On a chilly Tuesday morning in May, a cadre of Millcreek employees, project partners and elected officials from county, state and federal government offices gathered at Millcreek Common City Center for an official and innovative groundbreaking ceremony putter style. Elected officials and city employees lined up at nine mini golf holes and, in unison, yelled “fore” as a safety measure and an official nod to golf etiquette, then teed off to mark the official start of Phase 2 of the Millcreek Common City Center Project.

City Manager and Economic Development Director Mike Winder welcomed those in attendance and thanked a number of key partners in the project. Terracon Consulting Engineers were recognized as the landscape architects for Phase 1 of the project and thanked for creating a beautiful, safe and multifunctional environment. WPA Architecture and Hogan & Associates Construction were acknowledged for their contribution in making the City Center a unique and vibrant regional destination for families, recreation and culture. 

The Millcreek Commons project site is located on the edge of the Wasatch Fault, a major seismic fault line. The Wasatch Fault runs directly through the project area, influencing both design and construction of Millcreek Common.

According to Hogan & Associates Construction vertical buildings cannot be placed directly on the seismically volatile fault line, so the master planning team instead shifted the site of Millcreek’s future city hall west of the Common, while leaving additional open space to expand north.

“City Hall required additional bracing and earthquake protection due to the fault line,” Millcreek City Mayor Jeff Silvestrini said. “Otherwise, you can’t build on it, so we decided to build a public plaza.” 

The planning process involved the community and the No. 1 amenity requested was an ice-skating facility. In the final development of the plan, residents began to express concern that the area would be too hardscape and not green enough. To honor Millcreek’s connected by nature theme, Millcreek Common Phase 2 will have a significant tree canopy providing plenty of shade and a fun park for Millcreek residents. 

“We will have the only 19-hole mini