The Division of Facilities Construction and Management announced that it has eliminated the east parcel of the Salt Lake City site from consideration for Utah’s new correctional facility. The division will now focus solely on the west parcel.
This area is a portion of the Salt Lake City site selected by the Prison Relocation Committee last summer.
The east parcel was ruled out because of environmental concerns and site costs, including issues surrounding the existence of an abandoned landfill.
“The elimination of the east parcel represents our commitment to constructing the new prison in a manner that balances community and environmental interests while meeting the needs of the Department of Corrections’ staff, volunteers and inmates,” said Eric Tholen, DFCM division director. “The focus on the west parcel ensures the best use of state resources for this critical project.”
“The need for a new prison has never been greater, as the current facilities are old and insufficient for the needs of our correctional officers, volunteers and inmates,” said Rollin Cook, executive director of the Utah Department of Corrections. “The state’s investment in the new correctional facility will play a key role in better rehabilitating inmates and help reduce the number of those who relapse into criminal behavior.”
With this decision, DFCM can continue more detailed site planning and review of the west parcel, including evaluating the best boundary options for the new facility. DFCM anticipates finalizing a property purchase and beginning work on the site later this year. Construction is expected to take approximately four years once the purchase is finalized.
More information and regular updates regarding construction of Utah’s new correctional facility are available at www.
