Driving along Blackridge Drive or looking up from downtown, the evolving skyline atop the former airport mesa is hard to miss. Tech Ridge has grown from an ambitious reclamation proposal into one of the most visible symbols of St. George’s next chapter.
The project brings commercial office space, retail, residential development, and the popular 333 step public stair trail together on the mesa. Its growth also raises a larger local question: how can St. George welcome new jobs and homes while protecting the landscape and managing a limited water supply?
Tech Ridge
A former airport mesa becoming a technology and mixed use district.
Public Steps
A stair trail that connects the project with daily recreation.
Housing Options
Infill, accessory dwellings, and walkable projects are part of the plan.
Recycled Water
Planned storage would serve parks, golf courses, and landscaping.
A Mesa Becomes an Economic Center
For a city historically known as a retirement and tourism community, managing this transition involves more than expanding Tech Ridge Parkway. It requires the city to consider housing, transportation, and natural resources alongside economic development.
Commercial offices, retail space, residential projects, and public recreation now share the same broad vision. Together, they point toward a future where technology jobs and daily life occupy the same part of the city.
Balancing Density, Infill, and Workforce Housing
Rather than relying only on outward suburban growth, the St. George City Council has updated local zoning codes to encourage infill development and a wider range of housing options. Recent municipal code amendments eased restrictions on accessory dwelling units, including detached casitas that can create moderate income housing options for local workers.
Build Inward
Infill policies are intended to make better use of land within the existing city.
Add Flexible Homes
Updated rules for accessory dwelling units allow more room for moderate income options.
Bring Daily Needs Closer
Mixed use projects place homes near shopping, dining, entertainment, and services.
Major mixed use projects such as The Paseo at 3000 East and Mall Drive are integrating retail, dining, entertainment, and residential units into walkable footprints. The goal is to keep more daily needs close to home and reduce pressure on major traffic corridors.
Securing Water Resources in the Mojave Desert
Every discussion about regional expansion in Southern Utah eventually turns to water. As local planners focus less on long term reliance on outside pipeline projects, municipal policy has turned directly toward conservation and recycling.
A major part of that strategy is the Graveyard Wash Reservoir project, which is designed to store millions of gallons of treated wastewater. Captured water could be routed toward golf courses, public parks, and outdoor landscaping, preserving culinary water supplies for residential indoor use.
