The Utah State Legislature has boosted the amount of revenue bonds to build a new University of Utah medical complex to $800 million, twice the original amount. That action comes as proposed costs for the West Valley Health and Community Center, which will include a hospital, are projected to rise as the project is completed.

The complex, to be built at 3750 S. 5600 West, will be opened in phases, the first one set for late 2026 or early 2027. It will be vastly different from current U of U Health Care facilities in both look and feel. The U sought a state bond to finance it—originally the bond was for $400 million. Even with the new bond, school officials are planning to implement a $200-million fundraising campaign for the complex. 

When the plan was first announced, U of U Health records show that each year, 85,000 residents from the west side of the Salt Lake Valley spent time traveling to and from the University of Utah hospital near the campus—making 15,000 annual visits to the emergency department. One of the major goals for the new campus will be accessibility to medical specialists not currently available in the West Valley community.

U of U Health already has a clinic on this side of the valley, the Westridge Health Center near Bangerter and 4700 South. It doesn’t offer hospitalization and has limited urgent care for non-life-threatening injuries. There’s also the South Jordan Health Center in Daybreak that offers primary and specialty care, outpatient surgery and an emergency room. 

The first phase of the new West Valley complex will include a hospital with 187 inpatient beds, 22 ER beds, 25 operating and procedure rooms and associated services. There will also be a 159,000-square-foot ambulatory building that will include 185 exam rooms. An education building and event plaza will be added later on. 

As far as employment numbers, it’s estimated that 250 additional health care professionals will come to the complex, which could create as many as 2,000 new jobs. U of U Health officials say they will prioritize hiring westside residents for many positions and will continue working with Salt Lake Community College to train staff once the complex is open and functional.

The U also says it will work with the Utah Department of Transportation to ease the congestion a complex of this scale will bring to the community. λ