MIDA designates Tooele Army Depot as new project area, expands National Guard land

TOOELE, Utah — The Military Installation Development Authority approved a new project area Tuesday that encompasses the entire Tooele Army Depot, adding more than 43,000 acres of federal land to the authority’s growing portfolio of military-related development sites.

The decision, made at MIDA’s Dec. 16 board meeting, allows the authority to assist the depot with long-term infrastructure upgrades through public-private partnerships and development tools authorized under state law.

MIDA was created by the Legislature in 2007 and is governed by an appointed board. The authority manages project areas across Utah focused on military support, veteran services and economic development, including East Village in Wasatch County, a veterans lodge under construction at Sundance Mountain Resort and an aerospace research park near Hill Air Force Base.

MIDA Deputy Director Ariana Farber said the authority has been working with depot leadership to assess infrastructure priorities and identify ways MIDA could support modernization efforts.

“We’ve been coordinating with the depot to understand where improvements are needed and how MIDA can help facilitate that work,” Farber said.

The Tooele Army Depot plays a key role in the storage, maintenance and disposal of conventional munitions and spans roughly 43,000 acres, making it one of the largest military installations in the state. A draft project area plan indicates MIDA would oversee contracting and infrastructure development at the site while generating revenue to support the depot’s national security mission. The scale and timing of construction would be determined through a future master planning process.

Farber said the authority is exploring the use of enhanced use leases, a federal mechanism that allows private partners to invest in military facilities in exchange for long-term access or development rights.

“An enhanced use lease would give us a framework to bring in private investment while preserving the depot’s operational mission,” she said.

MIDA board chair and Utah Senate President Stuart Adams said the new project area could attract a range of defense-related businesses aligned with the depot’s work.

“We’re seeing strong demand across defense and security sectors,” Adams said. “That creates opportunities for businesses that complement what’s already happening at the depot.”

In a separate action Tuesday, the board approved the expansion of MIDA’s Utah National Guard project area in Tooele by approximately 142 acres. Some of the added land is privately owned and lies adjacent to the Army depot.

Farber said incorporating the additional parcels will make development of the Guard property more feasible, particularly by addressing infrastructure constraints.

“Bringing this land into the project area gives us more flexibility to plan utilities and move development forward,” she said. “Without significant water improvements, that land can’t realistically be developed.”

Under the proposal, MIDA would use property tax revenue generated within the expanded project area to fund water and utility infrastructure. Planning documents indicate a long-term goal of the partnership is construction of a new Utah National Guard armory and readiness center.

The Utah National Guard project area includes 27 sites statewide.

Final approval of the Tooele project area changes is contingent on action by local governments. Farber said the Tooele City Council is scheduled to consider a resolution Wednesday, Dec. 17, to formally include the city within the expanded project areas.

MIDA Executive Director Paul Morris said additional details on the Tooele projects will be presented at the board’s Jan. 13, 2026, meeting.