I attended the Orem city/Orem Mall meeting this last Wednesday. They had a bunch of maps etx of their plans in expanding the Orem Mall properties. I took notes. Any inaccuracies in my notes are due to my misunderstanding or bad note taking. I hope most of this info is accurate.

Jeff Woodberry and his son (alan?) give speeches:

• His family is the one that always been owners of the mall. They formed the real estate business in 1919. There is a partner with Legrand Richards, but as Legrand Richards became more involved in his church callings. He left the real estate business.
• In 1957 Woodberry properties transferred management forms fathers to sons
• 1965 investment was made to create the Orem mall.
• 1972 mall is built when Provo downtown rejected it.
• Did focus groups to find out what people said they wanted. They were told millions want to have places to rent as they did not want own homes. Other observations were made from other malls around the country. Ove half of the malls have closed, those that have survived did so by investing themselves by having other draws to the mall outside of retail businesses such as rental properties of business buildings have really survive as small properties.
• Retail stores are down by 20%.
• People in Utah County are known to be bargain shoppers.
• The oldest buildings constructed by the wall will be used by various corporations as an additional source of revenue for the city and the business.
• Want to build amenities that will attract people to the mall, including high-quality lifestyle in hotel, business and apartments.
• Woodberry will be investing $500 million in Orem mall.
• 7000 feet of office class A office space.
• Residential space will consist of 1200 unites for possible rent by employees of the businesses offices that may also be in the same property.
• 120 room hotel used by local businesses.
• CBA means: community development area.
• Will add new infrastructure and repair old infrastructure of the mall.
• Will build a new road that will go through a Mervin’s(?) store is currently located.
• Will redo utility and parking infrastructure.

Mayor Brunst gives speech:

• Mall was built in 1972. It’s been here for 42 years.
• Over $1 million of Orem city tax comes from the University collection of buildings
• We need a retail sector in the city to help Orem grow.
• Approximately 22% of sales tax comes from retail
• 19 million income comes from property taxes.
• $1+ million County sales tax paid by Mall properties
• Mayer promises no new sales tax, no new bonds, and no new debt.
• Three major businesses have left or other cities with them when 2000 jobs.
• In 2000 1370 1 million was used for C DA in Utah, some of which was dedicated to the wall.
• The goal of the city and Utah State is to attract businesses and they use CBA to attract business to the state. Part of the state CBA was invested in Orem mall
• Various businesses currently use forms of CBA: Manufacturers don’t have to pay sales tax for new equipment or utility bills and the same for tech companies. They get CBA.
• If mall can do its complete plans, an estimated $320 million in the next 20 years will be tax income for the city
• Interior of mall will be refurnished.
• Woodbury says if we delay investment that we may need to move to other areas of the country to dedicate our finance
• Orem was originally named after a rail road owner. The farmers of the land in Orem promised they would name the city after him if he would build the rail road near them so they could transport their harvest.
• They plan to build an outdoor theater.
• Plan to have a colored water feature.
• Plan to have a dog park.
• 95% of the land in Orem is occupied. The only choice now is to build up instead of out.
• In a survey of the 500 fastest growing cities and the country Orem was the third from the bottom.
• Orem in taxes is 20% lower in property tax other cities around us.
• $82 million property tax will be paid by Woodberry organization
• I’m not sure I’m saying the following accurately:
• 75% savings for the mall will go back to the infrastructure of the mall
• Petition to put Orem expansion on the ballet will require 3200 votes.
• If the petition to put Orem expansion is successfully put on the ballet then Orem will either have a special election in June 2015 (which will cost the city) on November 2015. This may likely motivate Woodberry real estate to invest elsewhere.
• Tried to get son of Woodberry to comment on expansion to State street (which would include my and other ward members’ homes) but he had nothing to say.