This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Re "Move the Draper prison, panel says," Tribune, Feb. 24:

The report sent to the our state Legislature by the Prison Relocation and Development Authority, recommending construction of a new penitentiary and selling the present site, did not correct the mistake made at the time of the previous prison relocation.

In the 1950s a source of potential income to public and private entities was overlooked. To correct this error, the panel should have proposed also selling the property where the old prison had been.

They should have noted in their report that Sugar House Park could be sold for a price equal to the appraised value of the Draper property, $186,000 per acre. If revenue accruing to selected real estate developers was one of their objectives, the PRDA missed an opportunity.

The Sugar House property would be an ideal location for some types of development. Its proximity to I-80, the truck route from the Uinta Basin, and the availability of water would make it an ideal site for a petroleum refinery.

Keith Slatore

Salt Lake City