Pleasant Grove has patiently watched surrounding communities grow economically over the last few years, while land off the city's freeway interchange has remained empty. But now the economic waiting game seems to be over.

The Westwood Development Group, a fully integrated development and acquisition company, announced they will develop 106 acres of land off the Interstate 15 interchange in Pleasant Grove. The group, which paid $34 million for the land, is planning to develop a $200 million project with over 1 million square feet of high-level design, occupied by as many new to the area merchants as possible. The group hasn't given any hints about what kind of stores or how many the development will attract.

"Our vision for this site is to do a high-quality, pedestrian-friendly, main street traditional and lifestyle center," said Westwood's Chairman and CEO Mike Bowen. "It will be more of a destination. Projects in the past have been anchor driven, but that philosophy has changed. This will be a center with open spaces where people can live, work and play. Our experience is your anchor. We are not just going out for that anchor store."

Pleasant Grove will share in the sales and property tax revenues with the city of Lindon. The two recently joined together in an inter-local agreement creating a common taxing district in the area near the interchange.

"The two cities joined efforts for the agreement with the objective that it will provide positive benefits in economic development for the general welfare of the two cities," said Pleasant Grove Mayor Michael W. Daniels.

The development group plans to begin placing the project's infrastructure, doing road work and installing the sewer lines this summer, to be completed by the end of 2006. The building for phase one will begin in 2007 and the developers anticipate it will take three years to build the entire project. A local architectural firm will be a main player in helping to develop the design schematics for the project.

"We currently have rough concepts, will go to design and then get tenant specific," Bowen said.

"There is currently substantial interest for multiple tenants, but the announcement is premature. The names you are going to like, but the flip side to creating something this great means it will take longer," Bowen said.

Westwood's unique retail market opportunities ensure that prospective merchants and their projects will not just simply survive -- they will prosper. Bowen said the company is currently involved in 10 projects with more than 4 million square feet. Westwood also is working on two other projects in the Salt Lake metro area and in southwest Utah.

"We are ultimately trying to build something with long-term viability," Bowen said. "We are long-term holders of assets and will become a permanent fixture in this community."

Daniels said the Westwood Group made its announcement in time for the city's participation in the upcoming Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team, sponsored by the American Institute of Architects.

"We are headed into a project with the AIA where we come together with citizens to plan the future of Pleasant Grove," Daniels said. "We felt that this announcement was made in a timely manner that will help us properly envision our future with our largest developer coming into town."

"Many will be walking through our doors within the next six to eight months wondering what they can do to get a piece of this," Daniels said. "This is tremendous and is going to appeal to all different cultures and backgrounds. We have not forecast the financial economic impact, but feel the retail sales tax revenues will replace or even surpass our current sales."

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1.