May 2009 Newsletter Issue #161

In reading the summer 2009 quarterly issue of ‘Living Well’, I noted an article providing status On the Dixie Regional Medical Center Outpatient Pavilion construction site.  The projected five story pavilion is located just east of the River Road hospital. A grand opening celebration is planned late this summer.  Ongoing construction is on schedule with much of the first two floors nearing completion.

According to the operations officer for the Dixie Regional Medical Center, the outpatient pavilion meets four needs of a growing community; First, it provides more physician office space close to the hospital; Second, it gives more operating room capacity; Third, it offers more space for growing existing services, like imaging and rehabilitation; Fourth, it allows addition of new programs, such as a comprehensive spine and pain clinic and sports medicine.

What’s really impressive is that private charitable funds have played a large role in the building construction.  The local economic health is only strengthened with facilities of this type in that health services are a major attraction to older folks looking for a place to retire to.  Facilities such as these continue to attract the best doctors and staff. In addition to their quarterly hardcopy newsletters, the Dixie Regional Medical Center has several great sites including, but not limited to http://intermountainhealthcare.org/hospitals/dixie/services/outpatient/Pages/home.aspx and http://intermountainhealthcare.org/Pages/home.aspx  

The City Council approved a preliminary 2009-10 fiscal year budget Thursday that is about $5 million thinner than the previous year's, largely due to a lack of capital projects. However, while budget constraints will handcuff the city's ability to fund new construction this year, several government-backed projects, such as the city's new airport, a bridge project on Valley View Drive and a realignment of the intersection of Hilton Drive and Blackridge Drive, could give the area's struggling construction industry a much-needed boost.

Every government entity except at the federal level must balance their budget each and every year.  In Utah, the fiscal year is from July 1^st to June 30^th.

The city accepted a pair of bids on projects related to the airport, including $6.3 million to construct the terminal building and $4 million to perform the finish grading and terminal excavation. The Federal Aviation Administration has promised $123 million toward the $160 million project.  http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20090508/NEWS01/905080319

With negatives there are positives, such as in other business, the council finalized a resolution to refinance $25 million in bonds, to take advantage of interest rates of 2.75 percent. By refinancing from a 3.84 percent rate, the city stands to save more than $900,000. Read the entire article at http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20090508/NEWS01/905080335/Budget+reflects+tough+economy

The Downtown Farmers Market at Ancestor Square hosted its first weekly market from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday in the courtyard at Ancestor Square, located at St. George Boulevard and Main Street in Downtown St. George.
  Vendors included a line up of organic gardeners, bakers, craftsmen and artists. Weekly entertainment will be playing in the center amphitheater from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The event is free to the public. The market will be open each Saturday from May 9 to Oct. 31. This and more at http://www.sgcity.org/index.php

This is not a good time to be a landlord.  Local renters are giving notice at a very high rate for many different reasons accord to local property management companies.  Monthly rents are being reduced regularly. http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009905040312

and http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009905040309 have all the gory details

I waited until a Hurricane city public hearing was held last night May 28^th before I prepared this month’s newsletter.  The topic was and is a world class tourist destination resort to be built in Hurricane, adjacent to Sand Hollow Reservoir.  This proposed venture is huge, to be built on 2,000 acres and would include a school system, indoor ski resort and theme and water park and much more.  The hearing had about 200 attendees and as usual there were pros and cons.  The next step in the process will be the city council meeting on June 4^th in Hurricane. 

If approved by the city council, this project would mean a lot of work for the community during construction and ongoing for operations of the facilities, about 3,000 high paying jobs with 3,000 to 5,000 ancillary jobs.  This could be a big deal but it has a long way to go.  You might want to read this very interesting article published on Friday May 29, 2009 in The Spectrum at http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20090529/NEWS01/905290309/-1/NEWSFRONT2/Residents+split+on+resort

I just received this email from a good friend and fellow Realtor from Southern California, Lynnette O’Brien.  She states:

One of the more interesting sites I have seen. Just put your mouse on a city anywhere in the world and the newspaper headlines pop up...  Double click and it shows the whole front page. There are about 580 newspapers from over 80 countries.

This web site is mind boggling and I am sure just a continuing process in internet technology. I think back almost fifteen years ago when there was only one commercial web site.  From that point forward I began to tell everyone who would listen, we were bearing witness to the greatest invention in history, the World Wide Web. I know the world will be a better place as there is access throughout the world to information which is used for education and communication for all.  Public enemy #1 is ignorance.

In fact, www.newseum.org on Saturday, May 30, 2009: has 689 front pages from 63 countries. In the middle of the Belgium Congo or northeast Siberia you can read the New Times or any of the other newspapers in the world.  Try all the links on this web site.  You can sort by map, or list or gallery.  The paper I was interested in I couldn’t find was The Spectrum.

Onward and upward.   Jeri Yeager

UNTIL NEXT MONTH...THANKS FOR READING!!

The Yeager Group DIRECT LINE- 435-674-5731 FAX LINE- 435-673-3686 jeri.yeager@realtor.com