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CONSTRUCTION
• The Capitol Preservation Board has voted unanimously to name the North Capitol Building in honor of former Gov. Michael O. Leavitt, recognizing his contributions to the preservation and stewardship of Utah’s Capitol Hill Complex. Leavitt served as Utah’s 14th governor from 1993 to 2003 and later served in President George W. Bush’s cabinet as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and secretary of Health and Human Services. In 1998, the Utah Legislature and Governor Leavitt created CPB, which has since overseen the care, preservation and planning of the Capitol Hill Complex. The North Capitol Building expands space for public access, state functions and civic gatherings, and will house the Museum of Utah. A public ceremony recognizing Leavitt and the naming of the North Capitol Building will be held at a future date.
• Cal Wadsworth Construction, a Draper-based general contractor, recently hosted a free social event to raise awareness for the ongoing historic restoration of the iconic Fisher Mansion. Constructed in 1893 for brewer Albert Fisher, founder of one of Utah’s earliest and most successful breweries, and designed by architect Richard K.A. Kletting, the Fisher Mansion is a symbol of Salt Lake City’s industrial growth and Victorian-era craftsmanship.
CONTESTS
• Nominations are being accepted until July 17 for the University of Utah Innovation Awards, a fourth annual program that recognizes the researchers at the university who are working to translate their research into technologies that benefit the public. Each year, the university recognizes those who received patents or Ascender Grants in the past fiscal year and participated in entrepreneurial programming. In addition, the following awards are presented: Startup of the Year, Founder of the Year, Global Impact Award, Innovator of the Year, Investigator on the Rise, Lifetime Achievement Award, Excellence in Innovation Graduate Student Award, Breakthrough of the Year, Startup of the Year, Excellence in Innovation Undergraduate Student Award, Undergraduate Student Startup of the Year, and Graduate Student Startup of the Year. Details are at https://technologylicensing.utah.edu/innovation-awards.
CORPORATE
• Trove, a Lehi-based parent company of brands Owala, BlenderBottle and Oath Nutrition, has broken ground for Building 3, a new 100,000-square-foot facility at its global headquarters. The new building will bring Trove’s Lehi campus to 300,000 square feet across three buildings, supporting the company’s growth to more than 500 employees. Designed by architecture and engineering firm AE Urbia and constructed by commercial contractor Stout, Building 3 will add modern workspaces and collaborative environments as the company continues to scale. It will feature a work-lounge atrium that serves as a central gathering space for collaboration and connection and a golf simulator, complementing the recreational and lifestyle offerings already available across the campus. Building 3 construction is underway, with completion expected in summer 2027. Founded by Kim and Steve Sorensen in 2000, Trove has grown into a global consumer products company with distribution in hundreds of thousands of retail locations worldwide.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Salt Lake City International Airport is ranked second (behind Washington Dulles International) on a list of most expensive large hub airports, compiled in a U.S. Airfare Watch Index from Upgraded Points. The list is based on the most recent four quarters of federal data, using key pricing indicators to provide a clear, data-driven view of where travel costs stand and where they are heading. The average itinerary airfare at Salt Lake City International is $445.89, with prices expected to rise. The average one-way airfare in the U.S. is $233.21. The Washington Dulles International figure is $482.31. The most expensive medium hub airport is Ted Stevens Anchorage International in Anchorage, Alaska, at $541.57. The most expensive small hub airport is Jackson Hole in Jackson, Wyoming, at $577.60. Details are at https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/airlines/us-airfare-watch-index/.
• Utahns say $4.77 for a gallon of gasoline is their “breaking point,” or when they would start cutting back on buying essentials, according to a survey by Advance America. With prices at $4.24 on the day of the poll, April 7, they were only 53 cents away from that tipping point. That was No. 4 among states. Vermont was only 17 cents away on that date, at $4.28 per gallon. The highest threshold was $1.40 in Alaska, meaning they would cut essentials at $6.02 per gallon. Details are at https://www.advanceamerica.net/money-saving-tips/money-management/survey-americans-gas-price-breaking-point.
