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SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake County Council has voted to pursue purchasing a property in Midvale that would become the new county government center.
The council voted 7-1 to approve authorization of a contract to pursue the $55 million commercial property Tuesday, according to a news release, but an exact address of the location was not given.
The Salt Lake County Government Center at 2001 S. State was built in the mid-1980s and is almost 40 years old. Due to its age, the county conducted an assessment of the building.
"Salt Lake County recently conducted a Service Opportunity Assessment Review (SOAR) — a collaborative initiative to assess and optimize public service delivery while effectively and efficiently allocating resources in an accessible manner. One of the main SOAR findings was the government center, in its current form, no longer adequately and affordably meets public and employee needs," county Mayor Jenny Wilson said in the release.
The assessment also found the estimated cost of maintenance and renovations needed in the building would be at least $225 million. The county was then made aware of the opportunity to purchase a property with a nine-year-old building in Midvale for $55 million.
"This week, Salt Lake County will enter into a contract to explore purchasing the property, using a combination of funds that would have been allocated for government center maintenance and renovations. This opportunity will save taxpayers a substantial amount and improve customer service," the news release says.
The release says the building in question is located in the center of the county, is just minutes from I-15 and is next to a TRAX station.
The county council said it is exploring options to offset the purchase which could include selling the existing government center or leasing the property.
The county has a 60-day due diligence process in which it will have a council presentation, on Oct. 29 at 6 p.m., for the public and employees to learn more and offer feedback.
