ST GEORGE — With 2015 drawing to a close and the promise of a new year just around the corner, St. George Mayor Jon Pike spent time welcoming 2016 from the Fiesta Family Fun Center. He took the time to speak with St. George News and reflect on the year just passed and the hope of the new year to come

When you look at all that happens in a year, whether its an … election we had here in the fall, new businesses coming to town, we had new projects in terms of road construction, just all kinds of things happening. It’s hard to see here at the end of 2015 kind of where all the time went. It goes fast.

While being so busy is a positive thing and makes time go by quickly, there is still so much that remains to be done, Pike said, pointing out that the building he stood in had been built during the last year.

“What a great place to celebrate … in this case New Year’s Eve. It’s a great place to be, we have a thriving city, we have a thriving university, we have everything going for us,” Pike said. “The economy is in full recovery now after several years. Everything is looking good.”

We are fortunate to live in a city that emphasizes growth, Pike said, using the examples of Dixie Regional Medical Center, Dixie State University, plus the numerous small businesses and startup companies within St. George that are undergoing expansion.

For 2016, he would like to see a continuation of the positive trends of 2015, the mayor said. Both he and the city council want to emphasize the visibility and sense of fun of the downtown St. George area. The health of a city is directly correlated to the vibrancy of its downtown area, he said.

“With the Electric Theater, for example, that’s opened up recently,” Pike said, “that will be a place where there will be all kinds of different events, whether they’re arts or whether they’re … movies, comedy, whatever might be going on, we hope the university will tie into that. We’ll get more students and millennials downtown, so I hope you’ll see some plans come to fruition here in 2016 that … will bring new opportunities for new businesses, retail, housing, right in the downtown area that I think will be attractive. Especially when you pair that with what we already have.”

The emphasis is not just on attracting college-age millennials though, Pike said.

“Families, as well as singles, young people and professionals will find that the downtown will be the place to be, starting in 2016,” Pike said.

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