Two projects in Tooele County latest targets to become part of Inland Port

Brice Wallace 

A pair of locations in Tooele County are up for consideration as the state’s newest inland port areas.

At its Nov. 6 meeting, the Utah Inland Port Authority will consider approving the Grantsville project area, consisting of 1,835 acres entirely in Grantsville City, and the 162-acre Tooele Valley project area.

UIPA documents indicate that both areas favor industries in the light industrial, manufacturing, distribution and data center sectors.

Speaking in support of the project areas at a recent UIPA board meeting in Milford, Jared Hamner, chair of the Tooele County Council, said that 72.8 percent of the adult working population in Tooele County goes to Salt Lake County or other counties outside of Tooele County for employment.

“We would like to retain that [group] here,” he said, adding that mental health experts promote the idea of eating dinner at home as a family.

“One of the things that we have found in Tooele County is when they work outside of their homes, especially in other counties that distance, it is difficult for that working adult to be able to come back home and eat dinner with their families,” he said.

Having employers in the county would result in jobs that let “families be closer, where they can go to ball games, coach their kids, but yet be able to earn a livable wage to raise their family on,” Hamner said.

Jesse Wilson, Grantsville city manager, said that the power of the Inland Port “will just help us draw more businesses in.”

He hinted at the possibility of a $650 million capital investment project “that could happen with our project area.”

“Grantsville City is one of the most strategically important areas for future industrial development in the state,” UIPA documents say. “Its proximity to a skilled labor force, nexus for significant logistics infrastructure and proximity to the Salt Lake metro area make it an ideal location for targeted economic growth.

“The existing logistics infrastructure, with potential for additional rail, make this project area ideally situated to help ensure that the Wasatch Front has an optimal transportation system.”

North of the Tooele Army Depot, the Tooele Valley area is mostly vacant or has been used for agriculture.

UIPA documents note that both areas have close proximity to Interstate 80, Interstate 15, Salt Lake City International Airport, the Salt Lake International Center and the Union Pacific Intermodal Yard.

As the project areas develop, “right-sizing future logistical assets to improve freight movement will leverage new opportunities throughout the region,” the documents say.

The documents note that Tooele County has been selected by several major companies in recent years for expansion projects. They include auto retailer Carvana, which announced that it will locate 173 new jobs with a $43.5 million capital investment in the county; Plastic Ingenuity, a packaging manufacturer, which announced that it will open a new operation in Tooele City that includes 96 new jobs and a $90 million capital investment; Leitner-Poma of America, an aerial lift manufacturer, which announced a project with 236 new jobs and a $35 million capital investment; and Central States Manufacturing, a company that produces metal building components for residential, commercial and agricultural projects, which will create 90 jobs and invest $25 million in Tooele City.

The county already is the site of distribution centers for Cabela’s and Walmart with more than 1,265 employees, plus the Tooele Army Depot and the Dugway Proving Ground, each with several thousand employees.

“As state, county and local governments work together with the private sector, we are confident that we can create an economic focal area that will allow more citizens to stay in the community to find great jobs,” UIPA documents say. “New economic focal areas along the Wasatch Front will lead to smarter growth, better quality of life, and less carbon emissions. Project areas, like this one, are critical to the growth and success of our state.”

UIPA documents acknowledge that the Tooele Valley area is near wetlands. “As such, the Port will be vigilant in working with developers to ensure that this area balances the best available technology to create a development that is harmonious with its natural environment,” it says. “As Tooele County has deemed that this site is appropriate for development, and have zoned the site accordingly, the Port will bring its tools and capabilities to ensure that the development reaches its optimal potential for targeted growth and environmental balance.”

Both areas also are near the Great Salt Lake. “The Port recognizes that its project areas that have adjacency to the Great Salt Lake need particular attention so as not to destroy any part of the Great Salt Lake’s ecosystem. The Port will not support any development or rail infrastructure that destroys wetlands on this or adjacent to this site,” the documents say.

The document continues: “The Port will work with the developer to bring quality manufacturing jobs to this area. … The Inland Port looks forward to working with all stakeholders to create a development that can both protect the natural environment and foster the creation of high-paying jobs.”

Already approved by the UIPA board are:

• A port area in Salt Lake County, consisting of about 16,000 acres, including in the Northwest Quadrant of Salt Lake City and parts of West Valley City and Magna.
• The 899-acre Iron Springs Inland Port near Cedar City.
• The 2,200-acre Verk Industrial Park project area in Spanish Fork.
• The Golden Spike project area of 1,500 acres in Garland, Tremonton, Brigham City and other parts of Box Elder County.
• The Central Utah Agri-Park of roughly 35,000 acres in three parts of Juab County.
• The Mineral Mountains project area, consisting of four zones in Beaver County that occupy about 19,820 acres in parts of Beaver City, Beaver County and Milford City.

The board is expected to consider a project area in western Weber County at its December meeting.