• Moving City Hall will create space for a mixed-use development of the property around where the current building is. This proposal was key in having the City’s Redevelopment Agency (RDA) extended for 20 more years by taxing entities including Davis County and the Davis School District.
• Moving City Hall and developing the Plaza creates a Civic Center, and a sense of place where people will want to visit.
• Locating resources and community activity downtown shows that Bountiful is invested in maintaining and strengthening the heart of Bountiful and shapes a better business environment.
• Bountiful City has over 200 employees, with 35-40 employed at City Hall. Roughly 175 visitors a day come to City Hall for reasons including permits, payments, information, public meetings, trainings, tours, etc.  All of this activity will add vitality to Main Street and business for local shops and restaurants. When combined with a new plaza, the City hopes to stimulate economic development, create a civic center, and create a "sense of place."

$13 million, which includes design, engineering, and equipment costs.  Years of prudent budgeting and savings means the City will not have to bond for this investment, RDA funds will not be utilized, taxes will not increase.  (Learn more about RDAs.)

• Preserving Stoker was our original hope. Unfortunately, the building is too weak and the methods for strengthening are far too costly to pursue. Measures used by the LDS Church to rebuild the Provo Tabernacle are similar to what would need to be done to reinforce Stoker. Tens of millions of dollars would be required.

• The City plans a public celebration of Stoker School prior to its removal.  As the Downtown Plaza is designed, the City is considering ways to honor and remember this school and the community spirit that it has engendered.

The analysis performed by structural engineers revealed that the unreinforced masonry walls have been weakened significantly over time due to age, dated construction methods and building additions. With this knowledge, and with safety of occupants at the forefront of the City's intentions, doing nothing is no longer an option. 

The City’s lease with the U of U ends June 2017. The University has decided for a variety of reasons, including decreasing enrollment, to no longer have a campus in Bountiful.  The relationship between the City and the U of U remains amicable.  The University and the City are currently exploring the possibility of accommodating some classes, like the pottery program, in Bountiful. 

Nothing is yet designed, but the overarching purpose is to make a multi-use space that is inviting to families and functional for events and activities such as concerts, the Farmers Market, Chalk Art Festival, Rotary Car Show, etc.  An interactive water feature, public seating, adequate parking, and abundant green space are all part of the plan.  The City and architects have taken steps to invite input from neighbors, businesses, and the public in general.

$2.5 to $3 million. This will be paid for by the Redevelopment Agency (RDA) , not City savings.  (Learn more about RDAs.)

No. The plan is to provide the same amount of parking. In addition, the RDA has funding to allow the City to add more parking in the Main Street core as necessary.  Increasing parking in the downtown area is something that the City is already pursuing.

The local library is owned and operated by Davis County, not the City. Currently, there is no County funding available to construct a new library.  The County Library Board has expressed a need to locate library services further south than downtown in order to provide services to the wider South Davis population. 

No property will be taken. The City owns Stoker School and the surrounding parking and soccer field. Eminent domain will not need to be used.

The City has gathered data and analyzed options for over two years. The process has been very deliberate (please see the associated Project Timeline).  Until the structural analysis of Stoker was complete and funding was made available via the Redevelopment Agency (RDA) extension (providing funding for the Plaza), none of the plans could be considered possible. Now with the prerequisite analysis accomplished, and the RDA has been extended, the project can proceed. (Learn more about RDAs.)

The remainder of the property is perfectly suited for a transit-oriented, mixed-use development. The City intends to work with private partners to develop the property. We also hope that Davis County will consider the site for a new library in the future. Other options may also be considered for the building including rental to other governments or similar institutional/educational uses. Staying true to the character of Bountiful and enhancing the community is key.http://www.bountifulutah.gov/Redevelopment

No taxes will increase. The prudent financial practices for years will allow the City to use savings to replace City Hall.  The Redevelopment Agency (RDA) will pay for the plaza. Private investment will fund the mixed-use development near the current City Hall and Library.  (Learn more about RDAs.)

The City selected an architect and designer for Plaza and City Hall July 2016. It is hoped that construction can start July 2017.

• Everyone benefits from a healthy and vibrant downtown. Beyond business owners, we all have a stake in the economic health of our “downtown.” 
• A healthy downtown creates a strong sense of place; which research shows is vital to the health and prosperity of businesses, especially in smaller cities.
• Thoughtfully planned downtown development encourages people to linger; this equates not only to an economic benefit, but also enhanced quality of life for the community.
• Building the downtown invites people to stay longer than is necessary to conduct their business. People will be tempted to linger if a place is comfortable, safe, attractive, and interesting. The has a ripple effect; the longer people choose to stay downtown, the more establishments they will visit, thereby providing an economic benefit as well as a social benefit.
• Increasing the level of human activity in the downtown area helps to create an identifiable "heart of Bountiful," enhances the image of downtown and provides appeal to community members, businesses and visitors.