Beginning in January 2012, Questar Corporation will occupy a new building, to be called the Questar Center, at 333 South State Street. It will be the corporation's new headquarters and accommodate some 600 employees in a floor plan that is 20 percent smaller than Questar's current headquarters, but better organized and more efficient.

"As many employees know, we've been considering various options since our current lease expires in January 2012," says Questar president and CEO Ron Jibson. "The most promising option – and the one we're most excited about – is leasing this new building to be built specifically for our use. The timing is good, and the Questar Center's location and design will provide increased opportunities and benefits for our employees."


The new Questar Center, planned for 333 So. State in Salt Lake City

The Questar Center will be one of the first LEED Silver energy efficient buildings in downtown Salt Lake. It will have six floors and 170,000 square feet, and will replace the north half of the parking lot at 175 East 400 South. Parking is moving underground. Additionally, the new building will include 6,000 square feet of street level retail/restaurant space and a public plaza. TRAX light rail will be accessible on 400 South.

We think the Questar Center will be a great addition to an increasingly robust and vibrant business district in downtown Salt Lake City.

Today's Economic Review also includes links to many of the ED-related news stories from the past week. As always, if you have comments, suggestions or topics you'd like to see in the Economic Review, please contact us by clicking the "Comments" link on the bottom of this page. Enjoy!

Jeff Edwards
President and CEO

It is safe to say that no one knows the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, its mission, or its investors from the public sector better than Lynn Pett, who retired June 30 after serving 20 years as government relations director for the organization.

Some 225 people were on hand for Pett's retirement party, which was celebrated June 29 at the Intermountain Medical Center - Doty Education Center in Murray, the city where Pett served as mayor for eight years.

Like Attending Your Own Funeral
"I was astounded at the party thrown for me by Jeff, the staff, the board of trustees, and the executive committee of EDCUtah. I've been to a lot of retirement parties and this was the nicest one I have ever attended. It was kind of like going to your own funeral in advance. It was unbelievable," he says.

Pett, who is turning 70 this year, says he feels bittersweet about retirement. "I have a lot of friends, and I have enjoyed associating with all of the elected officials up and down the state," he adds.

EDCUtah President & CEO Jeff Edwards says Pett has been a wonderful ambassador for economic development: "Lynn has done a fantastic job serving as our government relations director and, while we are sad to see his long, second career come to an end, we are also happy for him and we wish him the best in his retirement."

Filling Pett's shoes was no small task, but Edwards says he is very happy former West Valley City Mayor Dennis Nordfelt accepted the government relations director position.

"Dennis is fitting very nicely into the role carved out by Lynn," Edwards adds. "He is a great asset and we are thrilled to have him onboard."

Mayor Pett
Pett began his association with EDCUtah when he was elected mayor of Murray City, first serving on the EDCUtah board of directors and executive committee. When he opted not to seek re-election, Pett's service on the board and executive committee would have ended, but Mike Lawson, EDCUtah's executive director at the time, invited him to stay on for another year under a contract to serve the organization in community and government relations. That one-year contract turned into 20 years of service, and Pett says he is really proud of how EDCUtah has grown through that period into the professional organization that it is today.

"I honestly believe EDCUtah is the best, most efficient economic development organization anywhere," he explains. "EDCUtah has a strong footing and people look forward to becoming members. I am just extremely proud that I had a little bit to do with the growth of the organization, and I am confident that it will continue to grow and only get better."

Remarkably, Pett never needed to fill out a job application. Work always came to him. He started working for Murray City when he was 16. At age 23 he became the city's department head for parks and recreation and served there for 25 years, after which he served as executive assistant to the mayor for six years, and then was elected mayor.

Mayor Nordfelt
Like Pett, Nordfelt has also been a devoted public servant, serving as West Valley City's sixth mayor from 2002 to 2010, during which time he also provided distinguished service as a member of EDCUtah's board of trustees.

Nordfelt began his service as West Valley City's mayor in 2002 upon the death of Mayor Gearld L. Wright. In 2003 Nordfelt was elected to complete Mayor Wright's term and then was elected to serve a full, four-year term in his own right in November 2005.

Born in Salina, Utah, but raised in Moab, Nordfelt was elected student body president of Grand County High School and lettered in four sports. After high school he attended classes at Southern Utah University, Weber State University and Brigham Young University. In May 1967 he joined the Utah Highway Patrol and in 1981 was appointed its superintendent by Governor Scott Matheson. Four years later he was reappointed superintendent by Governor Norman Bangerter.

Upon retiring from the Utah Highway Patrol, Nordfelt was hired as chief of the West Valley City Police Department, where he served from July 1, 1987 to August 28, 1998. Following his lengthy career in law enforcement, Nordfelt served as the West Valley City's Olympic coordinator, helping the city act as a venue city in the 2002 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, before becoming mayor.

"Dennis has been a strong advocate for economic development, both as a mayor and through his service on EDCUtah's board of trustees," says Edwards. "We are highly confident that he will be very successful in his new role as our director of government relations."