Author: cnguyen

March 28, 2025

On March 16, 2022, University Place (UP) announced the grand opening of Dillard’s. Despite already having a location just miles down the road at the Provo Towne Center Mall, the department store opened a 160,000-square-foot, newly constructed building. In the announcement, store manager Robert Glodowski says, “Our previous location could be described as a B or C location as far as Dillard’s go. This will be an A.”

How did the 120-acre mall draw in the retail giant? Turnkey, mixed-use development.

Modern turnkey, multi-use spaces are fully functional, commercial offices that are ready for occupancy. For tenants, owners and developers, turnkey properties check all the boxes, says Ajla Akšamija, professor at the School of Architecture at the University of Utah. They provide the ability to move into a fully functioning office space without sinking “major investments” into design, building and construction.

These properties often feature high, exposed ceilings; polished concrete floors; and a mix of open space, private offices, conference rooms, huddle rooms, and break rooms, says Rusty Lugo, VP at Colliers Utah. “Many tenants don’t allow enough time on the clock to build out a space,” Lugo explains. “Tenants want to hit the easy button. Also, [they] have a hard time envisioning a space in shell condition.”

In Utah, suites in the 4,000 to 8,000-square-foot range are typically snapped up quicker than larger floor plates “due to the move-in ready nature of these turnkey suites,” says David Nixon, senior managing director at JLL in Salt Lake City.

Tracking local trends like remote work helps developers better understand market conditions and demand, allowing them to plan accordingly when crafting new developments. “Flexibility becomes the key design consideration; thus, designing spaces that can work well for different tenants is crucial,” Akšamija adds. Plenty of stock is also placed in amenities, such as wellness spaces and IT infrastructure. “These spaces provide all — or almost all — of the amenities for companies and organizations seeking to lease functional, commercial space for their operation,” Akšamija says.

For owners, the built-in flexibility of turnkey, multi-use spaces allows tenants to come and go as they please because the spaces can function well for anyone. Akšamija highlights the benefits of dividing buildings into smaller areas that can be leased to different companies and organizations or packaged as one large lease. She also cites circulation through the building, access to nature and daylight and design strategies “that improve employee productivity and well-being” as key value adds.

Additionally, timing is a key factor. For typical build-outs, the process can take five to six months and is usually at a greater expense. “Turnkey suites are often ideal for users looking to relocate a few months out versus the larger users looking for space one to two years in advance,” Nixon continues.

Looking to Utah County

University Place in Orem might just be the gold standard for successful mixed-use developments, featuring a move-in ready floor for office space, residential units and — on the retail side — Dillard’s, the first The Cheesecake Factory in the region and Bobby’s Burgers, celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s first restaurant in Utah.

Of course, UP felt the reverberations of COVID-19. Prior to the outbreak, the mall’s office space was thriving, explains Ryan Clark, assistant city manager and development services director at the City of Orem. With many people working from home in the aftermath of COVID, “office has struggled throughout the nation and at UP.” Clark believes the mix of residential, retail, restaurants, hotel and office has been successful at UP “because the different uses complement each other.” The office and residential users have a wide spectrum of amenities, including dining, daycare, shopping and entertainment. With the automatic base of customers, the restaurants “have done great, and the mall continues to see more success,” he says.

The level of tenants demonstrates that UP is “a happening place.” What’s more, the addition of a hotel attracts even more visitors from outside the county. “There is amazing synergy at play,” Clark says.

Flourishing flexibility

There is also a particular draw to these properties among Utah’s submarkets.

“The submarkets with a better chance of leasing these kinds of suites are those that attract tenants that are nimbler in terms of how quickly they can move into spaces,” Nixon says. For example, tech-forward submarkets — such as Silicon Slopes — are better suited for turnkey office suites.

Alternatively, downtown Salt Lake City, which centers more around professional services, “would be less ideal for these types of properties, since many professional services users are looking for space further in advance and require a more time-consuming, specialized buildout,” he says.

The future of mixed use developments is, in one word, promising. The success of UP illustrates the transformative potential of modern mixed-use developments. By seamlessly integrating turnkey, multi-use spaces, UP has drawn prominent tenants and established itself as a vibrant hub of activity. These move-in-ready spaces offer the perfect blend of functionality and flexibility, meeting the diverse needs of tenants while minimizing setup time and costs. The strategic combination of retail, office, residential and hospitality elements creates a symbiotic ecosystem that caters to a wide range of businesses and customers.

