Groundbreaking ceremony kicks off construction of new UofU hospital campus in West Valley City
An artist rendering of the new University of Utah Eccles Health Campus and Eccles Hospital in West Valley City. Courtesy of UofU Health
The event was ceremonial, but the celebration of it and the promise it brings were both very real. On June 13, ground was broken for the new University of Utah hospital and health clinic in West Valley City.
With government dignitaries, health professionals and family members of the George S. and Delores Dore Eccles Foundation manning the shovels, dirt was turned at an event in Centennial Park to commemorate the start of a massive state-of-the-art facility that will be built along 5600 West at 3784 South, just a few blocks south of the park.
When its initial phase is completed sometime in 2028, it will be the UofU’s first off-campus hospital in its 175-year history. The 800,000-square-foot facility will be officially named the University of Utah Eccles Health Campus and Eccles Hospital in West Valley. The Eccles Foundation previously announced a $75 million gift for construction, the largest gift to date from the foundation, which officials say represents the Eccles family’s commitment to community investment and improving daily lives of Utahns.
“The University of Utah has long benefited from the visionary leadership of the Eccles family and their foundations,” said UofU President Taylor Randall, who was among those speaking at the ceremony. “We couldn’t be more proud that our partnership has driven transformative investments at the U and throughout all our campuses in Utah. In 2021, the Eccles’ pivotal support helped advance world-class medical education through the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine building. Now, the Eccles family has stepped up again, continuing that momentum with a new facility that expands health care access, creates opportunity, and deepens our shared commitment to serving Utah. We’re deeply proud to reach this milestone together.”
Utah state legislator Jake Fitisemanu, who said he “lives five minutes from the new hospital site,” praised the Eccles and all the local players for their efforts to bring such a facility to the west side of the Salt Lake Valley. Lt. Gov. Diedre Henderson, who was raised in Taylorsville, said she was proud to be “a westsider, and I’m thrilled to see this project coming to the community.”
Spencer F. Eccles, chairman and CEO of the foundation, said he was “proud to continue our partnership with University of Utah Health. We’re proud to be part of one of the most impactful projects our foundation has ever supported. This beautiful state-of-the-art hospital will bring together expert medical providers and educators, top-notch medical students, and, most importantly, the wonderful people of this vibrant community. We couldn’t be more excited about the future — a future of better health and expanded opportunities for our westside communities.”
Dr. Bob Carter, senior vice president for health sciences and CEO of University of Utah Health, told the audience that Utah ranks 49th out of 50 states for primary care providers — a result of a statewide physician shortage. He said the new hospital will offer “hope for addressing that shortage by being a place for our medical students to not only train but also return to provide health care services in a hospital system ranked No. 1 in Utah for over a decade.”
The 22-acre campus will offer an emergency room, 130 inpatient beds, 200 exam rooms and office support for nearly four dozen specialties. It will also create more than 2,000 jobs.
Following opening remarks, dignitaries placed bright red UofU hardhats on their heads and grabbed shovels to lift dirt from a line of soil stretched over a portion of grass at the park. Guests then visited with each other, enjoyed part of the WestFest celebration at the park and got an up-close look at the AirMed helicopter that landed near the ceremony.