Clinton Council approves sale of 31.9 acres

CLINTON — The City Council has approved a $10.7 million sale of 31.9 acres of land that include police and fire stations, the city hall and a city park.

The Wright Development Group plans to buy the property and will allow the city to continue to use the buildings rent-free until a new civic center can be built in September 2007. The rent is valued at $160,800.

The company will give the city two pieces of property, valued at $130,000, west of the city's pond. Wright Development will also pay off the remaining debt on the city's $700,000 bond for the current city hall.

With the money from the sale, the city plans to build a new police and fire station north of their current locations, as well as a new city hall and large park. And the city will get out of debt.

It sounds like a good deal to Dennis Cluff, Clinton's city manager.

"We're doing it at no additional tax cost," he said Monday. "It should be finalized within a month."

The city has retained ASWN, an architectural firm, to design and manage construction on the new civic center. ASWN's portfolio includes city halls in Centerville, Layton, Draper, West Jordan and West Valley City and the Murray Recreation Center.

The new park will be twice as big as the current park and will feature new ball fields, Cluff said. Eventually, the city will build a recreation center, too.

Land where the city offices are located is zoned commercial, and Cluff said he hopes Wright will bring in some retailers who can help boost the sales tax base in the city.

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E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com