Jazz, hors d’oeuvres, dirty sodas — the public on Friday enjoyed a swanky ribbon cutting at High Valley Transit’s new Sego Lily Transit Campus near Home Depot in Silver Summit.
Named after the state flower, the $46 million campus spans 8 acres and will serve as the new headquarters for the regional transit agency, including an 18,000-square-foot administration building, a 17,000-square-foot maintenance building and a 31,000-square-foot storage building.
The campus is a boon after the regional transit authority’s last several years working out of a tent and trailers at Ecker Hill Park and Ride. Those finally came down in late April while they moved.
“When we launched in 2021, we had to make do with the space that the county could give us,” said Operations Director Brad Herkimer. “And Ecker Hill Park and Ride was really the biggest space that they could provide us. So of course, we grew, and that trailer grew. We went from a single trailer to two trailers to a triple-wide.”
Members of Park City High School’s jazz band performed and welcomed the crowd, comprising several area county and city councilors, High Valley staff and board members and the public. Hill’s Kitchen served small bites and mixed dirty sodas with tongue-in-cheek names like “Dirty Buses,” “Charger’s Down!” and “Someone Texted Caroline,” referencing Executive Director Caroline Rodriguez. Plus, caricature drawings.
After a half hour or so of cocktail chatter, the crowd gathered outside for remarks and the ribbon cutting. High Valley leaders reflected on the half-decade journey here.
The headquarters broke ground in 2022 and were initially estimated to cost around $27 million. That increased by $2.7 million after crews encountered bedrock during construction, which required them to blast the material instead of excavating it.
With the cost of other additions like electric charging and nine living units, the total reached its current $46 million tag.
“Despite rock, rock and more rock — deep rock — we’re thrilled to be here at our new facility,” said Kim Carson, High Valley Transit board chair and Summit County councilor.
The maintenance building has a washing bay, four full-size bus bays and one bay with slots for smaller vehicles at the end. Fuel lines run across the ceiling into nozzles that can be pulled down from above. Petroleum, oils and lubricants are stored near the edge of the building with a door for suppliers to easily access and restock.
“This will make it much more efficient and safe for our mechanics and our operators,” Herkimer said.
The largest building is for storage. With 31,000-square-feet, it will hold up to 24 full-size buses. Like the other buildings, there’s a lot of natural light, helping to cut utility costs. There’s capacity for charging their electric buses, which currently compose a third of their fleet, with hopes to increase that number. The agency may build a second storage building in the future.
The nine employee living spaces above the administration building are finished, but the agency is still deciding how they want to handle them. Kids or no kids? Smoking or no smoking? Month to month or lease periods? How long? The High Valley Transit board of trustees will decide.
Seven are one-bedroom apartments, and two are two-bedroom apartments. High Valley has decided they’ll be furnished to avoid disruptive move ins and outs. They’re hoping to have them figured out and housing tenants by June, according to Gabriel Shields, chief development officer.
Otherwise, the facility is up and running. Speaking to the crowd, Summit County Councilor Tonja Hanson said the opening represented a significant step forward for transit in the region.
“This facility isn’t just a home for buses and operations,” Hanson said. “It’s a cornerstone for a more connected future. It’s a symbol of what can happen when local government takes decisive action and invests in infrastructure that serves the public good.”
