With a $2 million boost from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the University of Utah is tackling the contamination issues of a 2-acre property in Salt Lake City's Rio Grande District. The funds are part of the EPA's Brownfield Remediation Program, which breathes new life into underutilized land parcels with a sordid industrial past. According to At The U, the grant marks a significant step towards the revitalization of a dormant sector in the downtown area.
This monetary push aligns with the University's vision for the district, transforming it into a bubbling hub for innovation. "The university is aligning its future development plans with the vision laid out in the Rio Grande District Plan," said Isabeau Tavo, deputy director of real estate development, as per At The U. The land, bought for $6.8 million back in 2021, currently sits idle, a mere shadow strewn with remnants of foundations and overgrown weeds.
The larger Rio Grande Plan, orchestrated by the Salt Lake City Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), paints the promise of a new destination, complete with sustainable transit and walkable urban design. "We are trying to capitalize on our access to transit to make this walkable and bikable and sustainable and have a great place with a lot of active uses that will bring the district to life," said Cara Lindsley of the CRA, as obtained by At The U.
However, such urban transformation requires the joint effort of not only the landowners but also state and federal backers. Lindsley added during an interview, "Remediating the contamination on the university property will make it so their site can be incorporated into the implementation of this vision for the Rio Grande District," as noted by At The U. It's a synergy between local ambition and institutional capability, where the total cost of the cleanup is poised to eclipse the EPA grant by up to $1.5 million, a gap the University intends to fill.
