The site of the old Cottonwood Mall has visible signs of new life – and more buildings are on the way.

There are free-standing townhomes, with more underway, that are ready for buyers; there are nearly finished apartments; and there is early constitution of a new coworking space set to open next spring on the long-vacant site of the state’s first mall.

And Holladay Hills – the name for the luxury residential and commercial development covering multiple parcels and 56 acres near 4800 S. Highland Drive – is looking to expand.

A commercial building intended for use by Chase Bank and roughly 60 townhomes are in design and heading to Holladay City Council soon. The Holladay Planning Commission reviewed both last month but made no binding decisions.

Unlike a proposal that voters shot down in 2018, Holladay Hills is less dense with smaller buildings farther from streets and more open space than the last plan.

It will abide by terms approved by city leaders in 2007 for a proposal abandoned when that developer went bankrupt.

Woodbury Corporation, the project’s lead developer, declined an interview for this story but said more information is forthcoming. A spokesperson for the City of Holladay also did not comment on the development at the former mall.

Ken Krivanec, Utah division president for Tri Pointe Homes, said Holladay Hills is the perfect place for his firm to “plant a flag” in Utah. Tri Pointe will develop two lots: roughly 60 townhomes and six single-family houses.

“We’re excited,” Krivanec said. “This is a pretty special project.”

Utah’s first mall

Built in 1962, Utah’s first mall thrived for 40 years before changing markets led to the Cottonwood Mall’s demise in 2008. The mall property has remained vacant for more than a decade amid attempts to redevelop it.

First, voters torpedoed a high-density development proposed by Ivory Homes and Woodbury Corp. That proposal included a 775-unit high-rise apartment complex and 210 single-family homes on 57 acres.

Though the project may have contributed significantly to the 25-year-old city’s tax base, it also involved high-density housing and a series of multistory residential and office towers that drew concern from some residents.

Those residents contended that the proposed Holladay Quarter was too big and too dense, threatening to snarl traffic and alter the quality of life in the suburban city on Salt Lake County’s eastern bench.

The developers continued to push their plans for the high-rise tower for more than two years before a ballot measure reversed the Holladay City Council’s approval of the project.

Ivory Homes abandoned the effort, but Woodbury Corp. decided to regroup and try again.

They were successful and have been getting approval parcel by parcel for a development with 614 residential units and up to 750,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and office space. There are also proposals for a hotel and theater.

The new developer is Holladay Hills LLC, a partnership involving Woodbury Corp., Millrock Capital and KBS Commercial Advisors.

Housing and coworking space under construction

Three elements are already under construction.

Some townhomes on the southern end of the property, called “Elevate at Holladay Hills,” are done and sold, and others are under construction.

Seven townhomes are listed for sale — all at $1 million or more except for the model unit — and have at least three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two-car garage. Plans call for a total of 38 townhomes with one of five floorplans.

Along South Highland Drive, near the middle of the former mall property, “The Grandeur at Holladay Hills” is under construction.

Once finished, the building will have 147 units that range from studios to one- and two-bedroom apartments. The 448-square-foot studio apartments start around $1,500, while the two-bed, two-bath units with about 1,100 square feet run for more than $3,000.

The apartment building has several amenities, including a courtyard with a pool and cabanas, a barbeque area, a game room and a lounge for residents.

Closer to the southeast corner of South Highland Drive and East Murray Holladay Road, the bones of a large coworking space are in place.

The Kiln already has spaces in Salt Lake City, Park City and Lehi.

More housing and retail coming soon

A collection of townhomes, plus six single-family estate homes, will be among Tri Pointe Homes’ first projects in Utah. Holladay Hills is the perfect place “to plant a flag,” said Ken Krivanec, the firm’s Utah division president.

“There are not a lot of opportunities to build a new home in Holladay,” Krivanec said — especially, he added, in a mixed-used community alongside retailers and restaurants.

“I don’t know where else you’d go to find that diversity,” he added.

Holladay’s planning commission discussed preliminary design plans for the 66 townhomes last month. Commissioners said it was the first time they had seen a proposal for the 3-acre plot, and commissioners had some design concerns — like the pitched, single roof that made it look like a “fort.” One commissioner said it “looked really boring.”

But the project is still in its early design stage, Krivanec said. Developers and architects are “working hard” to come up with a design that “fits the community and its history.” They’ve still “got a ways to go.”

Krivanec said he hopes to present designs for the townhomes and the single-family homes in early 2025 and have homes on the market by early 2026.

A commercial bank campus also is slated for a 3.5-acre plot. Commissioners are considering whether to subdivide the plot, but recent plans point to a single commercial building “intended to be occupied by Chase Bank.”

TriPointe Homes also will build six single-family estate homes on a separate lot, Krivanec said. Design proposals have not yet been submitted, but Krivanec said he hopes homes will be on the market by early 2026.

The plans also call for a lot of parking space, a fitness center, and more retail and entertainment options.

Correction, Oct. 21, 1 p.m.: This story has been corrected to show Holloday has been a city for around 25 years.

Shannon Sollitt is a Report for America corps member covering business accountability and sustainability for The Salt Lake Tribune. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by clicking here.

Megan Banta is The Salt Lake Tribune’s data enterprise reporter, a philanthropically supported position. The Tribune retains control over all editorial decisions.