Utah leaders advance health campus plans at The Point

SALT LAKE CITY — State and University of Utah leaders signed an agreement Thursday at the Capitol to move forward with plans for a future health campus at The Point.

The agreement sets aside 46 acres of state-owned land near the Salt Lake-Utah County line for the proposed development.

For decades, the site was home to the Utah State Prison. Leaders now envision it as a major health care anchor for The Point, the state's planned innovation community.

Gov. Spencer Cox called the project a rare opportunity for Utah.

"This isn't even generational, it's a once in a hundred years type of opportunity for us," Cox said. "And having this as an anchor institution means everything."

The partnership includes the state, the University of Utah, the University of Utah Health and the Point of the Mountain State Land Authority.

University of Utah Health CEO Dr. Bob Carter said placing care closer to where people live and work could make appointments and follow-up visits easier for patients.

"We know that when we provide this care closer to where our families live, our people live and work, those appointments are easy to keep and the follow-ups are more manageable," Carter said. "The impact only increases."

Leaders also expect the future campus to bring jobs and economic activity to The Point.

Lowry Snow, co-chairman of The Point board, said the development could help foster innovation, technology and biomedical advances.

"We will see innovation, technology (and) some biomedical advances that will change the direction of healthcare not only in our state, but in the country, perhaps the world," Snow said.

Planning for the future campus will now move forward.