As UP continues to thrive, it sets a benchmark for future mixed-use projects, demonstrating how such developments can adapt to and flourish in a rapidly changing world.

Read full article here.

March 11, 2025

Despite an anticipated downturn due to economic and inflation concerns, donors stepped up to keep the Orem Giving Machine’s 2024 donation amounts on par with its 2023 numbers.

As part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “Light the World” campaign, the Orem chapter of the Giving Machines, located at University Place, saw approximately 75,000 visitors donate nearly 46,000 individual item cards to eight different charities during the Christmas season, a church spokesperson told the Daily Herald.

Mark Seastrand, the director of the Orem Giving Machines, touted the data as a success given the factors at play.

“More people are having a little difficulty giving, but the transactions were about the same as last year, and the dollar volumes were about the same as last year,” he said. “So we were quite pleased that it stayed pretty strong.”

Approximately 387,600 meals were donated to children, families, seniors and veterans. Community Action Services and Food Bank was the largest recipient, with 300,000 meals, while approximately 23,000 meals were donated to Meals on Wheels, which is a charity that supports senior hunger and isolation.

Seastrand’s team worked with Meals on Wheels for the first time last year.

Those donations come as food centers are facing a handful of challenges, such as greater demand from people in need, higher costs for protein items and a reduction in donations, according to Seastrand.

“It’s been hard,” he said. “I greatly admire the organizations that are working on some (solutions). They do a tremendous job, and somehow they found a way to keep on going. But it’s been a struggle this year.”

Several nonfood items were also donated that will support children and families in Utah County.

Through Eye Care 4 Kids, 6,100 prescription glasses and eye exams were given, 2,800 backpacks filled with school supplies for kids were donated through Tabitha’s Way and 3,600 kids with disabilities will receive equipment, therapy and other expert care through Kids on the Move.

Nine-hundred nights of life shelter or life-skills training will be provided to adults with mental illness or other disabilities through The Alpine House, and thanks to other donations, 600 mothers suffering from postpartum depression will receive treatment and 3,500 art classes or educational toys were provided.

Seastrand said 65% of donations stay local.

“We try to spread it around and pick organizations that offer some unique things for the community and that make a good, overall blended picture of what the community needs,” he said.

The Orem Giving Machines also partnered with two global nonprofits: American Red Cross and The Academy for Creating Enterprise.

Through the Red Cross, 32,000 vaccines for measles and rubella were given, while 7,100 pigs were donated through The Academy for Creating Enterprise to help families start a business and provide communities with food.

“We always get a lot of desire for chickens. People love to give chickens. That’s a fun thing,” Seastrand said. “And in the past, we’ve had chickens and goats. This year, we tried piglets to see how piglets would do, because in some parts of the country, piglets are a more desirable solution than some of the others. And we had almost 3,600 piglet pairs donated. So that’s a lot of pigs.”

The Orem Giving Machine is expected to return to University Place for 2025.

“You’ve got a location that people know where it’s at,” Seastrand said. “So it’s really easy for them to go. They know it’s there. University Place attracts a large regional audience from all over. It’s a great spot, and we really appreciate University Place. They’ve been so good to work with.”

Read full article here.

January 27, 2025

Dreamwalk Park in Orem just opened about a month ago, and it’s already making waves on social media, so Jenny Hardman had to check it out.

She talked with co-founders Ben McPherson and John Pope who says their goal is to “transport you to another world”.

Dreamwalk is nearly a half mile of an otherworldly experience. Around every corner is something new for your senses.

And, Ben and John say they plan to constantly add to it!

Dreamwalk is open Monday through Friday, 12pm to 9pm and Saturday 9:30am to 9pm at University Place in Orem.

You can buy tickets at the door or at dreamwalk.com.

Read full article here.

January 22, 2025

With the Utah dining market becoming more and more attractive for nationally-recognized brand franchises, it’s no surprise that Bobby’s Burgers has come to town. Owned by professional chef and Food Network stalwart Bobby Flay, Bobby’s Burgers packages the grill-centric celebrity chef’s brand into a pleasant fast-casual model. Since it already has several Las Vegas locations and an expanding East Coast presence, it makes sense for this national brand to set its sights on Utah and its own ever-evolving food scene.

Readers of my stuff will know that I don’t discriminate based on brand recognition or national presence—good food is good food. However, I will tend to hold an eatery that has Bobby Flay money in its corner to a higher standard. It’s something that local restaurateur Joe Sample mentions when we met up at Bobby’s Burgers in Orem.

