Keck said developing the prison site would be the final puzzle piece to completing the commercial corridor along I-15. Promises of a commuter rail running through the site and a freight rail cutting through the prison land also make the site a prime spot for an "employment center," he said.

The area, Keck added, would focus on bringing out-of-state business headquarters and Fortune 500 companies into Utah instead of just transferring retail from another city or county.

Similar office space lined up directly across the highway from the prison was sold or leased almost immediately after hitting the market, Keck said.

"There are just a lot of people who are willing to make an investment in those properties. The economy is making a rebound, and we're benefiting from that," he said.

The request for proposals that went out May 10 requires potential developers to address how the land use could be maximized to mesh with Draper and Bluffdale zoning laws and to promote the governor's economic development goals for the state.

"When the prison was created where it is, the rest of the Salt Lake Valley hadn't caught up to that area," Keck said. "Maybe it doesn't make sense for it to be there anymore."

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