Alta Canyon rebuild advances: demolition complete, boundary adjustment approved and city invites community input on naming

Trustees of the Alta Canyon Recreation Special Service District met as part of the Sandy City Council session on Nov. 11 to receive a construction and funding update for the Alta Canyon rebuild.

Deputy CAO Martin Jensen and project staff reported demolition of the former building is complete, groundbreaking was held, and contractors are preparing foundations and footings with a projected soft opening in December 2026 and ribbon-cutting in 2027. Lois Stillion, the center manager, described relocated programs (temporary classes at Parks & Recreation offices), ongoing program planning and public outreach.

Project staff recommended the working name "Sandy Community and Recreation Center" to better communicate the facility's citywide purpose and to avoid confusion with the previous Alta Canyon Sports Center brand; staff also emphasized that naming-rights opportunities and internal space naming remain possible. Several trustees and council members supported community involvement in a final naming process and suggested a short-list approach.

Because the new building footprint slightly extends onto an adjacent district-owned parcel, staff requested and the board approved a 10-foot boundary-line adjustment between Parcel 3 and Parcel 4 to accommodate the new footprint and allow the chair to sign the lot-line agreement on behalf of the district. Finance staff summarized funding: a Guaranteed Maximum Price of about $22.06 million and total project budget approximating $24.1 million funded through city savings, park impact fees, county TRCC grants, a $2 million donation from the Larry H. Miller Foundation and sale of Fire Station 31 as a balancing source. Trustees authorized the boundary adjustment by roll-call vote.