“The Bobby Flay name is always going to draw trial,” says Sample, whose MTB Management operates 12 Taco Bell locations across Western Montana. Bobby’s Burgers is a new addition to Sample’s portfolio, and his first foray into Utah’s dining scene has been a success thus far.

The Orem location has been open for just over a month now, but it’s the kind of property that nicely matches the vibes of University Place Mall. It’s the kind of local fast-casual spot that feels just enough like destination dining to make it attractive to Utah County shoppers.

I’m savvy enough to recognize the difference between a menu and a brand, so while I respect Flay’s status as an Iron Chef, I was really looking for a restaurant burger that could reasonably justify being three times the price of In-N-Out. It’s my own personal litmus test, and it hasn’t let me down yet.

I liked the Bobby’s Burgers conceit of “crunchifying” its burgers with the addition of crispy potato chips, so I went for the Nacho Burger ($11.99). It seemed to embody the idea of crunchification, while also leaning into the Tex-Mex flavors for which Flay is known. On a side note, I just can’t avoid junk food that has more junk food piled on top of it. One aspect of the burger patties at Bobby’s Burgers that Sample is most proud of is the quality of the restaurant’s beef.

“These burgers are six-ounce Angus-certified patties, and we don’t smash them,” he says.

The Nacho Burger arrives looking very nacho-tastic with its gooey queso, pickled jalapeños and tomato chipotle salsa. This burger’s crunchification comes courtesy of blue corn tortilla chips, which essentially make this a self-sustaining scoop of nachos on top of a very juicy burger. At Bobby’s Burgers, you can get your burger medium or well-done, and the former is the right call. That six-ounce patty is front and center, spilling its marvelous juices all over the burger’s heel. It’s a well-seasoned burger, and all those nacho toppings only complement the existing flavors.

In short, this definitely blew past my In-N-Out Burger litmus test—it is worth the price of admission.

I was planning on getting a fried chicken sandwich ($11.99), because Bobby’s Burgers is hitting us during the local cold war we’re experiencing among our fried-chicken sandwich purveyors. I don’t know if it’s got enough of a punch to be a contender in this grand melee of deep-fried poultry, but it’s a pretty damn good chicken sandwich. My favorite thing about this one is the breading on the chicken. Visually, it looks like the kind of crust that will be murder on the gums, but its crenulated peaks and valleys yield perfectly to each bite—it’s crisped up enough to provide a nice crunch, but it’s not like chewing gravel. I also liked the coleslaw and pickles, but the aji amarillo mayo mutes the acid too much. If the coleslaw was tossed with a bit of this for smoky flavor, it would be much improved.

As a side dish, I went with the buttermilk onion rings ($5.99) because fries are great and all, but onion rings are superior in almost every way. The rings at Bobby’s are enormous, and the majority of their thickness comes from the sliced onion itself. Their buttermilk batter is much thinner than on other rings I have known, and each onion is cooked perfectly so there’s no textural interference happening here.

You get three sauce options with the sides, including Bobby’s Sauce, which uses chipotle mayo to spice up this cousin to Utah’s beloved fry sauce. Then there’s the house-made ranch that has a bevy of signature ingredients, and the horseradish honey mustard which leans more into the honey’s sweetness than the horseradish bite. I liked the Bobby’s Sauce, but all three have their advantages.

Again, any time you get a restaurant with a celebrity chef’s clout behind it, you tend to ask a lot of questions. That said, my experience at Bobby’s Burgers was definitely positive. It’s got a nice, boutique-sized menu, the team isn’t fooling around with their ingredients, and the possibility of swapping a burger patty for a chicken breast or veggie burger means plenty of variety. If you’re shopping at University Place in Orem, Bobby’s Burgers is definitely worth checking out.

Read full article here.

January 7, 2025

OREM, Utah — Utah has a new immersive experience. Dreamwalk Park at University Place in Orem opened just a few weeks ago, but it’s already making waves on social media. “We wanted to have one word that identified what we, who we are, and that word is transport,” said Dreamwalk Chief Creative Officer and Co-founder, Ben McPherson. “Our whole goal here is to transport you to another world.”

Dreamwalk is where sci-fi, mythology, and filmmaking combine to create an otherworldly experience. Around every corner is something new for your senses to engage with. “I’m a filmmaker and we would build these really amazing sets for movie productions, but as soon as we finished the production the sets would get thrown away and I always thought that was such a waste,” McPherson said.

