West Jordan Sugar Factory silos to be Demolished

A recent inspection conducted by the West Jordan City Building Official determined the entire Sugar Factory complex, including the 135-foot silos, is deteriorating, is structurally unsound, and has life safety issues. As a result, the entire complex at 8201 S. 2200 West is slated for demolition in the next 60 days.

“We are disappointed the silos have been included in the condemnation order,” West Jordan Mayor Melissa Johnson said. “The silos have long been a community landmark, but we cannot ignore safety issues.”

In a Sept. 22 meeting, the West Jordan City Council voted to allocate money for demolition of the Sugar Factory and its outbuildings, with the exception of the two silos. As a precursor to the demolition, the council directed the city’s building official to inspect the site. The Sept. 29 inspection included a visual inspection of the complex as well as an in-depth review of findings from a comprehensive 2006 feasibility study conducted by Cooper Roberts Simonsen Architecture. The feasibility study examined the possibility of renovating the buildings for an arts complex.

“When fundraising efforts for the arts complex fell short, the City Council directed staff to look at other potential uses for the Sugar Factory complex,” said Johnson. “The council directed the building official to inspect the buildings and evaluate engineering studies, which uncovered a variety of costly safety issues.”

The CRSA report determined the silos are not well connected to the foundation and could topple during a seismic event. “Depending on which direction they fell, the silos could cross over the new TRAX lines and onto Sugar Factory Road,” said Bill Bailey, city building official. “In the event of a fall, the ‘scatter zone’ for silo debris could be in the 200-foot plus range.”

On Sept. 29, Bailey issued a condemnation order for the entire complex. The Sugar Factory complex was once part of a sugar beet processing facility dating back to 1916.