Census to bring 1,200 jobs to Utah

Utah will be the beneficiary of more than 1,000 full- and part-time jobs beginning this fall, thanks in part to next year's U.S. Census.

Vangent Inc., an outsourcing and consulting firm based in Alexandria, Va., has chosen a Sandy facility as one of its national locations for one of three 2010 Census call centers.

Plans are to staff it with 1,200 local part-time and full-time employees, with hiring to begin in October, a news release stated.

The company signed a short-term lease to occupy the former Discover Card building, 8475 S. Sandy Parkway, according to Chris Kirk, office specialist for commercial real estate company Commerce CRG, which helped negotiate the one-year lease agreement. Move-in is scheduled to begin in October, the release stated.

"Vangent conducted a nationwide search for a facility already suited to its needs, requiring minimal changes and expense," Kirk said in the release. "The former Discover Card building was chosen due to its size, efficiency and 'turn key' ready status."

Kirk said that while the rate of vacancy for commercial real estate space has climbed from 10.14 percent in the second quarter of 2007 to 13.61 percent for the same period this year, this lease agreement could represent a positive step for the area's commercial real estate sector.

"The landlord has a good tenant in the building for a year, and it gives us an opportunity to go out and continue to find a long-term (solution) for the building," he said.

According to Vangent spokeswoman Eileen Cassidy Rivera, the Sandy call center will serve as an information resource and hotline for U.S. citizens who have questions about how to complete the 2010 Census form and other general questions about the Census.

She told the Deseret News that the call center in Sandy would be one of three facilities — along with similar operations in Phoenix and Lawrence, Kan. — that would provide support for the 2010 Census information-gathering effort in the West.

As for the type of people who would be hired to staff the Sandy location, Cassidy Rivera said more details would become available in a few weeks.

"We will be posting more information on our Web site (www.vangent.com) about the kinds of positions that we'll be hiring for," she said.

e-mail: jlee@desnews.com