A few years ago, Ben McPherson and local entrepreneur John Pope combined Hollywood ideas with local talent. After three and a half years of hard work their portal is now open.

“We’re telling ourselves we love this place, we’re super into it, we love being here, is everyone else going to love it? And yeah, we felt like they absolutely would,” Pope said.

They were right. Dreamwalk is already sold out some days, and the local sci-fi community has already adopted it as a second home.

“We had this 50-year-old man huge sci-fi fan and he saw our initial portal entry and he actually cried,” McPherson said. “He said I’ve watched all of this sci-fi and I never thought I’d be standing in what I thought was a real sci-fi environment.”

Even if sci-fi doesn’t bring you to tears, Dreamwalk is still nearly a half-mile of wonder. “You have a portal jumper card that allows you to trigger little readers along the way and then we have a UV decoder wall that basically reveals little clues on the walls,” McPherson said.

With another 25,000 square feet of building space, this experience is just the beginning of their dream for Dreamwalk. “Our vision for it is to continually add to it, and refresh, and give something for all ages, bring something they can come back to and enjoy,” Pope said. “Every dollar that comes in we’re putting it right back into more in this venue.”

Dreamwalk is open Monday through Friday 12:00 p.m. -9:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m. At University Place in Orem. If you’d like to get tickets you can buy them online at dreamwalkpark.com or buy at the door.

Read full article here.

December 23, 2024

More than 500 local and international charities are involved in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Light the World Giving Machine initiative for 2024.

According to a press release by the Church, the global charities participating in 2024 include:

• Academy for Creating Enterprise
• American Red Cross
• Care
• Catholic Relief Services
• Church World Service
• Days for Girls International
• iDE Global
• Lifting Hands International
• MAP International
• Mentors International
• Right to Play
• Save the Children
• UNICEF
• Water Aid
• The World Food Program USA

Giving Machine items can be donated online through many of the organizations’ links above. These charities offer mentorship, support for children, food, education, women’s services and more to people worldwide.

According to Mark Seastrand, director of the Church’s Communication Council for the Orem and Vineyard area, the machines located in the Orem University Place Mall are sponsoring the Academy for Creating Enterprise and the American Red Cross, along with other charities that have local impact. These include:

• Community Action Services
• EyeCare4Kids
• Kids on the Move
• Meals on Wheels
• Tabitha’s Way
• United Way

These local charities offer a variety of donation items such as eyeglasses for children, visits to the elderly, resources for those with mental disabilities, meals for the hungry and new baby kits for parents.

“The first really good thing about the Giving Machines is it is a really good safe place where 100% of your donation goes to a good worthwhile organization that’s been vetted, approved and really is meeting the needs of the community,” Seastrand said.

Christiane Juvenal brought her family to the machines located in Orem. She said her daughter donated glasses, a donation made available by EyeCare4Kids.

“She picked the lenses for literacy because she’s partially blind,” Juvenal said. “She knows it’s going to go to someone that feels the same way she does …and so it’s more personal too, you know, to be giving to somebody that’s maybe your next door neighbor.”

Another one of Juvenal’s daughters, Heather Rand said it was especially meaningful to give knowing it would help someone locally.

“When it very first started, there were a lot of foreign items, like buy chickens and seeds and cows and whatnot,” she explained. “But this year I noticed that they have a lot more local things, which got me excited.”

Rand is going to have a baby soon and decided to donate a new baby kit for someone through the Giving Machine. In a world where social media encourages to expand reach, giving locally reminds her to serve those that are close to her.

“I thought it was cool to relate to somebody and have it be personal,” she said.

Curtis Beesley, executive vice president for the Academy for Creating Enterprise said it is both “beautiful” and “fascinating” that donations are put to use both locally and internationally.

According to Beesley, the Academy for Creating Enterprise teaches entrepreneurial and business skills to more than 30,000 people annually in 16 different developing countries. He explained that small businesses are what support these countries, yet many of the people living there don’t know what to do to start a business.

“We’re teaching people how to fish rather than giving them the fish,” he said.

Farming starter kits and piglets are among some of the items that can be bought through the machines, online or in person, through Academy for Creating Enterprise. Beesley said, in the past, donations have also been used to provide thread for women who make and sell hammocks in Merida, Mexico.

“I’ve seen hundreds if not thousands of individuals be helped simply by teaching and supporting and helping them see what they need to do,” he said.

