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- Salt Lake County purchased Beyond, Inc.'s Midvale office for $52 million.
- County officials say the new government center will save taxpayers money compared to costly renovations of its current facility.
- Operations will move by 2026, consolidating services into a single, accessible location.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's most populated county is moving its operations to a new city.
Salt Lake County officials announced Tuesday they have finalized a deal to acquire Beyond, Inc.'s corporate office in Midvale for $52 million. They plan to turn the 257,777-square-foot office complex located at 799 W. Coliseum Way (about 7225 South) into the county's new government center within the next two years.
The move may also turn out to be a bargain, as the final price was $3 million less than what the Salt Lake County Council had authorized in September when the county revealed that it had an opportunity to acquire a nine-year-old building in Midvale. Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said it's also vastly cheaper than the estimated cost to renovate the county's existing government center in Salt Lake City.
"Purchasing this complex saves taxpayers money while also improving customer service and public access," Wilson said, in a statement Tuesday night. "The proximity to I-15, a TRAX station and trails for active transportation aided in our decision to make this purchase."
Salt Lake County's current facility at the corner of 2100 South and State Street is only almost 40 years old, but Wilson said in September it "no longer adequately and affordably meets public and employee needs" without major renovations.
The county completed a review of the facility and determined necessary renovations would likely exceed $225 million. The County Council responded by voting 7-1 to authorize the purchase of the building that had come onto the market, favoring its proximity to several busy roads and Utah Transit Authority's TRAX service.
The Midvale Journal reported Overstock completed the building in 2016, but it stopped reaching "capacity" after the COVID-19 pandemic changed office models throughout the region and the country.
Overstock is now a part of Beyond, Inc., following a "grand reopening" earlier this year. Beyond's overarching owner still lists the Midvale building as its headquarters. It wasn't immediately clear what it intends to do now that the building has been sold.
Some additional modifications to the building will be made before moving government operations there sometime in 2026, county officials said Tuesday.
Salt Lake County Council Chairwoman Laurie Stringham said the move will make county services "more accessible" in the "heart of the valley." All services will also be confined to one building rather than a multi-building office complex.
"With this new space, we are creating a one-stop-shop where residents can conduct all their county business at one location," Stringham said. "The new complex is modern and unique, and we can't wait to share it with everyone in Salt Lake County."
It's unclear what's next for the outgoing county government center. County officials said they plan to begin a "review process" of the property to determine its future.
