New shopping and dining opportunities are well on their way in Spanish Fork, but residents will have to wait a few months before they find out who is setting up shop at North Park.

Westfield Properties, which is developing North Park with Woodbury Corp., said it will likely announce in May which businesses will make up the proposed 36-acre shopping center near the Interstate 15-U.S. Highway 6 interchange. Westfield's Richard Mendenhall said it will be a mix of big-box stores, small retailers, restaurants and financial institutions.

"Just kind of the prototypical mix of uses that you see in the contemporary shopping centers," Mendenhall said.

North Park will be similar to The Meadows in American Fork, another Westfield-Woodbury project. The 135-acre shopping complex that includes Wal-Mart, Kohl's and Chili's. Because of the difference in size, North Park will be a scaled-down version of its counterpart in northern Utah County.

Mendenhall said construction will likely begin in late May or June, with the shopping center opening its doors 10-12 months later.

Whatever opens up at North Park, Spanish Fork Mayor Joe Thomas is confident that it will save residents the trouble of driving to Provo and Orem for their favorite stores and restaurants. Thomas said he is looking forward to it himself.

"I eat at restaurants here, but I like to eat out. I like P.F. Chang's and I like Carraba's," said Thomas. Both restaurants are located at University Mall in Orem.

Mendenhall said North Park also will give people living south of Spanish Fork a chance to shop and dine a little closer to home.

"People in Nephi, Levan ... any of these areas, there's limited services available to them," Mendenhall said. "Most of the population will make trips on a semi-frequent basis to Utah County for major shopping trips, for things that aren't available in their own communities."

Santaquin Mayor James DeGraffenried said residents of his city will benefit from having such businesses closer to them.

"If they put something in that brings things closer to us, of course it helps us," he said. "Groceries, clothing, anything. It helps us."

Better shopping may not even be the greatest benefit that North Park will bring to Spanish Fork.

That biggest prize may be increased sales tax revenues that will come with the development.

When Spanish Fork residents spend their money in Provo and Orem, those cities get the sales taxes. North Park will help keep that money in Spanish Fork, Thomas said, which will help fund services and infrastructure, the need for which is increasing as the city grows.

"Every dollar that comes in in sales tax is a dollar we don't have to take out directly with tax. And if somebody comes from a neighboring community and shops in our town, well that's a great move for us," Thomas said.

But for Thomas, the most important thing about North Park is the way it can improve life for Spanish Fork residents.

"It's not about revenue for me," he said. "You want good shopping, you want good restaurants, you want good entertainment, you want recreation, you want nice homes, you want nice jobs."

First proposed about a year ago, North Park has been a controversial subject in Spanish Fork. Some nearby residents are upset because it will be built over a park, which the city said it will relocate. Residents of a trailer park also will be forced to find new homes.

Jeremy Duda can be reached a 344-2561 or jduda@heraldextra.com.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C1.