Seastrand said the machines not only provide a way for people to give in a way that “helps people who need help get help,” but they also spread awareness of what each of these nonprofits do. As a result, he said the machines help increase community involvement in these charities.

Seastrand explained one of the best ways to help these organizations is by giving the gift of time through volunteer work.

“I would say a great opportunity of being a student is to not only gain an education, but also to learn about the community services that are available and pitch in and help out,” Seastrand said, addressing BYU students. “I think that is not only helpful to the community, but it’s very impactful to the education and to the personal experience of the individual.”

Seastrand said he sees a lot of joy, smiles and excitement from families that come and purchase items at the machines. “That’s part of the message of the Savior is to make a difference,” he said.

Read full article here.

December 13, 2024

OREM — Bobby Flay’s latest burger chain made its long-awaited debut in Utah this week, bringing in about 200 customers on its first day.

Still, he already has stiff competition in the fast-casual celebrity restaurant chain market on the Wasatch Front.

Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay opened in Orem on Thursday, marking the first of nine restaurants that the chain plans to open in Utah as part of its U.S. expansion. Not be outdone, Slice House by Tony Gemignani opens its first location in Salt Lake City on Saturday, the first of a half-dozen more Utah locations the pizza chain plans to open.

Bobby’s Burgers debuts

Bobby’s Burgers — co-owned by the three-time James Beard Award winner and host of several popular Food Network shows — announced over the summer it would open nearly a dozen Utah locations. Shortly after, company officials revealed the first location at 575 E. University Parkway in Orem would be among the new businesses at the University Place mall.

More happened behind the scenes in the past few months.

Bobby’s Burgers’ Utah expansion came through a deal with MTB Management, which until recently mostly owned chain restaurants in Montana. Joe Sample, founder of MTB Management, traveled to the burger chain’s North Carolina headquarters for a recipe training session for everything on the menu, ranging from burgers to breakfast sandwiches Flay designed.

Sample told KSL.com that he spent a week working at the chain’s flagship location, learning the ins and outs of a fairly simple but more detailed menu than he was accustomed to from his experience operating a series of Taco Bell locations in Montana.

He took that knowledge back to Utah, as he continued planning the chain’s first location debut this week. The chain started radio and digital billboard advertising about a month ago, leading up to a soft opening on Thursday.

“We didn’t broadcast it anywhere and we got just the right amount of business to keep a nice flow going for continuing the train and develop the staff,” he said, adding that the company’s ads will likely switch from “opening soon” to “now open” within the next few days as more marketing picks up.

An official grand opening is expected to take place in early 2025, which Flay will attend. Details of that event are still being worked out, but Sample and Flay say they are thrilled to open during the holiday season.

“We’re eager to bring our unbeatable burger experience to the community,” Flay said in a statement on Thursday. “It’s wonderful to see our brand grow and watch as more and more people have the chance to enjoy our burgers, fries and shakes.”

Work to open other Utah locations is also underway. Sample said the chain is eying both the Holladay Hills and Daybreak areas in Salt Lake County as part of the next Bobby’s Burgers locations, but Utah expansion conversations are mostly in negotiations at this point.

Slice House opens

Meanwhile, Slice House, a growing fast-casual pizza franchise founded by 13-time world pizza championship winner Tony Gemignani, announced its plans to expand into Utah a few months later.

Its first location, 1332 S. Foothill Drive in Salt Lake City, opens this weekend in the revamped Foothill Village Shopping Center.

Its menu features an item unique to Utah called “The Jazzberry” — a play on the Jazz Bear. It’s a New York-style white pizza topped with beef, bacon, onions, garlic oil, oregano, and a blend of mozzarella, romano, cheddar, brick and blue cheese. It’s also topped with a raspberry jam from Chad’s Raspberry Kitchen, a local brand based in Laketown, Rich County.

It plans to open at 11 a.m. Saturday with a celebration with Gemignani in attendance and a few giveaways. Like with Bobby’s Burgers, its expansion into Utah is part of a larger plan to add many new locations across the U.S.

“It’s an honor to further expand Slice House’s footprint across the U.S.,” Gemignani said in a statement on Tuesday. “We are looking forward to this location becoming a go-to spot in the city for delicious pizza and memorable dining experiences this winter and beyond.”

Other Utah locations are still being determined, as well, but it also joins another restaurant backed by a big name in the culinary industry at Foothill Village.

Flower Child (1414 S. Foothill Drive), founded by 11-time James Beard Award outstanding restaurateur semifinalist Sam Fox, opened in October, as more national names look to break into the Utah market.

