St. George Direct: Development Spotlight – Exit 8 Growth

Exit 8 Boom: Development Spotlight

If you have driven through St. George recently, you already know that Exit 8 is one of the busiest corridors in Southern Utah. Development in this area is moving at a breakneck pace. From innovative housing solutions and authorized LEGO hubs to a massive indoor pickleball entertainment destination and a brand-new hotel row, Exit 8 is undergoing a massive transformation.

Here is a complete breakdown of everything currently under construction, recently opened, or arriving later this year on both sides of the exit.

The West Side: Community-First Housing, LEGOs, and Auto Care

The west side of Exit 8 is focusing heavily on community resources, family entertainment, and essential local services.

Affordable Housing at The Point

Local nonprofit organization Switchpoint is tackling one of Southern Utah’s biggest hurdles, housing availability, with their latest project called The Point. Switchpoint has completely renovated an old hotel into 110 affordable apartment units to support families and individuals working toward long-term stability.

• The building features 50 studio apartments and 60 one-bedroom units.
• The first 50 units opened in April and are already completely filled.
• The remaining 60 units are on track to open this August.

Retails and Repairs

• Bricks and Minifigs: This newly opened, authorized LEGO retailer has been an absolute hit for local collectors, parents, and fans. The store allows visitors to buy, sell, and trade LEGO products, making it a highly unique addition to the neighborhood.

• Above and Beyond Automotive Repair: Adding crucial service infrastructure to the busy corridor, this full-service auto repair shop opened its doors a few months back and is fully operational.

The East Side: Condo-tels and Social Gaming

Crossing over to the east side of the exit, major renovations are underway to completely reshape the lodging and recreation landscape.

Zion Promenade Hotel

An extensive indoor and outdoor overhaul is currently transforming an existing property into the Zion Promenade Hotel. This project is operating as a condo-tel, meaning the individual rooms are being converted into condos and sold to independent buyers. Guests can look forward to completely updated rooms, a modernized pool and hot tub area, dedicated barbecue spaces, a fire pit, and a brand-new breakfast area. Construction is expected to wrap up around September.

The Pickle Pad

Construction officially kicked off a few weeks ago on The Pickle Pad, but this is not just a standard sports facility. The venue is being built as a full-scale entertainment destination. Plans include:

• Indoor pickleball courts for year-round play.
• Interactive social gaming spaces.
• A dedicated bowl restaurant and bar.
• Comfortable community gathering spaces.

The construction team is targeting a grand opening in September.

Shops at Zion: Major Restaurant Shakeups

The culinary scene at the Shops at Zion is experiencing a bittersweet transition, as two newly arrived concepts step into spaces left vacant by previous neighborhood favorites.

• Boren’s Smokehouse: Moving directly into the former Green Iguana location, this is the second footprint for the popular Richfield-based barbecue joint. Early reviews highlight their excellent slow-smoked ribs, savory baked beans, and signature Kansas City style barbecue sauce.

• Arauco Brazilian Kitchen: Taking over the space previously occupied by Papa’s Got Jerk, this highly anticipated spot introduces authentic Brazilian cuisine to the center. The restaurant is putting the finishing touches on its setup ahead of its formal grand opening on June 25th.

🚚 Food Truck Bonus: While Papa’s Got Jerk has left their physical storefront, recent updates share the great news that they are officially keeping their popular food truck on the road.

Just south of the shopping center, the food scene expands even further at the Bell Towers event venue with the arrival of the Bell Towers Hall Café Nook, a breakfast and lunch spot serving up a variety of Brazilian-inspired dishes.

The Emergence of St. George’s Hotel Row

Further south, the landscape has officially evolved into a dedicated hospitality district, bringing major lodging upgrades to support travelers and visitors to the nearby hospital.

The Holiday Inn Express broke ground a few months ago and remains actively under construction. Just down the street, At Home by Best Western officially opened its doors in April. This extended-stay hotel offers specialized long-term lodging options, providing a much-needed resource for families needing to stay directly adjacent to the medical campus.

Watch Macrae Heppler’s Full Exit 8 Video Update

To see the live construction progress, location walkthroughs, and first-hand reactions to these new local spots, make sure to watch the full video update from Macrae Heppler. Macrae continues to be the go-to source for tracking local business openings and community growth across Southern Utah.

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