Daybreak Community

Daybreak is a master-planned community over 4,000 acres (16 km²) in size being built by land development company Kennecott Land in South Jordan, Utah. Home construction began in 2004 and the community is expected to continue building for the next 18 to 20 years. When completed, it will contain more than 20,000 residential units and approximately 9.1 million square feet (850,000 m²) of commercial space.

The Red Line of the light rail UTA TRAX system now gives the residents of Daybreak and the south-west Salt Lake Valley access to downtown Salt Lake City and the University of Utah. The Mountain View Corridor, currently under construction, will also provide access to Daybreak, and Bangerter Highway lies along the eastern edge. Daybreak is also located adjacent to a shopping center known as "The District", which contains 1,200,000 square feet (110,000 m2) of retail space.

On October 1, 2005, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the construction of the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple, which was built in a prominent location in the Daybreak development. Ground was broken for the temple on December 16, 2006, and the temple was dedicated on August 23, 2009.

The development currently contains three schools: Daybreak and Eastlake Elementaries, and a charter school, Early Light Academy. The residents of the Daybreak community also enjoy a community center, which features a full gym and exercise area, as well as a swimming pool and two splash pads/wading pools. Along with the 22 miles (35 km) of trails and over a dozen community parks, a man-made lake, Oquirrh Lake, was developed for non-motorized boating, fishing, and other recreational activities. The lake began construction in 2005 and is now fully developed.

All homes in the community are Energy Star certified. Daybreak was the first community of its size in the region to adhere to Energy Star standards, and the entire community has been designed and built with sustainability in mind. Many of the home builders in the community offer different options that promote green building, including solar and thermal panels, renewable building materials and high performance appliances. All homes in Daybreak also have fiber-optic connections.

Daybreak is designed using a traditional neighborhood development model (TND) which means that all homes within the community are within a five-minute walk or bike ride of a major amenity such as a park, the lake, or a shopping area, reducing resident's dependence on automobile travel and providing the opportunity for a healthier lifestyle. The home designs have been inspired by Salt Lake City's historical neighborhoods such as Sugar House, The Avenues, and Harvard-Yale areas, and include large front porches and alley-loaded garages. Exterior styles include Colonial Revival, Craftsman and Victorian. The homes along each street also contain a brighter color palette than is found in most suburban neighborhoods. Recently, homes with a more modern style have been added.

The community is divided into four villages: Founder's Park was the original village opened in 2004. Eastlake Village which opened in 2006 is currently Daybreak's premier neighborhood, featuring several parks and many of the community's largest homes. North Shore Village is likely the community's most diverse neighborhood architecturally and Garden Park Village, which opened in 2009, is a fully maintained neighborhood designed with the 55+ empty nester in mind. Garden Park features its own private clubhouse, fitness area and easy beach access. The new Red Line and the new University of Utah Medical Center are both just a short distance away.

SoDa Row, Daybreak's first retail area is now open. It includes several restaurants and retail shops, a day spa, barber shop and a dry cleaner. The Rio Tinto Regional Center is also located in SoDa Row. This is the area headquarters for international mining giant Rio Tinto, which is also the parent company of Kennecott Land, the developer of Daybreak. The University of Utah will be building a 225,000-square-foot (20,900 m2) medical center in the community.

Recently, Daybreak was ranked as the 6th Best Selling Master Planned Community in the Nation for 2009. RCLCO (Robert Charles Lesser & Co., LLC) Daybreak sold 375 new homes in 2009, which was a 7 percent increase over 2008, an unusual achievement in the down housing market. Nearly 1 in every 5 homes sold in Salt Lake County were in Daybreak.

• Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple