5 Salt Lake County sites being considered for new large homeless campus
Nov 5, 2024, 4:30 PM
People who are homeless rest at a makeshift day camp in Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Brice Tucker/Deseret News)
(Brice Tucker/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Five potential locations are being considered for a new large homeless campus with 1,200 emergency shelter beds.
The locations were listed on a Utah Office of Homeless Services memo that surfaced late last month. It contained seven locations but two ultimately were deemed unsuitable.
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The five Salt Lake County locations include the Lee Kay Conservation Center, at approximately 2100 South and 7200 West; Standlee Warehouse at 5 S. 5100 West; Salt Lake County Oxbow Jail site, 3148 S. 1100 West; several parcels in the Beck Street area; and at Bacchus Highway at approximately 5600 S. Bacchus Highway.
State homeless coordinator Wayne Niederhauser confirmed that the five properties are among those being considered for the campus site. He said the Utah Office of Homeless Services is “still in the process of actively evaluating numerous locations.”
The site for a new homeless campus must have a minimum of 30 neighboring acres, as required by a proposal passed unanimously by the Utah Homeless Service Board last month. The search is not limited to Salt Lake County and could include sites along the Wasatch Front.
“We probably won’t use all those acres initially, but we don’t want to be looking for additional property in five or 10 years. We want to have the ability to expand. We’re thinking about the future. We’re thinking 50- to 100-year decision now — having the ability to flex for future, add additional beds and resources to a more centralized campus,” Niederhauser explained.
The site will need to include “access to essential infrastructure, public transportation, and critical services,” the office noted.
