'The one that transforms Utah's economy': Inland Port Authority unveils PortSLC

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Inland Port Authority on Wednesday unveiled PortSLC, a rebranding of its Northwest Quadrant project area intended to launch an international campaign focused on attracting aerospace and defense, life sciences and advanced manufacturing companies to the Beehive State.

"PortSLC is here to ensure that not only do we stay on top, but we are bringing the best and brightest companies here to the state of Utah," said Ben Hart, executive director of the Utah Inland Port Authority. "What we've historically called the Northwest Quadrant — we're giving it a new name. We're making sure that people actually know what's out there."

Hart said the port authority sees PortSLC as not just the 17,000 acres that make up the project area, but the broader 30-40,000 acres around the Salt Lake City International Airport as "ground zero" for attracting industry to the state.

And proximity is the name of the game for the project area, sitting just a few minutes from a major international airport, two railroad systems and major road corridors, including I-80, I-15 and I-215.

"This is going to be the one that transforms Utah's economy into where we need it to be for the next 30 years. When we talk about where people work, when we talk about people's livelihood, we have to have centers of economic strength that really help to provide for the entire region," Hart said. "The multiplier, the bleed-off effect that we'll see from this type of development will be significant."

Hart said another major focus for PortSLC is Delta Air Lines' 60,000-square-foot cargo facility, expected to be completed in 2027 with the goal of bolstering the state's supply chain. The airline received an $18 million loan for the project from the port authority.

"Currently, we're sending 92% of our air cargo out of the state on a truck. That's absurd," Hart said, adding that the addition of the cargo facility and the ability to ship goods in and out of Utah via air will be a "game changer" for the state.

And while the project area is situated along major transportation corridors, it's also close to the Great Salt Lake, a reality not lost on port authority leaders.

To that end, Hart said the port authority has donated $7.5 million to fund wetland and shoreline conservation and is anticipating donating another $2.5 million in the spring.

"Hidden in all of this, I believe, we can be a model for the nation in how we develop next to sensitive land areas," Hart said. "There are a lot of places across this country that have completely paved over their sensitive land areas. In all of this, we're not losing sight of how important it is to protect the Great Salt Lake."

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