Inland port authority renames Salt Lake City's northwest quadrant PortSLC

The Utah Inland Port Authority on Wednesday rebranded its Northwest Quadrant project area in Salt Lake City as PortSLC, the start of an international campaign to bring aerospace and defense, life sciences and advanced manufacturing companies to Utah, the Deseret News reported. ^[1]

The project area covers 17,000 acres, and executive director Ben Hart said the authority sees the 30,000 to 40,000 acres around Salt Lake City International Airport as the target for new industry. ^[1] The authority's new PortSLC site pitches the area's two railroads, BNSF and Union Pacific, its interstates and the airport about 10 minutes away. ^[2]

"This is going to be the one that transforms Utah's economy into where we need it to be for the next 30 years," Hart said. ^[1]

Hart pointed to Delta Air Lines' new cargo facility at the airport, which the authority helped finance and which is set to open in 2027, saying the state now trucks 92% of its air cargo out of state. ^[1][3]

The area sits near the Great Salt Lake. Hart said the authority has given $7.5 million for wetland and shoreline conservation and expects to give $2.5 million more in the spring. ^[1] Its board earlier approved $2.5 million for the Utah Department of Natural Resources for wetland conservation and $2.5 million for Salt Lake City for public safety. ^[4]