As three major projects progress in Midway, developers of one — Southill — and city representatives say they are excited for what’s to come. Southill aims to bring a “walking village” vibe to town with new amenities, eating establishments and townhomes for new residents. Dan Luster, d eveloper and agent for Midway Heritage Development LLC, said a big part of the project’s story is preserving the city’s agricultural vision. That also involves dealing with one of Midway’s most contentious topics: parking.  But Luster said they have solved the problem. Instead of creating massive above-ground lots for residents and visitors, there will be underground parking available. Luster said it will actually be a requirement for residents of Southill homes to park underground instead of on the street.  “The whole reason we are parking underground is to create a walking village,” Luster said. “Anytime you have density … it becomes a car apocalypse where there’s just cars on the streets.” Because most residents will have at least two cars, Luster said Southill has gone to great lengths to park underground to hide the cars and the garages. By providing underground parking, each home — which Luster calls “attached cottages” — will have as many as four parking spaces.  Midway City Councilor Andrew Osborne recently toured the Southill development to check on progress.  “Instead of taking other space, (the land) can be utilized for open space, open view corridors and just an integrity to the visual feeling,” Osborne said. “Just overall beautification of the area that you’re not looking at a parking lot of cars.” Osborne said the Southill project overall sets a “high bar.” He said the ideas that Southill has brought forward to preserve open space and view corridors can be applied to other developments in the city in the future.  One of those plots of open space will be situated along Main Street and next to the upcoming tea house — Montblu, which will feature breakfast and lunch options. That’s where a grazing area for a small herd of sheep will be. Visitors will be treated to visits from the sheep, which will graze on the other side of the patio dining area. A sheep grazing field will be utilized as open space at Southill. The field is situated along Main Street and alongside the Montblu Bistro, where diners can enjoy breakfast and lunch. Credit: Clara Hatcher/Park Record Southill entered phase three of the five-phased project in December 2024. In March of this year, a conditional use permit was issued for the Montblu Bistro. Southill also features an underground spa that Luster calls “truly exceptional.”  And Southill isn’t just focused on underground parking, but also on maintaining Midway’s architectural feel. The “old European” architecture of Midway’s Swiss heritage will be echoed in the Southill development in everything from the cottages to the restaurants and spa amenities.  Each of the townhomes (or cottages) will be unique. Though the general European theme remains the same, Southill features a mix of architectural styles for doors, awnings, stonework and more. The entire development is 27 acres and has seven buildings, plus 142 townhomes. Midway’s emphasis on developers, including preservation, means the development will also feature over 8 acres of open space.  Luster said that townhome construction for phases one and two are completely sold out. The additional 41 homes under construction are sold as well. Luster said he believes the cottages are so popular because of the variety and unique aspects offered. The homes additionally feature outdoor space. In a smaller 2,200-square-foot home, there will be a 1,400-square-foot outdoor footprint. That includes a rooftop balcony, which is hidden from view due to the angle of each home, and a patio on the backside of each townhome. The view from a Southill townhome rooftop balcony. Southill will undergo two more phases of development. Credit: Clara Hatcher/Park Record “Now, everybody gets amazing views,” Luster said, adding that the balcony offers both privacy and space for outdoor time. In April, city planner Michael Henke said Southill is “looking even better than the pictures.” Luster attributes that to the work developers have done to maintain Midway’s European feel. He said the development is modeled after towns in the English Cotswolds. Though he is a developer, Luster said he places great emphasis on low density wherever possible, plus open space and intentional amenities.  Luster has been a part of projects like the Farm Springs subdivision in Midway, a neighborhood Luster himself said he wanted to live in, and Whitaker Farm. He also had a hand in writing Midway’s rural preservation code, which he said encourages “less dense growth.” “That was kind of the beginning of saying, OK, maybe I can make a difference,” Luster said. “I was like, ‘wait a minute, maybe instead of stopping growth, I can be the growth and try to shape the growth,’ because it’s not going to stop when you’re this close to Sale Lake and Provo and ski areas.” Inspiration for Southill comes from Luster’s time in England and the Hamptons.  “(I did) a lot of international travel to Europe for my previous career, and I was always asking the question, ‘why can they build such charming villages and we can’t?’” Luster said, adding that implementations like underground parking will help that effort. “We want to enhance what Midway is.” Luster said he wants Southill to feel authentic. That includes finding stone for the cottages and buildings that’s a perfect match — light colored and natural — to houses in the Cotswolds. Plus, slate roofs that feel old-fashioned. Southill photos show old-fashioned signage and plenty of landscaping, too.  The property, visible from Main Street and at the base of Memorial Hill in Midway, is coming together slowly but surely. Though Luster is eager to finish construction, Southill is about two to three years from completion of all the residential homes. Work on additional commercial buildings are next up for Southill. Those structures must technically be built before phases four and five can begin. The post Southill development begins to take shape in Midway appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less