It’s one thing to see Utah driving up and down I-15; it’s an entirely different experience to see it from the window of a helicopter with real estate mogul Brandon Fugal as your tour guide.
It was a whirlwind: Within the span of half an hour, I met Fugal for the first time, was introduced to the pilot who would very soon hold our lives in his capable hands, and walked through Fugal’s hangar (and saw his famous black helicopter seen in “The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch”). I found myself in the red helicopter parked out front, slipped on a pair of headphones (took a selfie), and before I knew it, we were airborne.
Seeing just a part of Utah from Fugal’s point of view (in a helicopter!) was truly an event like no other. We flew over Utah Lake; I saw my apartment complex and the Utah Business office; we got an aerial view of the Salt Lake Temple construction. As we twisted and turned in the air, watching the helicopter’s shadow fly over neighborhoods and roads, I was amazed to see just how many people call this beautiful state home — both a place for their families and their livelihoods.
My excitement only grew as we flew past the developments Fugal pointed out that will amplify our state’s already-booming economy. From the data centers in Eagle Mountain to the former Wonder Bread factory site in Ogden, here are some up-and-coming areas that we saw on the helicopter ride that you should also keep an eye on.
Utah City | Vineyard
Designed to be a sustainable, walkable, transit-oriented community, Utah City addresses Utah’s housing shortage while creating a holistic community for families to live and work.
- Projected to be a total of 17 million square feet of development
- Huntsman Cancer Institute campus opening by summer 2028
Valley Grove | Pleasant Grove
Valley Grove is positioned to be a “significant transaction for Utah’s multifamily market,” adding 420 units in a master-planned community right by Silicon Slopes.
- 130 acres of current active development
- $1.2 billion investment for Class A office, retail, restaurants, luxury residential and hospitality developments
Texas Instruments | Lehi
The largest economic investment in state history, Texas Instruments’ $11 billion semiconductor campus in Lehi will power the country’s future.
- Bringing an estimated 800 Texas Instruments jobs
- Expands Texas Instruments and Utah’s advanced manufacturing capabilities
Meta Data Center and QTS Data Center | Eagle Mountain
Meta announced on September 14 that it will expand its footprint there, showing that tech hyperscalers see Utah as a hub for the AI buildout. QTS, also in Eagle Mountain, prides itself on providing a water-efficient design for its data centers.
- $9+ billion in combined investment
- Projected to create 400+ permanent jobs and up to 4,000 temporary jobs
The Point | Draper
The Point broke ground a few months ago on the former Utah State Prison site to develop a new downtown, working alongside the state of Utah and the Point of the Mountain State Land Authority.
- 6.3 million square feet in Phase I, with over 3,300 residential units planned
- Anchored by a 46-acre University of Utah medical campus and a 5,000-seat Mountain America Credit Union event center
Salt Lake Temple Open House Celebration | Salt Lake City
With 1 million reservations filled within the first 24 hours, the Salt Lake Temple Open House anticipates drawing a large global audience to the heart of the city.
- Six-month historic open house running from April to October 2027
- Completion of the landmark Temple Square and flagship Salt Lake Temple renovation at the end of 2026
Sports, Entertainment, Culture and Convention District | Salt Lake City
This district represents an effort to revitalize downtown Salt Lake City into an economic engine and a gathering place.
- $900 million public-private partnership
- New 6,000-capacity live music venue built in partnership with Live Nation
- Major multi-year Delta Center renovation to host both Utah Jazz (NBA) and Utah Mammoth (NHL) games
Power District | Salt Lake City
After decades as an industrial zone, Salt Lake City’s west side is becoming the center of a revitalization project and potentially the home of Utah’s first Major League Baseball franchise.
- Anchored by 10-story Rocky Mountain Power office development
- 100+ acre mixed-use development and potential MLB ballpark
Falcon Hill Aerospace Research Park | Hill Air Force Base Expansion
Replacing aging WWII-era bomb depots, Falcon Hill has grown into the Department of Defense’s largest commercial real estate Enhanced Use Lease program.
- 550 acres with over 2 million square feet master-planned
- Adding roughly 30,000 jobs to the local economy
WonderBlock | Ogden
Rising from the site of a former Wonder Bread factory, WonderBlock is part of a broader push to transform downtown Ogden.
- $188 million mixed-use project to develop residential, Class A office space, retail and hospitality space
- Part of the “Make Ogden” master plan to attract more residents, businesses and jobs to downtown Ogden
