Three years after first announcing plans to build a large full-service hospital in West Valley City, University of Utah Health officials say groundbreaking is getting closer. 

During a Zoom meeting in October with members of the hospital’s steering committee  comprised of University of Utah Health officials and westside community leaders, it was reported that after recent consideration of another location for the hospital, they will stick with the originally selected 21-acre site at 3750 S. 5600 West for the medical campus that will be similar in scope to the flagship University Hospital above the U. of U. campus. 

Its establishment in West Valley City is intended to provide health care services to the west side of the Salt Lake Valley, which community leaders and advocates for the area say is underserved in that regard.  

Jenny Mayer-Glenn, director of University Neighborhood Partners, said the hospital will be built in two phases, 1A and 1B. “1A will include ambulatory exam rooms, an emergency department, operating rooms, procedure rooms, endoscopy suites, and cancer, heart, and outpatient treatment facilities,” she said. The first phase will also include conference rooms and other community spaces for health-related gatherings. 

“It is going to be a true, multispecialty, full-course, wraparound service type of facility,” Mayer-Glenn said. Mental health services will also be offered. “It is going to be quite expansive. It is going to provide a lot of care services.” 

The University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College will also provide on-site education and training to students wanting to enter the health care profession. 

Requests for proposals from potential construction contractors will go out in mid-November with selection of a contractor expected in spring of 2025 after which site work and construction will begin. Completion is targeted for mid 2028. 

Then the planning process will begin for phase 1B, which is the in-patient part of the hospital. The projected opening of that facility is the end of 2029. 

“This is all moving forward and we’re excited to begin to show more solidified information because we’ve been living a little bit ambiguous for a while,” she said.

A $200-million fundraising goal has been set, which University of Utah president Taylor Randall says is a top priority. 

“While great progress has been made to date toward our goal, we are not quite at a place to publicly disclose details,” said Jerilyn Stowe, director of public relations and communications at University of Utah Health. “We can say that so far, the project has been very well received by the donor community.” Stowe added that additional donors are being sought.  

It is hoped the rest of the project can be financed through a $500-million bond issued by the Utah Board of Higher Education on behalf of the university. Officials put a $500-million price tag on the proposed hospital when it was first announced in 2022 and then said in 2023 that it had ballooned to more than $800 million due to rising construction and material costs. That resulted in adjusting the plans for the hospital including a phased construction rather than building the entire project at once, as originally envisioned.  

West Valley City Mayor Karen Lang said in 2022 that the hospital, when complete, would likely be the most expensive capital project in the city’s history.  λ