Board approves land swap with Ivory, acquiring 60 contiguous acres on West Bench

The Jordan School District Board of Education approved a property trade agreement with developer Ivory that exchanges multiple district parcels for roughly 60 contiguous acres near U-111 and 90th South on the West Bench.

District staff described the trade as an opportunity to acquire a large, contiguous parcel in an area expected to see significant long-term growth. Properties the district will convey in exchange include a previously closed West Jordan elementary site and several other school-site parcels that staff said are surplus to near-term needs. Staff said the parcels being traded total approximately the same acreage as the West Bench property and that Ivory agreed to development plans that will be compatible with surrounding neighborhoods (examples cited included patio homes rather than high-density apartments).

Board discussion covered community concerns about future use of the district’s former West Jordan Elementary site and whether the developer’s proposed housing types would align with neighborhood expectations. Staff said Ivory committed to design approaches that fit the community and that the district’s acquisition will increase long-range flexibility for locating middle- and high-school sites on the West Bench.

The board voted unanimously to approve the agreement. Staff said the trade avoids a protracted parcel-by-parcel acquisition process, and cited the value of securing a large contiguous site for long-range planning.