Utah to vacate state office building in downtown Ogden, move to ex-IRS structure

OGDEN — The state of Utah plans to vacate a seven-story office building it owns in downtown Ogden and move workers to a Marriott-Slaterville building that previously housed IRS operations.

The state government has already bought the ex-IRS building at 1001 S. 1200 West, in Marriott-Slaterville, just west of a much larger IRS facility at 1160 W. 1200 South that is still used by the federal agency. The replacement structure at 1200 West, though, needs renovations and the move from the state building at 2540 Washington Boulevard, expected within two to three years, hasn't yet started.

The cost of acquiring and renovating the 88,000-square-foot 1200 West building plus relocating state offices to the structure is expected to cost around $37 million, according to figures provided by the state.

The larger structure at 2540 Washington Blvd., measuring 107,000 square feet and located across the street from the Ogden Municipal Building, "is outdated, lacks sufficient parking and is underutilized. The acquisition and renovation of the new property will allow personnel from multiple state agencies to be relocated to more efficient, modern and accessible workspaces," said Jeff Hymas, spokesman for the Utah Department of Government Operations.

The state hasn't yet started marketing the Washington Boulevard building, but plans to sell it.

While some offices located at 2540 Washington Blvd. will be moved to the 1200 West building, others will be relocated elsewhere. Some state operations at other locations in Weber County, including the Department of Motor Vehicles office at 2447 Lincoln Avenue in Ogden, are also to be moved to the 1200 West Building, located just north of the busy 12th Street corridor that extends west from Ogden to I-15 and beyond.

The state paid $11.2 million last July for the Marriott-Slaterville building, which sits on 9 acres, tapping into $14.2 million allocated by Utah lawmakers in 2025 for the acquisition. The remaining $3 million will be used for "programming and design," with additional funds to be sought to help with renovations.

"We're requesting $23.1 million during the current legislative session to fund phased construction and renovation of the building space," Hymas said. The $23.1 million would help with renovations and relocation costs. The building needs a new roof, mechanical systems, IT infrastructure, a parking lot, furniture and equipment to accommodate the varied agencies' needs.

The state acquired the 1200 West building from Cad 2 Development, which previously leased it to the IRS. The larger IRS building to the east, sitting on nearly 41 acres, is owned by the federal government.

Numerous state entities currently operate at the 2540 Washington Blvd. building, called the Ogden Regional Center. They include the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Workforce Services, Department of Agriculture and Food, Department of Corrections, Department of Commerce, Department of Government Operations and the State Tax Commission.

The IRS didn't respond to queries about when it vacated the 1200 West structure. Last year, after President Donald Trump took office, the IRS, among many other federal agencies, was the focus of talk of layoffs and firings by the administration.

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