In just over 15 years, the city of Vineyard has gone from a population of 139 to nearly 17,000. This significant growth has led to the development of Utah City, a multiuse space designed to help facilitate the city’s expansion while providing its residents with amenities like pickleball courts and waterfront parks near Utah Lake.
Utah City stands on the ground previously occupied by the closed Geneva Steel Mill, and has seen its own significant expansion since its initial development in 2012. A number of factors have contributed to Vineyard’s growth and Utah City’s multiphase development process, but the area is shaping up to be one of the most interesting communities in the state.
Vineyard’s population boom
In 2024, Vineyard wasn’t only the fastest growing suburb in Utah—it was the fastest growing suburb in the entire country. Its growth has been attributed to a convergence of multiple factors such as freeway accessibility, a FrontRunner stop, and a solid infrastructure that was in place before the 2008 recession. These factors made the small city an attractive spot for the pent-up housing demand that hit once the local economy recovered from the recession.
On top of all these independent factors, local residential development firm Anderson Development purchased the 1,700 acres of land that had been darkened by the shuttered Geneva Steel Mill since 2001. Anderson Development worked with local environmental agencies to demolish the mill and prepare the acreage for real estate development.
Utah Valley University and Utah City developer Flagborough were among those to purchase land for further development. With their investment, the space reclaimed from the demolished steel mill has only served to drive more growth to Vineyard.
What to do in Utah City
The central commercial area in Utah City is dominated by Bella’s Market, a locally-owned grocery store that feels like a cross between Harmon’s and Whole Foods. Right next door you’ll find Fini Cafe and Fini Pizza, two concepts from a New York-based pizza parlor.
Known for its community involvement and neighborhood investments, Fini Pizza is a New York-style pizza joint that also serves thick slices of Sicilian pizza from its oven. Fini Cafe is a take on a Brooklyn coffee shop that also serves homemade bagels, sandwiches, and other pastries. Each Fini Pizza parlor brings its own basketball court along with it—part of the Fini Hoops community program—which is another great amenity for Utah City.
The basketball court is situated alongside the pickleball, tennis, and padel courts used by the Utah City Racquet Club, which round out the commercial and recreational area nicely. (Residents of Utah City get a free Racquet Club membership.)
Utah Lake is only a short walk from Utah City, making the area popular for those looking for watersports nearby. On your way to the lake, you’ll pass Utah City’s Berliner-designed park—the giant blue-and-white balloon makes it hard to miss.
As a frequenter of the Daybreak neighborhood in South Jordan, I have to say that Utah City feels cut from a similar cloth as far as amenities and walkability go. One interesting thing that I noticed about Utah City was how beachy it felt—I popped into Bella’s to grab a few snacks for my drive home and noticed patrons in flip-flops, sunhats, board shorts, and bikinis shopping for kombucha.
The whole experience spoke to the kind of unique community that is growing along the shores of Utah Lake, and it’s going to be very interesting to see how that community continues to grow.
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