Building Utah: major construction projects are turning the entire state into a hard hat zone.

• Author: Madison, Rachel
• Position: SPECIAL SECTION: BUILDING UTAH

If it seems like major construction projects across the Beehive State are never in short supply, that's because they aren't. From Logan to St. George, a myriad of new developments are underway. Some of these projects have been under construction for a couple of years, while others are just breaking ground. Regardless, Utah's construction industry continues to bulldoze forward in all areas, but particularly when it comes to higher education buildings and healthcare campuses.

Higher education

Utah State University is getting a facelift with a couple of new projects. One is the USU Clinical Services Building, a 105,000-square-foot, $28 million project that will allow several of the university's departments to merge into one building. The project's general contractor is R&O Construction and its architect is Jacoby Architects.

The other project, also headed up by R&O, is the USU Space Dynamics Laboratory, a 73,528-square-foot, $20 million building designed by CRSA. "That's been an interesting project," says Slade Opheikens, CEO of R&O Construction. "The build out of the interior is very high-level security with mesh walls to protect against intrusion and film in the walls to prevent radio frequencies from being transferred in and out of the building."

At the University of Utah, Okland Construction is working on the Crocker Science Center, which is converting the George Thomas Building into a state-of-the art-teaching and research center. The original U-shaped portion of the building consisting of approximately 71,000 square feet will receive a seismic upgrade and reconfiguration of spaces, which will provide flexible teaching labs and a tutoring center for all science disciplines. A 52,500-square-foot addition will also be built to house cell and genome research center labs.

Another project at the U is the Orson Spencer Hall replacement, which will serve as the main classroom building on campus. The facility, now named the Carolyn and Kem Gardner Building, is being constructed by Okland, Cache Valley Electric, MHTN Architects and others. It's a $53 million, five-story, 209,000-square-foot hub for students that will include a welcome center, office for global engagement and collaborative research spaces. Anticipated completion of the building is mid-2018.

In St. George, another educational campus is under construction in the form of the Dixie Applied Technology Campus, a 150,000-square-foot, $30-plus million project projected to be completed in October. At Southern Utah University in Cedar City, a groundbreaking was held in April for a new business building, which will be constructed by Layton Construction and designed by MHTN Architects.

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