Ivins has grown 22% in three years, and Black Desert Resort will only make it bigger. Resting between the city of Ivins and Santa Clara, the 630-acre resort is four times the original 150-acres of Disneyland when it first opened in 1955.
The resort will have amenities such as a 19-hole golf course, spas, fine dining, shopping, pools and over 3,300 living spaces.
This resort also has plans to hold the PGA tour in fall 2024, a professional golf tournament that hasn’t been held in Utah since 1963. While the resort is on track to hold the PGA later this year, full completion won’t be until 2027.
The mega-resort is reported to bring 600,000 people annually, and 40,000 people for the PGA tour this fall, according to the developer.
At a joint budget meeting held Jan. 25 by Santa Clara and Ivins, Ivins councilwoman Sharon Gillespie raised concerns about the current project and its plans to hold the PGA.
“What concerns me is everything surrounding Black Desert and the PGA, what they might not have responsibility for and what we would have responsibility for in terms of operational planning and parking,” Gillespie said. “How will these conversations go, and how will we prepare for 225,000 people to visit Ivins in October?”
Currently, the two cities have plans to prepare for this influx of people, yet council members are still concerned.
Bob Flowers, Santa Clara Ivins Chief of Police, said he has full confidence that law enforcement and the infrastructure can handle this event.
“When we look at the people [emergency services] we’re going to use, it’s going to affect both cities very well,” Flowers said.
Brennan Brown, managing director at DA Davidson Group and financier for Black Desert Resort, said they have been raising money to build the infrastructure to prepare for a resort of this size. The resort, in conjunction with the DA Davidson group, also has plans for the conservation of water and energy.
“C-PACE [Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy] financing allows you to pay for clean energy enhancements to a project,” Brown said.
Both entities plan to initiate energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation enhancements.
Black Desert Resort is utilizing low-voltage power over Ethernet and an advanced regenerative media filter for reusing water.
The water usage is a concern for many residents, and the resort plans to use a third of the water that would typically be used on a resort of this size.
This resort may impact commute times for students, but it also opens up more opportunities. This resort will open 550 new jobs, from management to serving.
With a 3,000-foot boardwalk, residents and students can explore more shopping, restaurants and boutiques.
“From a high level, this really is a world-class project,” Brown said. “They’re really trying to do this right and make it a world-class destination that many people will enjoy for a long time. I think it’s going to be a great addition and a great boon to the local community and local economy.”