Growth — Rexburg, Sugar City, Madison County and BYU-Idaho leaders all used that word to describe 2024 and what they anticipate for 2025. They spoke during the Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce State of the Cities and County Breakfast. The annual event was held in the John Taylor Building at BYU-Idaho.
Rexburg City Councilman Robert Chambers filled in for Mayor Jerry Merrill. He said the population of Rexburg, according to the city’s estimates, is close to 45,000. He also shared some facts about what that population means for city services. There are 83.3 miles of public streets, 2.4 billion gallons of water usage a year and 24 million pounds of trash handled every year.
While new housing permits are down from their high in 2020, last year saw a rise in duplex, townhomes and twin homes permits. Commercial permits are also strong as new businesses come to town. One of those businesses preparing to build in Rexburg is WinCo Foods.
“A lot of rumors have been going around but they have submitted plans,” Chambers said.
The grocery store chain is expected to be built north of town on the northeast side of 2nd East near Walmart.
Rexburg is also working to build new roads to help with the city’s growth. The city has a $2 million grant for a feasibility and design study for an east/west connector road. They’re looking at Moody Rd., 7th South and Poleline Rd. The city also has a $90K grant for a feasibility study for a 5th West extension and river crossing that would go north of the Madison County Fairgrounds.
Downtown Rexburg will see some redevelopment in the coming years. The city is working on mixed use development with retail, housing and parking garages in three spots near S. Center St., College Ave. and Carlson Ave.
Chambers talked about the growth of the Lightbridge Fiber Network. He said 600 homes were connected by the end of 2024 and by the end of 2025, the remaining homes in the city will have fiber available.
Sugar City
Sugar City Mayor Steve Adams said the city is expected to triple in size.
"And there was a lot of worry up front about changing this little old part of Sugar City,” he said, “and I tried to explain to people that we're not tearing down the old houses and all the wonderful things about Sugar City. We're just building in new areas and it's a little different and that's OK."
Part of that growth comes as businesses are building or expanding in town. The business park in town is now at full occupancy too.
“Some great things are happening. There’s just a lot that’s going on out here,” Adams said.
Adams also said Sugar City has worked out an agreement with the people in the Salem area to include it in Sugar City’s impact zone. He said there are also people living in Salem who are now on the Planning and Zoning Committee.
He’s also excited about the new tennis courts and ice-skating rink that are now available to people in the city. The city’s fiber optic network was also built out in 2024 to reach all of its residents.
Madison County
Madison County Commissioner Todd Smith talked about the efforts the county has made to make sure the county’s garbage has somewhere to go well into the future. Madison, Fremont, Teton and Clark counties are working together to build a new landfill about five miles south of Newdale. Madison Co. residents produce about 1,250 pounds of garbage per person per year or about 32,000 tons a year. That garbage goes to Jefferson County’s landfill and Madison Co. pays $1 million a year to pay for it.
The first phase is about 50 acres and should serve the counties for about 25 years. There are 970 acres available in the landfill.
“Hopefully, we will be hauling garbage to our own landfill by June or July,” Smith said.
The county is preparing to extend University Blvd. west of Madison High School. The construction is expected to start this summer and will go to 3000 W. The county also has a grant to replace two bridges near Sugar City with work starting in May and the work finished over the next year.
The county has purchased new land to relocate the Madison County Fairgrounds. The new fairgrounds will sit on 70 ½ acres. The county has just begun the design phase.
The county is also working on extending fiber at or near every home by the end of the year. This is in conjunction with Fybercom.
BYU-Idaho
BYU-Idaho Vice President of University Operations Brett Cook also talked about recent growth at the university. Cook said after a record high number of students enrolled in 2020, the university experienced declines each year until the Fall of 2024. Last fall saw the largest freshman class in the school’s history.
“We look forward for 2025 to continue to grow and increase the enrollment here at the university,” Cook said.
Part of the growth, Cook said, is attributed to new and expanded scholarships. There is a 60% increase in students who receive merit-based scholarships. The school’s Returned Missionary Scholarship, which started last year as a one-time $500 scholarship, has grown to $1,000 this year.
BYU-Idaho is also working hard to spread the message of the university. President Alvin F. Meredith III has given firesides with other Church Educational Services schools throughout the I-15 corridor. He’s also gone onto popular podcasts catered to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Cook also highlighted some of the activities BYU-Idaho provides its students such as Date Night, Spirit Week, Center Stage concerts and more.
“We’re trying to make it so that the students that come here to Rexburg – there’s so many that come here and say, ‘There’s nothing to do here in Rexburg.’ Those of us who live here know that there are thousands of things to do in Rexburg. But we have to kind of help them know what many of those things are and provide many fun things. The students are loving those things,” Cook said.
Some new things for BYU-Idaho include the new BYUI monument near the roundabout on the west end of campus. He said there’s been at least one marriage proposal in front of the letters.
The university is preparing to build a new University Support Services Building near University Blvd. and 5th West. Construction will start in the spring with the completion expected by the fall of 2026. The David O. McKay Library is in the middle of a major renovation, which will take multiple years. There will also be a new greenspace park going in just north of the Rexburg Temple. Work will begin this spring and will take a year or so to finish.
Madison School District #321
Superintendent Randy Lords said he saw several Madison graduates in the room who work in various positions. The district has 293 full-time teachers, 22 full-time administrators and 930 total employees. The district has nearly 6,000 students in all grades.
The district’s athletic facility is about 1 year away from completion. The high school softball team was able to play on the fields last season, but he said the infield needs some work before the baseball team can use the fields.
Lords said in 2024 the high school had 23 students graduate high school with an associate degree with help from the school’s 85 college credits offered.
He said the district is focused on helping every student know how to read by the time they graduate.
“If we have a graduate who is walking across the stage and can’t read, we have failed them,” Lords said.
He highlighted two recent graduates he said are making a difference in the world. Nathan Martin joined the Marine Corp. and Carson Proctor is now working as a police officer at the Rexburg Police Department.
Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Diane Bruce said the event was a success.
"I already knew that Rexburg was a great community but to have the leaders of the community stand and share their vision and what's been accomplished just gets you even more excited for the growth that's coming and what 2025 holds," Bruce said.