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State veterans department seeks replacement Salt Lake veterans home and new Northern Utah cemetery
Summary
The Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs asked the appropriations subcommittee to fund construction of a 105‑bed Salt Lake Valley veterans home (estimated $49M, with about $35M reimbursable by VA) and reported a VA‑funded Northern Utah veterans cemetery on donated land with small O&M requests for the state.
The Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (DVA) told lawmakers on Jan. 27 that it seeks funding to replace the aging Salt Lake veterans home with a new 105‑bed facility sited in Taylorsville and to establish a Northern Utah veterans cemetery on donated land west of Adams Parkway.
DVA Executive Director Gary Harder and Deputy Director Jeff Hanson said the current Salt Lake facility was constructed more than 27 years ago with shared rooms and institutional layouts. The replacement design, they said, would provide private rooms and modern clinical space; the governor’s budget estimates the project at about $49 million, of which approximately $35 million would be reimbursed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs if the state proceeds under the VA grant program. DVA noted that construction‑cost escalation increases the project price each year and that earlier construction can reduce annual operating pressures and save about $4.5–$5 million over time.
Separately, DVA summarized an opportunity for a Northern Utah veterans cemetery on family‑donated land near Camp Williams. The department said the VA recently indicated it has federal funds to reimburse construction and that the state’s role would be primarily to complete design work and carry modest ongoing preventative maintenance: DVA estimated annual operations and maintenance for the cemetery at about $24,300.
DVA emphasized demand: the Salt Lake Valley has the state’s highest concentration of veterans and the current Salt Lake facility is the smallest in the network (81 beds). DVA said it maintains occupancy across the enterprise at about 95 percent and that replacing older facilities would improve safety and dignity; managers also described pandemic‑era outbreaks at the existing Salt Lake facility as part of the rationale for replacement.
DVA asked the committee to consider its FY2027 request and said it would work with DFCM to time and prioritize construction to maximize VA reimbursement and reduce long‑term operating costs.