• Waldenbooks is the defunct retail chain that Utahns most want to see come back, according to a survey of people 45 and older by financial media company MarketBeat. It was followed, in order, by Borders, Hollywood Video, Hastings Entertainment and Blockbuster. Details are at https://www.marketbeat.com/originals/which-stores-that-no-longer-exist-do-people-miss-most/.
• Sugar House in Salt Lake City has the most envied middle-class lifestyle in Utah, according to a survey by real estate platform Calgary Homes. That is No. 20 nationally. Sugar House is followed by No. 72 Logan and No. 112 Provo. Topping the list nationally is Colorado Springs, Colorado. Details are at https://calgaryhomes.ca/blog/most-envied-lifestyles-survey.html.
• Utah had the nation’s sixth-most hazardous materials transports incidents per capita from April 1, 2021, through April 1 of this year, according to an analysis of federal data by Trace One. Utah’s rate was 68.6 per 100,000 residents. During that timeframe, Utah had 2,362 hazmat transport incidents, with 21 incidents that caused either hospitalization or death. Total damages reached nearly $2.5 million. The most common material in Utah incidents was flammable liquids, while nationally it was corrosive substances. Texas led with 11,748 incidents. Per capita, Alaska led with 127.7 incidents per 100,000 residents. Nationally, highway shipments accounted for 119,346 incidents during the period, far exceeding other modes such as air (8,106), rail (1,684) and water (37). In the U.S., hazmat transit incidents have surged 84.8 percent since 2010, exceeding 27,000 cases annually nationwide. Details are at https://www.traceone.com/resources/plm-compliance-blog/states-most-exposed-by-hazardous-materials-transport-incidents
• Utahns reach peak life satisfaction at age 54, according to a survey of people age 65 and older by survey platform Cherry Data Signals. The national average is 52. The youngest age is 37 in Maryland and Mississippi. The oldest is 57 in California and New York. Details are at https://cherrysignals.com/blog/peak-life-satisfaction-age-52.
• Utah has seen a 5 percent decline in international student enrollment in higher education, according to an analysis of federal visa data on behalf of immigration firm Manifest Law. There were 13,716 international students in Utah in March 2025. A year later, that figure was down slightly to 13,028 students. Utah accounted for 1.1 percent of all international students nationally this year. The most common country of citizenship for Utah international students is China, while nationally it is India. Nationally, international student enrollment peaked in 2025 and is now leveling off. International student totals reached 1,325,800 in March 2025 during a post-pandemic rebound before declining to 1,279,758 in March 2026. Nationally, more than 90 percent of international students are in higher education. Over 1.1 million students are enrolled in postsecondary programs, including 512,841 in master’s, 351,908 in bachelor’s, and 188,184 in doctoral programs. The largest international student enrollment decline was in Washington, with a 15.8 percent drop. Details are at https://manifestlaw.com/blog/states-losing-most-international-students/.
ENVIRONMENT
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed repealing the December 2024 decision to reclassify Utah’s Northern Wasatch Front (which includes the Salt Lake City metropolitan area) from a “moderate” to a “serious” nonattainment area under the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Using Section 179B of the Clean Air Act, the EPA is proposing that the Northern Wasatch Front would have met federal ozone air quality standards by its Aug. 3, 2024, deadline if not for emissions transported into the area from outside the United States. If finalized, this proposal would ensure that manufacturers and residents in the area are not penalized for pollution originating beyond their borders and control. Under the CAA, areas that fail to attain the federal ozone air quality standards by their attainment date are reclassified to a higher nonattainment level, which triggers more stringent requirements.
GOVERNMENT
• Five American Indian tribes in Utah will receive Indian Housing Block Grant funding, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Native American Programs has announced. Nationally, the total is more than $1.1 billion for eligible American Indian tribes, Alaska Native Villages, and Tribally Designated Housing Entities to support affordable housing projects in nearly 600 tribal communities. The funding is for housing development, operation and modernization of existing housing, housing services for eligible families and individuals, safety and crime prevention measures, and model activities. The Utah awardees are Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Ibapah, $759,071; Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, Ogden, $625,252; Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Cedar City, $2,690,627; Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians, Skull Valley, $110,362; and Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation, Fort Duchesne, $2,224,807.
