Five years ago Kennecott Land, a company owned by Rio Tinto -- the world's third largest mining company and owner of Kennecott Utah Copper -- opened Daybreak, a sustainable master planned community on 4,200 acres near the foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains in South Jordan City.

Daybreak is the first fully master-planned community to be undertaken in Utah and features eclectic shops and restaurants, unique architecture, urban parks and transportation options, all within bustling neighborhoods. Over the course of its estimated 20-year build out, the mixed-use community will grow to an estimated 20,000 homes, 60,000 residents and approximately 14 million square feet of commercial space.

Sustainable Development
"It's a great story for Rio Tinto, a mining company, to do adaptive reuse of a reclamation site into what has been largely touted as one of the best sustainable developments in the country," says Don Whyte, president of Kennecott Land.

Indeed it is. While mining is still going strong six miles away at Kennecott Utah Copper's Bingham Canyon mine -- one of the largest open pit copper mines in the world -- the Daybreak community is thriving with an influx of businesses, 2,050 homes sold, and approximately 8,000 residents. The University of Utah is building an 180,000 square-foot medical center there and Zions Bank is opening a branch near what is called "SoDa Row," in the middle of four residential villages in the Daybreak community. What's more, Black Diamond Gymnastics and Sport Centers, based in Park City, will open its second location in Daybreak during August. Other businesses to locate in Daybreak include several restaurants, a children's boutique, a barber shop and a dry cleaner. Additional tenants will be announced over the coming weeks.

"The SoDa Row Village Center businesses are locally owned and operated with owners who have a desire to not just operate a business but be part of a community," says Scott Schwendiman, commercial development manager for Kennecott Land. "They caught the vision of what Daybreak is all about." The 68,000 sq. ft center has five uniquely designed buildings that are each built to the LEED Gold standard and are located across from Oquirrh Lake at 4709 Daybreak Parkway.

Another state-of-the-art building in the community is Daybreak Corporate Center, which also serves as the Rio Tinto Regional Center. The center was awarded LEED® Platinum Certification by the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC) and is the first LEED Platinum building in Utah. Platinum certification is the highest certification awarded from USGBC and demonstrates energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.

"Daybreak is able to move forward with commercial and retail development even in the slow economy because increasingly, people in the valley desire unique places and products that have character and are eager to support the businesses. The businesses that are joining us are eager to be a part of Daybreak because of strong demographics and strong growth, but also because they see what is possible when quality development meets committed vision," adds Schwendiman.

According to Scott Kaufmann, vice president of commercial development for Kennecott Land, commercial development lagged behind residential development while businesses waited for the critical mass, but the "mass" has arrived. "We are succeeding in the face of extremely difficult market conditions," he says, "which speaks to the need of this kind of project in the marketplace."

Energy Star Compliant
To date, Daybreak has a mix of housing types and commercial space in its four different villages, in addition to recreational and educational facilities. The community is being built around the concept of preserving open space, reducing pollution and conserving natural resources. Consequently, every Daybreak home utilizes energy efficient technologies to conserve natural resources. Such technologies include low thermal conductivity windows, improved insulation and high efficiency heating and cooling systems.

The building that houses the Daybreak Community Center and Elementary School is also LEED certified, receiving a Silver certification from the USGBC for energy efficient design. It features natural lighting, reduced water consumption and a geothermal heating and cooling system, which has provided considerable savings in heating costs. What's more, Kennecott Land has committed to buying all of its electricity through a renewable power program and is exploring more solar power use at Daybreak.

"While these innovations are providing cost savings to the residents, the greater value is found in the savings to the environment," says Whyte.

Every home at Daybreak is built to United States Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star® program specifications. In fact, Daybreak is the largest community in the nation to pledge to meet Energy Star specifications. While its residents benefit from lower utility costs, the environment benefits from a reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Kettering says the average utility savings per household, based on an average 2,200 square foot house, are approximately $400 annually. That same home will offset greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 4.49 metric tones of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CDE) annually. At full build out, Daybreak's Energy Star® homes will contribute to an overall greenhouse gas emissions savings of approximately 58,000 metric tones of CDE annually -- equivalent to removing 12,677 passenger cars from the road.

Business Opportunities and Jobs
"This energetic community has been nationally recognized for its sustainable practices, successful mix of product types and its commitment to smart growth. But sustainability is also about building a vibrant economy with plenty of business opportunities and quality jobs that help to provide a better life for residents today and tomorrow," Whyte says.

Thus, in addition to commercial space within the mixed use villages, Kennecott Land has developed a nearby industrial center called Daybreak Commerce Park, which encompasses 250 acres, with 150 acres designated for technology or light industrial use. The first facility to locate in the industrial park was the Rio Tinto Distribution Center, a warehouse full of supplies, parts and other materials needed for the Utah Kennecott mining operation. Online auction company eBay is currently building a $400 million state-of-the-art, tier four data center in the park, and discussions are underway with a variety of other potential companies, says Kaufmann.

Rio Tinto's Distribution Center was also built to meet LEED specifications and Kaufmann expects eBay's data center may possibly meet LEED Gold certification standards. "We are ambitious in our pursuit of LEED standards and think there is a strategic advantage to LEED certification," he says, "which yields much better designs across projects."

A SURE Site
Daybreak Commerce Park is a participant in EDCUtah's SURE Sites program, an Internet site that allows businesses and site selectors interested in developing in Utah to research information about industrial and commercial locations via the Internet. The park is just 20 minutes from Salt Lake International Airport and downtown Salt Lake City. It is also easily accessible from Bangerter Highway and I-15. Access to the development will be further enhanced by development of two convenient public transit (TRAX) stations and the future Mountain View Corridor.

Kaufmann says the park is entitled under the PC-zone, which affords great flexibility to a variety of project types, and development of the remaining 150 acres may come in a range of sizes and configurations. Each parcel can be subdivided to meet owner specifications, making Daybreak Commerce Park ideal for businesses looking to place office and warehouse space at the same location.

A Model of Responsible Development
"Rarely does anyone have the opportunity to design and build a community of this size from scratch, but that is what we have done here. Daybreak is recognized as a model for how responsible development can occur," says Whyte. "Our respect for the environment has led to a sustainable development with efficient use of resources, where residents have a strong sense of community and enjoy great quality of life. Truly, Daybreak is becoming the premier location to live, work and play."