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Salt Lake City Celebrates Grand Opening of the Innovative Public Safety Building

Bob Nelson

Salt Lake City residents, city leaders and especially public safety officials celebrated the grand opening of the new Public Safety Building on 475 South 300 East Friday. The 125 million dollar facility combines police, fire, 911 dispatch headquarters, and the dedicated Emergency Operations Center. It is also designed to hold up during a magnitude 7.5 earthquake and still be operational. Salt Lake City Council Chair Kyle LaMalfa says it’s a misconception that local government is the connection to the people and businesses of Salt Lake City.

”The real interface between public and government are the people of public safety who are the bridge of the gap between order and chaos,” says LaMalfa.

He says the plaza is designed for public interaction with the various agencies in the building as well as the nearby library, Leonardo and City and County Building, making it all one campus.

Credit Bob Nelson
Salt Lake City Council Chair Kyle LaMalfa explains unique design features and goals of the new Public Safety Building.

Former Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini was in the crowd for the dedication ceremony. She says when she was mayor more than 15 years ago she and the city council tried to get people behind this project because the public safety building didn’t meet local needs even back then.

“It’s here, it’s beautiful, it’s a fabulous setting and I couldn’t be more excited and thrilled, especially for the public safety department. I mean what the conditions here will just help them so much in doing…they already do a magnificent job for our city," says the former mayor.  Corradini says, "This will enhance everything they do.”

Current Mayor Ralph Becker says the goal is to have the first public safety building in the nation to reach Net Zero status. It means the building will generate as much energy as is consumed through operations.

Credit Bob Nelson
Former Mayor Deedee Corradini (!992-2000) with Salt Lake City Council member Soren Simonsen at the dedication ceremonies of the Public Safety Building.

Bob Nelson is a graduate of the University of Utah with a BA in mass communications. He began his radio career at KUER in 1978 when it was still in Kingsbury Hall. That’s also where he met his wife, Maria Shilaos, in 1981. Bob left KUER for commercial radio where he worked for 25 years, and he is thrilled to be back at KUER. Bob and his family are part of an explorer group, fondly known as The Hordes and Masses, which has been seeking out ghost towns and little-known places in Utah for more than twenty years.
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