RESPONSIBLE GROWTH
Guide Downtown Reinvestment

St. George is experiencing substantial growth and anticipating more in the coming decades. Downtown will accommodate a share of that growth with new housing and businesses. Guiding growth in Downtown can minimize negative impacts and advance community values such as making space for more businesses and residents, water-efficient development, and offering attainable housing options for all ages and stages of residents.

To guide growth in Downtown that is consistent with the community’s overall growth vision, St. George will strive to:

Stimulate Commercial Revitalization

Downtown buildings are, on average, older than other parts of St. George. On some commercial properties in Downtown, existing built structures have less value than the underlying land. Where such properties are clustered, infill and redevelopment can revitalize the area by increasing housing and supporting existing and new businesses.

Consistent with the Lively Character Area, encourage multistory, vertical mixed use development and community gathering spaces in and adjacent to the designated Arts District, and between Bluff Street and South Main south of 700 E.

Invite mixed commercial and infill housing development consistent with the Connected Corridor Character Area in proximity to Utah Tech University, along Tabernacle St., and between South Main and the Washington school District Campus, and around the St. George Temple.

Encourage owners to maintain and refresh commercial properties’ appearance and value.

Encourage Residential Reinvestment and Maintenance

Downtown neighborhoods today contain a healthy and diverse mix of single- and multi-family housing in one-and two-story formats. Some properties include an accessory dwelling unit, apartment, or second house for extended family members or to provide rental income. Downtown property owners are encouraged to

Allow and encourage residential property updates and reinvestment up to the full zoned height and footprint.

Continue the existing desirable balance of single and multifamily residential development in Traditional Neighborhood Character Areas.

Encourage upkeep and maintenance of multifamily properties including through supportive programs and regulations.

Consistent with the General Plan, offer a temporary, well-publicized “amnesty” period and thereafter, enforce the existing rental dwelling unit licensing requirement that ensures existing unregistered Downtown units are safe and habitable.

Advance Compact Development to Make Efficient Use of Land and Water

Compact Downtown land development patterns as exist today and envisioned in this Plan are inherently land efficient and water efficient compared to many other St. George neighborhoods. Accommodating a portion of growth through higher intensity infill and redevelopment offers opportunities to implement related policies of this Plan and the General Plan.

Tailor landscaping requirements for infill projects to support compact development, encourage native and desert adapted species, and follow best practices in alignment with water conservancy district standards.

Upgrade Downtown infrastructure to meet the needs of higher intensity land use from redevelopment and revitalization.

Consistent with the direction of the General Plan, scale the City’s per unit impact fees commensurate to the lower impacts associated with compact development on smaller lots that is prevalent in Downtown.