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PROVO — Provo’s mayor recently gave his state of the city address in a less-than-usual fashion.
John Curtis was sworn in as Provo’s mayor in 2010. His focus throughout his four years in office has been centered on bringing greater economic growth to the city.
On Feb. 3, instead of delivering a traditional speech to the council outlining the state of the city, he presented his message through a pre-produced video.
The 11-minute audio-visual presentation contains an overview of what Curtis sees as the major accomplishments of the city over the last few years. He also outlined the projects he hopes to see come to fruition in the years to come.
Resurgence of the downtown area
“Three quarters of a billion dollars have been put into the downtown area in the last three years,” Curtis said.
A growing and popular music scene and a host of new, trendy restaurants are the main draw to the area near Center Street and University Avenue, Curtis said.
Three quarters of a billion dollars have been put into the downtown area in the last three years,
–Provo Mayor John Curtis
The video features Ryan Innes, an up-and-coming singer and songwriter who has performed at the music venue Velour in downtown Provo. He said he loves the growing music vibe in Provo. In recent years, Provo has given birth to a few bands and mucisians who have gone on to national and international fame, namely Imagine Dragons, Neon Trees and Joshua James.
“Its’a legitimate music scene,” Innes said.
Business growth
Provo has seen a surge of new businesses starting up in the last few years. In October, NuSkin Enterprises opened a massive business center in downtown Provo, and new businesses are coming to the city every year, Curtis said.
Corey Folster opened Unhinged Boutique, a clothing and decor shop on Center Street in 2014. He said he was drawn to Provo after seeing the way the local government supported new businesses.
“Our experience working with the city was really what convinced us to open up downtown,” Folster said in the video.
New recreation center
In May 2013, the city opened the Provo Recreation Center. The facility contains a large aquatics area, four indoor basketball courts, a full-service work-out center and many other features. Curtis heralded the opening of the Recreation Center as the crowning achievement of the last few years.
“Last April we cut the ribbon on the 162,000-square-foot facility,” Curtis said. “People are amazed at the variety of activities and wholesome recreation they can find there."
The Recreation Center has become a meeting place for the community, Provo resident Tina Heil said in the video.
Provo residents flock to new recreation center
Residents are flocking to the recently opened Provo City Recreation Center, a facility complete with all the bells and whistles — workout facilities, water slides and an indoor track.“What I really love about living in Provo is the community feeling,” Heil said. “Everyone is so close. I think the rec center is a big part of that.”
Parks and recreation
The city took on an aggressive program to renovate older parks and construct new outdoor recreational areas, Curtis said.
Pioneer Park, which sits near the center of downtown, now hosts a large splash pad. It's now a hugely popular play area for local children, Curtis said, and is contributing to the overall family atmosphere of the city.
“The new splash pad at historic Pioneer Park serves as a sort of welcome to the city,” Curtis said. “On hot summer days it's used as one of the most loved additions to our parks system.”
The city has also added new features at the shooting sports park in Provo Canyon. A new park near the mouth of Rock Canyon is already under construction. This new area, named Slate Park, will feature a mountain bike terrain skills track.
At the end of the state of the city video, Curtis highlighted a few areas the city is working to improve.
In the next few years, Curtis said, a new bicyce route master plan will be instigated. The City Council and the mayor will also work to improve parking and towing ordinances, Curtis said.
One of the largest projects will be a potential overhaul of the city’s offices.
“The city center is over 40 years old and needs renovating,” Curtis said.
The city center is over 40 years old and needs renovating.
–John Curtis
In conclusion, Curtis said he is excited by the continued technological and economic growth the city is currently experiencing. With the recent Google Fiber acquisition of the struggling iProvo network, the city is poised to take on new projects and growth, Curtis said.
"This last April we announced to the world that Google Fiber would be coming to the city, making Provo the third city to receive this network,” Curtis said. “It will fuel economic development and creativity.”
