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HERRIMAN -- Salt Lake Community College's plans for a campus in Herriman that focuses on energy and green jobs training moved has gained support from the state Board of Regents.
The school previously eyed a 90-acre site near the new Herriman High School, but has since found a better deal -- $10 million better. The original site would have cost about $30 million, including $20 million in state funds and a private gift of 30 acres valued at $10 million.
The new 90-acre site is near 14400 South and 4000 West: 30 acres to be donated by the Sorenson Legacy Foundation and the rest to be purchased from South Farm LLC, a real estate development arm of the foundation. If the deal is approved by the Legislature, the state would kick in $9.9 million.
For SLCC, the proposed campus would complete a chain of sites from north to south throughout Salt Lake County. It would serve as the home of the school's National Institute for Advanced Energy Training, offering training for entry-level technician and manufacturing jobs in the energy field.
"Our hope for the campus is to bring a vision for a public-private partnership which can support the state's economic development initiatives," said Karen Gunn, dean of SLCC's school of professional and economic development.
SLCC officials on Friday presented to the regents an updated master plan featuring upgrades to most of its 13 campuses and future plans for a campus in Draper.
Plans for the proposed Herriman campus include a wind turbine to be used for training purposes. The new site, not far from the turbines at Camp Williams, was chosen in part due to input from the school's private wind energy partner, Murray-based Ellis-Hall Consultants. The firm's CEO, Tony Hall, helped build a large private wind farm in Scotland.
SLCC has been aggressive in obtaining federal grants for its renewable energy programs and is also leading a 15-state consortium in solar technology.
The college expects the proposed campus to eventually accommodate 15,000 students. The population of the southwest corner of the county is growing rapidly and projected to exceed 150,000 within 20 years.
College and Herriman city officials are lobbying the Utah Transit Authority to place a planned TRAX stop at the new campus. Until that is done, it would be served by a bus rapid transit line. The site is also adjacent to the proposed Mountain View Corridor highway.
Sorenson Legacy Foundation representatives declined to comment since the deal is still pending. The foundation is a major developer in the area, and its real estate arm clashed with Bluffdale officials and citizen groups in recent years over plans to build housing near the proposed campus.
E-mail: pkoepp@desnews.com
