This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Cottonwood Heights • The City Council here on Tuesday unanimously authorized the purchase of almost 5 acres and the issuance and sale of up to $14.5 million in sales tax revenue bonds to fund a new home for municipal government.
The money will be used to buy 4.7 acres at the northwest corner of Bengal Boulevard (7600 South) and 2300 East and to construct a new municipal center there.
The building will be the first city hall for Cottonwood Heights, which has operated out of rented offices since its incorporation in 2005. Mayor Kelvyn Cullimore Jr. has said the city hall might be completed by the end of 2015.
Cottonwood Heights announced in early March that it was planning to build a new city hall, saying it makes financial sense because borrowing rates are low and construction costs are affordable. Lewis Young Robertson & Burningham — a municipal financial advisory firm — estimates Cottonwood Heights would save more than $15 million in the next 20 years by using tax-exempt bonds to build rather than leasing.
In addition, the project will "create a distinct and more accessible city office, and the opportunity to establish a more permanent community identity," according to a written statement by the city.
The city now occupies offices at 1265 E. Fort Union Blvd. The site of the new municipal building is bordered on the south by Brighton High School, on the east by a Mormon church and on the west and north by residences.
Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC