YOUR AD HERE »

Quarry Village popular with locals

by Andrew Kirk, OF THE RECORD STAFF

After four rough years, Quarry Village, the retail center adjacent to Pinebrook and across from Jeremy Ranch, is highly successful with locals and is at 85 percent occupancy.

Frustrations with county rules, tenant turn-over and tension between some businesses and the owners marred its early days.

"Things are going well," said landlord Bruce Shannon with Santa Fe Partners, who attributed past problems to the newness of the center. "We’re working our asses off It’s on the map."

Candace Kosola, an agent with Commerce CRG, said her company has been managing Quarry Village for about two years now. When they took on the project, it was at 50 percent occupancy. Now it’s at 85 with only 4 open spaces left to fill. With lower rent, easier access, less congestion and better parking than Kimball Junction, the businesses there are doing great, she said.

A lot of the tenants in Quarry Village are service industries such as day care, nails, hair, dry cleaning, exercise and movie rentals. With Albertson’s as the anchor tenant, the center has become a "one-stop" shopping area for Pinebrook, Jeremy Ranch and Parley’s Summit residents who don’t want to drive down the canyon or into Park City for their needs.

"It will always be a neighborhood center," she said. "It will not be a small Redstone. It’s about catering to needs of people in the area."

Bruce Corrigan, co-owner with his wife of Ahh Sushi and O’Shucks Bar and Grill, said he suspects some of the troubles of the past came from people having unrealistic expectations of what would be possible in the center.

"Some people think, ‘If you build it they will come,’ But businesses grow slowly," he said. "I’ve lived in that neighborhood for 16 years so I know it really well. We got what we expected. We’re looking at growth in the I-80 corridor and expect it to get stronger and stronger."

Kathy Wiehe, owner of My Time Fitness, said she’s a little disappointed that the center isn’t as big as was originally planned in 2004. The more businesses there are in the complex, the more foot-traffic there is to benefit everyone. That said, her building has slowly filled up and she has plenty of clients from the surrounding area, she said.

Also, the proximity of all the businesses to Albertsons maximizes the benefit of the foot traffic they do have, Wiehe said.

Craig Tassain, one of the owners of Edgemont Cleaners, said in his experience, grandiose plans never work out the way they were envisioned. But like Wiehe, he said Pinebrook and Jeremy Ranch have given that location plenty of business.

Mauricio Albornoz, an owner of World Bazaar Outlet, said he couldn’t be more pleased with Quarry Village.

"Location, location, location! It’s close to freeway, easy access, lots of parking and cheaper rent. You can see the store from the freeway," he said.

Corrigan said available parking is the best thing going for him, as well. The biggest complaint he hears about his locations in Park City and downtown Salt Lake City is lack of space. His Quarry Village location is not only much larger than the two others, but has nearly unlimited parking.

Adam Fehr said that when he started at the complex he heard stories of tenants unsuccessfully trying to unite in promoting themselves in the first years. Fehr said he wouldn’t mind getting more customers off of I-80, but that he isn’t going for the Salt Lake Valley or tourism clientele. He’s there for the locals, he said.

"Locals can rely strictly on Quarry Village for just about anything. I’ve been a resident in Jeremy Ranch for three years and I don’t see myself going to Kimball Junction or Salt Lake City for anything, I can do it here in Quarry Village," he said.

Corrigan said some business owners want to be near movie theaters and big-box stores. Their absence in the complex is a plus, he said, because he wants to make sure his business is as convenient and comfortable as possible for the people living around it.

Shannon with Santa Fe Partners emphasized that its goal is to be a neighborhood center, not a regional center. His company sponsors about a dozen free summer concerts for the locals that have steadily gained in popularity, he said. As far as he can see, Quarry Village is only getting more popular.

Kosola with Commerce CRG said there are still a few challenges facing the center. She said the county’s transportation fee for the Snyderville area is an impediment to growth.

"A 5,000-square-foot restaurant owner can have trans fees up to $100,000," she said.

She’d also like to sign more tenants that can appeal to an evening crowd and keep people coming later in the day, she said. The economy may make filling that last 15 percent vacancy difficult as well.

All things considered, Corrigan said he’s very pleased with the complex, its owners and the success of his neighbors. The surrounding community can only grow over the next decade and he’s sitting in an excellent spot to benefit from that, he said.

"Would I like to see every storefront filled? Absolutely. Would I like to see a gas station go in? Absolutely. But in meantime you’ve got to play with the cards that are dealt," he said. "We’re pleased with what’s going on there."


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Park City and Summit County make the Park Record's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.