Read full article here.

December 8, 2024

OREM — Normally when you go to the University Place Mall, you’re looking for clothes or shoes. But the co-founders of Dreamwalk Park want to transport you to another world.

Dreamwalk Park is described as an “indoor, micro theme park” with the intent to help patrons escape this world and discover another one. The park is a series of rooms, hallways and destinations that are filled with fantastical creatures, plants and mysteries to explore.

“We just want to transport people,” cofounder and chief creative officer Ben McPherson said. “Ultimately, we want them to feel like ‘I actually didn’t feel like a mortal for a minute. I went to a different place.’ We want them to be almost addicted to that vibe.”

After arriving at the park, patrons are brought into a sci-fi-esque spaceport and greeted by a robot who helps them begin their voyage. Participants are given decoder wands (UV flashlights) and a portal pass (a microchipped card) they can use to find clues on the walls and unearth hidden creatures.

Travelers traverse across an erupting volcano, a galactic grotto and ancient alien ruins. The journey continues through a grove of glowing mushrooms, gemstone caves and other extraterrestrial rooms before ending in a steampunk cosmic marketplace that looks straight out of “Star Wars” — and even includes a secret robotic speakeasy.

The rooms are filled with ethereal music, supernatural lightning, large animatronics and artistic effects. The portal pass allows people to turn on lights, wake up ancient spirits, view holographic images, play games and even talk with a lab-grown fish.

There are Easter eggs, secret messages, hidden prizes and concealed clues to discover in the more than half-mile path that winds around 50,000 square feet. Shows of music, light and other visual effects occur every 10 minutes in certain areas to add to the experience.

“You can get lost in a 20-by-20 foot section of a tide pool for hours. So that’s what we wanted to do — we don’t have the size, but we have the ingenuity and the creativity to just fill every nook and cranny with something,” McPherson said. “It’s kind of endless on how much you can explore.”

From stones that glow as you pass your hands over them to robots that play music and creatures that seem to breathe and move, the founders emphasized attention to detail to set their interactive and immersive experience apart.

“Obviously, we’re not as big as like Disneyland, but we want there to be this micro detail that makes it feel bigger,” McPherson said.

Cofounder and CEO John Pope said he wanted the park to have “a certain level of perfection.” Employees, including “portal park rangers,” will be throughout the park as actors to help people feel like they are in another world, and not in the mall next to RC Willey.

“There’s a magic that certain parks have where you actually feel like you’ve left your real life,” Pope said. “There’s so few places, anywhere, that you can actually have that believable fictional escape where your imagination is convinced about where you’re at ,and we feel like this is one of those.”

“When you’re in here, you kind of forget what’s around you,” he added.

In most amusement parks, lights, speakers and other standard objects from everyday life are visible and can take people out of the experience, but the founders wanted to hide those as much as possible. So light comes from gelatinous glowing masses or lantern mushrooms, and the music seems to seep out of walls with no speakers in sight.

“Being able to be fully immersed and have your imagination be completely convinced by what’s around you, that’s on another level, and that’s what we wanna keep bringing for people,” Pope said.

The park will open on Dec. 12 and has been in the works for more than three years. Pope and McPherson met through their background in film but ultimately ended up creating the magical world of Dreamwalk Park with the hope of providing a unique entertainment experience here in Utah.

The founders even created an entire alien language that travelers can decode along their trek. Some people could even have “one-off” experiences that nobody else ever discovers, McPherson said.

“We kind of like that. There’s something noncorporate about it. This is a passion project, and we want the community to kind of feel how deep this rabbit hole goes,” Pope said.

Depending how much one decides to explore, people could spend hours in the other-worldly park, but McPherson said most people could expect to spend around 2 hours on their Dreamwalk expedition. He hopes people take the time to slow down, take it in, and enjoy the storytelling through exploration.

“Everybody wants adventure. Everybody wants to escape. Everybody wants to see what’s around the bend of the trail.O ur job is to provide more bends in the trail,” Pope said.

All of the effects are customizable, the founders said, so the experience can be switched up and changed for different seasons or events to keep the park interesting for people to return.

“It’s unending how we can expand and extrapolate in that way,” McPherson said.

Dreamwalk Park will also be selling merchandise and “high-quality collectibles,” such as trading cards, made in house by the artists of the park. Pope said they won’t be just standard gift shop items, but will be unique artifacts that inspire connection to the artists.

Read full article here.