Camp Williams marks ‘big’ step in transfer of 50.9 acres of Fort Douglas land to University of Utah

When Fort Douglas was established during President Abraham Lincoln’s administration, its primary mission was to protect the Overland Mail Route while keeping an eye on settlers who were early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, attending a ceremonial groundbreaking Monday at Camp Williams for construction of new facilities that will clear the way for a historic relocation agreement between the University of Utah and U.S. Army Reserve, noted how much things had changed.

“It’s not lost on me that it’s a little ironic that 162 years ago, then Camp Douglas was established up on the eastern foothills of Salt Lake County, in a way that was maybe a little bit antagonistic, right? The Utah territory, the federal government and the Army weren’t necessarily working cooperatively with each other at that time. So it’s a great day today to see how far we’ve come in 162 years,” Henderson said.

Henderson was among a group of Utah officials, dignitaries, military leaders and representatives of the university on hand for the ceremonial groundbreaking of new U.S. Army Reserve facilities at Camp Williams in Bluffdale. Executing the agreement required action by the Utah Legislature, Congress and governor’s office.

Using $100 million appropriated by the Utah Legislature, the University of Utah will build a headquarters for the Army Reserve at Camp Williams, clearing the way for the military to vacate the remaining 50.9 acres it occupies just east of the university campus.

The Utah Legislature has appropriated a total of $117 million for a land purchase and to relocate the Utah Army National Guard 76th Operational Response Command’s personnel and operations to Camp Williams. Officials said Utah is the only state to fund such a military relocation.

Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams said the project was “personal” because his father attended the University of Utah, served in World War II and after his wartime military service joined the reserves and was attached to Fort Douglas.

“So to see this transition, it is a little bit personal for me, but it’s the right thing to do,” said Adams, R-Layton.

Adams said the project will enable something that’s “probably never been done in the history of America, is to actually combine the reserve, the guard together, so we can be more efficient.”

Major Gen. Peter S. Cooke, retired, U.S. Army Reserve, and government special project coordinator for the University of Utah, was thanked by multiple speakers for his work over the years to finally bring the agreement to fruition.

“It’s amazing. It’s just lucky that everything just worked out together. I mean, it just worked into a place where we had the land and we had the leadership for the president of the university and the President of the Senate, and also other leaders in the House that said, ‘OK, let’s do it,” he said.

The new facilities will stir interest in serving in the National Guard and Army Reserve, which has become more challenging, he said. Their service contributes to national security, he said.

“I think the lieutenant governor said it best, ‘We put our money where our mouth is.’ This is the first time that we know in the history of America that a state came out and said, ‘We will keep you (military functions) here,” Cooke said.

The federal and state government collaboration “is a beacon for everybody to see that it can be done. It has to be done because where we are with national security by not having our forces replenished. It’s a big issue. It’s a big, big issue,” Cooke said.

The university owns the building and will lease it to the Army Reserve, Cooke said. Construction of the facility started in April.

Fort Douglas and the University of Utah have a shared history spanning more than 150 years.

According to a university press release, at one point, the fort stretched over 10,500 acres, from 900 South to 6th Avenue, and from 1300 East to the mouth of Emigration Canyon. Presently, the university surrounds the remaining 50 acres of fort property.

Col. Martin Naranjo, Army Reserve Installation Management division director, said in a statement that the Reserve is excited to be “part of this next chapter of multi-component training for our soldiers in and around the Salt Lake City area.”

He continued, “Partnerships like the ones we have with the University of Utah, the Utah National Guard, and the State of Utah are essential to our success.”

Jason Perry, the University of Utah’s vice president for government relations, said the university has been working on the exchange for 14 years, annually submitting the proposal to the respective university presidents over that time as an institutional goal.

“I had one phrase we repeated every year. It was ‘Pursue options, procure and develop the remaining Fort Douglas property.’ Fourteen years we were working on that together. Today, we are finally there. It was when President Taylor Randall became president of the University of Utah (that for) the first time we got more than a doubtful eye. He saw that opportunity. He engaged and he helped make this happen.”

President Randall said the land transfer is a testament to the strong relationship between the university, elected leaders, the Utah National Guard, and the U.S. Army Reserve.

“We are honored to support our military by providing state-of-the-art facilities that enhance training and operational readiness while advancing our university’s mission,” he said in a statement.