Demolition begins at the old Utah State Prison in Draper
Nov 29, 2022, 6:00 PM
Former Governor of Utah, Gary Herbert speaks at the start of demolition at the old Utah State Prison site in Draper, Utah November 29, 2022. (Aimee Cobabe/KSL Newsradio)
(Aimee Cobabe/KSL Newsradio)
DRAPER, Utah —Demolition began on Tuesday at the site of the old Utah State Prison in Draper. And it started with knocking down the old guard tower.
It took over an hour of nudging with heavy machines to get the guard tower down.
40 minutes later… the tower isn’t budging!
Decades of standing tall I guess doesn’t come down easy! 👀@KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/ahBT2XA6dJ
— Karah Brackin (@KB_ON_TV) November 29, 2022
But it also took years to get to this point. Now, the site will be repurposed and built into a new community.
Senior Project Manager Caleb Townes said the materials will get a new life.
“We’ll strategically plan out the demolition to where we can go on a fluid path, to where we can save and recycle much of the concrete, asphalt, metals, and debris that’s here,” Townes said.
“So that way it can be repurposed and used in the new construction effort as well.”
New construction is still years away for the new “The Point” development. It’s being touted as a 15-minute city that will include trails, businesses, and homes.
Leaders working on the project say that today’s demolition is a sign of hope and a symbol of optimism.
