Provo Towne Centre Redevelopment: A New Plaza, 1,300 Apartments and a Big Council Vote

Status: PENDING. No decision has been made.

The Provo Towne Centre redevelopment goes to its first Provo City Council votes on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. Mall owner Brixton Capital's plan would keep Target, JCPenney and Cinemark, add an outdoor plaza and new shops, and build about 1,300 rental apartments plus 77 for-sale townhomes on the Shady Acres Mobile Home Park site. Tuesday's votes are about zoning. The tax incentives come later.

What the Provo Mall Site Could Become

Brixton and partner PEG Companies call the project a "mixed-use lifestyle center." It covers about 23 acres in south Provo's East Bay and Franklin South neighborhoods, and the developers estimate $500 million in private investment.

An outdoor plaza at the center

At the heart of the site would be an outdoor plaza of nearly two acres, with room for community events and farmers markets. A traffic circle in the middle would send cars to underground and perimeter parking. New, yet-to-be-named shops and restaurants would open onto the plaza from the JCPenney and Cinemark side, Julie Rose of Provo Notes reports. After safety concerns, the developers cut the circle to one lane in each direction. They also added a bike lane, raised crosswalks, a drop-off zone and landscaped buffers.

What stays and what goes

• Stays: Target, JCPenney and Cinemark.
• Demolished: Sears, the food court and atrium, and the entry area by Wingers and Red Robin.
• Changes: Most of the mall's ground floor between the anchors becomes covered parking, and the second floor becomes office space.

Provo Towne Centre apartments

Five apartment buildings of up to five stories would hold about 1,300 rentals, from studios to three bedrooms. Provo Notes reports that under the draft development agreement, at least 12% of the apartments would be affordable to households at or below 80% of the area median income, and at least 3% to households at or below 60%.

New townhomes in Provo, Utah

The latest concept plan, dated October 12, shows 77 for-sale townhomes on the Shady Acres site: 19 two-story units and 58 three-story units. Earlier versions showed between 75 and 87, and some coverage still says 80. Provo Notes reports that the draft agreement requires the townhomes and adds a deed restriction. Owners could not rent them out for five years from purchase, and the five-year clock restarts with each sale.

The Three Votes on Tuesday, October 20

The 5:30 p.m. council agenda lists three related ordinances:

1. General Plan change. The mall site would change from commercial to transit-oriented development (TOD).
2. ITOD zone amendment. This citywide change to the Interim Transit Oriented Development zone would add townhomes as a permitted use and allow more design flexibility, such as courtyards and rooftop recreation areas.
3. Rezone with a development agreement. The mall property and Shady Acres would be rezoned to ITOD, with a development agreement between Provo and Brixton. A south parking area set aside for future development is outside the rezone.

Julie Rose describes the package as the TOD designation, the townhome change and approval of the development agreement. She notes that the TOD zoning would make the site eligible for transit-related tax incentives.

The Planning Commission recommended approving the General Plan change and the rezone, both 8-0. For the rezone, it also recommended leaving out the mobile home park. It recommended denying the ITOD text change, 8-0. The council has the final say.

Shady Acres Provo: What the Sources Say

Shady Acres residents own their homes and lease the land, which Brixton owns. At an October 6 work meeting, Brixton told the council the development agreement includes 18 months' notice before residents must leave, which it described as double the state requirement. It also includes $10,000 per household in relocation assistance. Provo Notes describes the assistance as going to residents "in good standing," and Brixton's slides say it is subject to final city approval. The Daily Herald reports that Brixton said it would work with each resident on a transition plan.

The Tax Incentives Come Later

Brixton says the project can't happen without public financing, but those requests are not on Tuesday's agenda. According to Provo Notes, future votes would cover three requests:

• HTRZ funding: 80% of new property taxes for 25 years.
• Sales tax sharing: 50% of new sales taxes for 30 years.
• A Public Infrastructure District: It would let the developers bond for $19 million.

Provo Notes puts the estimated value at about $71 million over 30 years. Brixton estimates Provo City would still net $24.3 million in new tax revenue over 35 years, and Provo School District $26.1 million.

What This Means for Buyers, Investors and Homeowners

• Buyers: The 77 townhomes would be the project's for-sale homes, and the owner-occupancy rule favors people who plan to live there.
• Investors: The townhomes can't be rented for five years, so the 1,300 apartments are the piece to watch: they would add new rental supply that competes with nearby rentals.
• Nearby homeowners: City staff flagged parking as an open issue, with about 1,000 planned stalls against a code requirement of about 1,800. Traffic and infrastructure are also on the list.

The site also sits near other south Provo growth, like the planned BYU School of Medicine on the old Provo High site. Explore more in our Provo community guide.

What Happens Next

• Tuesday, Oct. 20, 5:30 p.m.: The council votes on the General Plan change, the ITOD amendment and the rezone with its development agreement. Result: PENDING.

• Later council votes: The HTRZ application, sales tax sharing and the Public Infrastructure District. No date has been announced. The council's next scheduled meeting is November 3, 2026.
• Construction: No dates have been set. Brixton says a schedule will come after approvals. The draft agreement puts retail and road work in the first phase and requires the final phase to start within 15 years.

You can send comments to the council at council@provo.gov.

Buying, Investing or Selling Near the Mall?

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Provo Towne Centre redevelopment?

Brixton Capital proposes turning the indoor Provo Towne Centre mall into an outdoor mixed-use center. The plan has a central plaza, new shops, about 1,300 rental apartments and 77 for-sale townhomes. Target, JCPenney and Cinemark would stay.

Will Target, JCPenney and Cinemark stay?

Yes, under the current plan. Sears, the food court and atrium, and the entry area by Wingers and Red Robin would be demolished to make room for the apartment buildings.

When does Provo City Council vote on the mall redevelopment?

The first votes are scheduled for Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at 445 W. Center Street. The council will consider a General Plan change, an ITOD zone amendment and a rezone with a development agreement. The decision is pending.

Can the new townhomes be rented out?

Not for the first five years. Under the draft development agreement, owners can't rent the townhomes for five years after purchase, and the five-year period restarts with each sale.

What happens to Shady Acres residents?

Brixton told the council the development agreement includes 18 months' notice and $10,000 per household in relocation assistance. Residents own their homes and lease the land from Brixton.

Sources: Julie Rose, Provo Notes, October 4 (updated October 18) and October 19, 2026 (provonotes.substack.com). Provo Municipal Council agendas and October 20 work meeting packet (utah.gov/pmn). Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald, October 15, 2026 (heraldextra.com). Brixton Capital, Provo Towne Centre redevelopment FAQs (provotownecentre.com).

Featured image: Rendering courtesy of Brixton Capital.