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The state of Utah could end up owning the property the Road Home shelter now occupies

Posted at 7:17 PM, Aug 08, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-08 21:17:00-04

SALT LAKE CITY -- The state of Utah could end up owning the property where The Road Home homeless shelter now stands.

The topic was discussed Wednesday by the state's homeless coordinating committee at the Utah State Capitol.

The shelter is scheduled to close next summer when smaller, specialized shelters open elsewhere in the valley.

Many developers are interested in developing the site at 210 South Rio Grande Street, but the state authorized spending up to $4 million to purchase the roughly one acre of land.

"There may be interest from the state to buy that property from a non profit," Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams said. "But the non profit will have to decide who to sell to and at what price."

If the state is successful in purchasing the property, it will tear down the existing buildings.

Government offices could be built at the site, or possibly a place to preserve and display state-owned archives and artifacts.

"There are other good reasons for this, one is to get money to the new resource centers," Lt. Governor Spencer Cox said. "They're still fundraising, there's still a gap. The money we spend from the state to purchase this property can then be used to reinvest in the new properties which is very important."

Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, House Speaker Greg Hughes, and Governor Gary Herbert all support the idea.

Now that funding has been approved, the state hopes to move forward quickly with its offer.