HEALTHCARE
• Dr. Timothy Duerler, a veteran family medicine practitioner with two decades of clinical experience, has launched a new concierge medical practice in Park City, in partnership with Ovation Private Health. A permanent location will open this summer at Kimball Junction at 6546 N. Landmark Drive, Suite C. The practice offers a membership-based care model designed to address regional challenges regarding physician availability and wait times. Ovation Private Health is part of the Castle Connolly Private Health Partners network, an organization dedicated to optimizing healthcare through a concierge model that prioritizes comprehensive wellness, longevity programs and enhanced connection. Patients are connected to a vast network of physicians nationally and in Europe, of benefit to the many Park City residents who have second homes elsewhere and travel frequently. Duerler also owns Utah’s two Smart Fit Method locations in Park City and Millcreek.
INDOOR RECREATION
• Pickleball Kingdom, an Arizona-based indoor pickleball company, has announced a new club to be at 2250 S. 850 W., Woods Cross. It will have 10 indoor courts across 27,840 square feet and is expected to open in the winter of 2026-27. The new facility will feature court reservations, drop-in play, coaching, clinics, tournaments, and a community room for parties and corporate events. The Woods Cross club is led by franchisees Justen Glad, Andrew Brody, JJ Miller and Calon Heindel. Brody and Glad are professional MLS athletes and former teammates at Real Salt Lake. Miller and Heindel are business consultants with extensive experience in franchising and operations.
INVESTMENT
• Zanskar, a Salt Lake City-based AI-native geothermal energy company, has closed on $40 million in a Development Capital Facility, co-led by Just Climate and Spring Lane Capital, with additional capital committed by Tierra Adentro Growth Capital. The DCF is among the first ever structured for early-stage geothermal development. The financing establishes a revolving development credit facility designed to accelerate project development across Zanskar’s portfolio. The non-recourse facility covers key pre-construction activities, bridging projects to traditional bank project financing, and is structured to grow to $100 million as the portfolio scales. The announcement follows Zanskar’s $115 million Series C raise in January, which has since been expanded with an additional investment from Just Climate.
PARTNERSHIPS
• Vant4ge, a Salt Lake City-based technology company focused on AI-driven platforms for public safety and human services, has partnered with Guidehouse, a Virginia-based global professional services firm serving the commercial and public sectors, to deliver integrated solutions that help agencies modernize operations, make smarter use of data, and strengthen outcomes. The collaboration aims to help unify data across systems; reduce administrative burden; and equip frontline staff and leadership with actionable insights that support more informed, consistent decisions. Vant4ge’s flagship platform, Vant4gePoint, enables agencies to unify data, automate workflows, and apply advanced analytics to support operational and clinical decision-making. When combined with Guidehouse’s advisory, implementation and change management capabilities, the partnership will work to provide a comprehensive approach to modernization that addresses both technology deployment and organizational readiness.
RECOGNITIONS
• HKS is ranked No. 31 on a list of Most Innovative Architectural Firms for 2026 by Fast Company, with the recognition spotlighting its work on Astra Tower in Salt Lake City as a model for how buildings can directly respond to environmental and public health challenges. Astra Tower is a residential high-rise that was conceived as an active system to support healthier urban living through advanced air filtration and wellness-focused design strategies.
• Gabb Music, a product of Gabb, a Lehi-based company offering safe technology for youngsters, has been named a 2026 National Parenting Product Awards winner in the Music category. For over 36 years, NAPPA Awards has recognized the best products on the market through testing by evaluators, parents and children. Gabb Music is a kid-safe streaming platform, offering millions of songs across genres and eras without explicit lyrics, suggestive imagery or adult themes, with no parental controls required.
TECHNOLOGY
• Groove Technology Solutions, a Midvale-based producer of property technology solutions for multifamily and student housing communities, has been selected as a “Preferred Technology Partner” for RangeWater Real Estate across its portfolio of approximately 75,000 multifamily units across 13 states. Groove will serve as a vetted technology solutions provider for RangeWater’s managed communities, working alongside ownership groups to consult, design and implement tailored technology strategies. The collaboration is designed to accelerate project timelines, improve operational efficiency, and reduce complexity through more coordinated vendor management and expert guidance. As part of the partnership, RangeWater will gain access to comprehensive technology audits and expert support for both on-site staff and residents.