The High Valley Transit District is operating out of a giant tent in the Ecker Hill park-and-ride lot. District officials say moving into a real building is a high priority before next winter.
The district is in the process of designing and engineering its new headquarters, a nearly $2 million endeavor it’s paying for with a grant. But the financing for the rest of the project is still unclear. The official cost estimate is around $22 million, not including the price of the land.
High Valley Board Chair Kim Carson said Wednesday the Utah Department of Transportation has agreed to help.
“We have a commitment from UDOT of $7.7 million. And I believe those funds come from some recovery funds that they have that they had not yet allocated,” Carson said. “We don't have those under — eventually, you end up going into a contract for those funds, and we haven't done that yet. But they have committed those to us.”
The district continues to apply for state and federal grants. Carson said High Valley Executive Director Caroline Rodriguez recently visited Washington, D.C., and met with lobbyists and members of Utah’s congressional delegation.
Carson said the federal government is expected to be an important source of funding for High Valley’s building projects and ongoing operations. Much of the district’s budget comes from local sales taxes.
The district expects state funding, too, will be a significant source of support.
“We were very pleased to hear that, that we had that support from UDOT,” Carson said. “They know that we're a new organization and, you know, I think they're eager to support us.”
High Valley’s new headquarters is planned for the U.S. 40 corridor on land Summit County owns across from Home Depot. Carson said the district hopes to break ground on the project this spring.
