The second phase of the Statewide Space Master Plan is complete and recommends building nine new State Office Regional Centers and renovating two existing Regional Centers. This would allow greater support of state employees in rural Utah, as well as the ability to improve services to the citizens of the State of Utah. It would allow the state to exit 62 locations, 56 of which are leased and create $125M savings in operating costs over 50 years.
The consolation of office space in the Salt Lake Valley that was recommended in phase one of the Master Plan, although not funded, has started to happen organically as state agencies react to the success of telework. Both the Department of Health and the Department of Workforce Service have been able to vacate a building through telework and consolidation. This illustrates the impact a successful teleworking program has on space and that with renovation funding, the State could achieve significant real estate savings.
We anticipate that as we utilize the data that we collected and make informed construction decisions, we’ll continue to provide high-quality space that meets the needs of an increasingly mobile workforce as well as create efficiencies that will improve the user experience for the public.