Associated Food Stores history
- Managed by Lee's Marketplace
“the largest grand opening in Associated Food Stores history”
Read at The Daily Universe (BYU) ›Deseret NewsFebruary 14, 2026Carter Williams
The Utah Lake Authority announced a second Great Carp Hunt, switching to a bounty of $1.50 a fish plus $1.50 toward a grand prize pool. A spokesperson said the 2025 contest removed around 30,000 pounds, or 4,686 carp. She estimated 3 to 4 million carp remain, down from 10 million.
- $1.50 per fish bounty
- 2025: around 30,000 pounds, 4,686 carp
- 3 to 4 million carp remain
“at one point there were 10 million”
Read at Deseret News ›KSL.comMarch 8, 2026Cassidy Wixom
KSL reported that several former Vineyard employees said they were pushed out after the new mayor and council took office on Jan. 5, 2026. The city manager, recorder, finance director and others had left. Mayor Zack Stratton denied forced resignations and pointed to financial challenges.
- New council and mayor sworn in Jan. 5, 2026
- Subcommittee on staff alignment created Jan. 13
- Seven staff positions vacated
“Two months into the new mayor's term in Vineyard”
Read at KSL.com ›KSL.comApril 26, 2026Cassidy Wixom
KSL reported that the first phase of the 700 acre Utah City was opening on the former Geneva Steel site. The first two residential buildings had more than 450 units. The 12 acre Greenline would link the FrontRunner station to the Utah Lake shore, among more than 50 acres of parks. Marketing director Jacklyn Briggs explained the name.
- 700 acres
- First two buildings: more than 450 units
- 12-acre Greenline
- More than 50 acres of parks
“If we're successful, then Utah is successful; that's why we named it Utah City.”
Read at KSL.com ›Deseret NewsJune 10, 2026Carter Williams
The state lifted the PCB consumption advisory on Utah Lake carp, in place since 2005, after testing found safe levels. Officials said PCBs may have come from runoff from companies like Geneva Steel in Vineyard. The channel catfish advisory remains.
- Carp advisory placed in 2005
- More than 30 million pounds of carp removed over two decades
- Geneva Steel operated in Vineyard 1944 to 2001
“This is a major victory for Utah Lake”
Read at Deseret News ›Salt Lake TribuneOctober 12, 2026Leia Larsen
A Tribune report on whether Utah City, built on the former Geneva Steel site in Vineyard, can become a walkable downtown. It includes council member Jacob Holdaway, described as a descendant of the pioneer family that settled Vineyard and named it for the table grapes they grew. Holdaway criticizes the development's housing promises as a bait and switch.
- Holdaway family described as having named Vineyard after table grapes they grew
- Utah City sits on the former Geneva Steel site
- Plan promised 2,000 or more attainable housing units
Read at Salt Lake Tribune ›