Summit County advances PEAK Center build-out in former Skullcandy building

PEAK Center, the former Skullcandy building in Kimball Junction, is being converted into a new Summit County hub for library services, DMV offices, council meetings and county workspace. Photo: TownLift

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Summit County officials said Wednesday that the first phase of the PEAK Center project in Kimball Junction is on schedule and under budget as the former Skullcandy building is transformed into a new hub for public services and county operations.

During a county council update on design, scope, and budget, Deputy County Manager Janna Young said tenant improvements on the first floor began Jan. 12 and are expected to take about 100 days. She said the project is moving forward as planned, with some change orders resulting in credits rather than added costs.

“We’re currently on schedule and under budget,” Young told the council.

The ground floor is being rebuilt to house a Summit County Library branch, a Utah Division of Motor Vehicles branch, a county council meeting space with a fixed dais, and conference rooms. The county previously approved a $4.2 million contract with Zwick Construction for the public-facing ground-floor build-out.

County officials said one unusual cost-saving measure came from the building’s former use as Skullcandy’s headquarters. Young said the structure had been built around an anechoic chamber — a soundproof testing room used for headphones — located near the middle of the floor where the library is planned. Instead of demolishing it, the county found a buyer who disassembled and removed it, reducing demolition costs.

The county also shared an updated first-floor layout, with the council chamber now planned for the southeast corner of the building rather than an earlier configuration. Officials said the revised design improves circulation and wayfinding and creates a larger public meeting space. Young said the chamber could seat about 200 attendees, with a capacity of roughly 250 people overall.

The PEAK Center’s second floor remains in the planning stage. Community Development Director Shane Scott said the county is exploring a shared workspace for up to 50 employees across nine departments, along with touchdown workstations, Zoom rooms, collaboration areas, and some private offices. Officials said a final budget for the upper floor is not yet available because the design is still being refined with department directors.

Scott and Young described the upper level as a chance to create a more collaborative county campus, though council members cautioned that adding another county workspace could also create new silos if departments are split across multiple buildings.

Council member Tonja Hanson also emphasized that the project will not replace the county courthouse in Coalville.

“The courthouse remains in Coalville,” Hanson said. “We’ll say this over and over: this is not replacing the courthouse.”

Officials said most permanent users of the building will come from county offices already based in Kimball Junction, including the Sheldon Richins Building and Quinn’s Junction, while some employees based elsewhere may use the space on a temporary or flexible basis.

The project comes as Summit County continues preparing to move services out of the Richins Building ahead of its planned demolition as part of Dakota Pacific’s redevelopment. TownLift reported that the county had purchased the former Skullcandy building at 6301 N. Landmark Drive for $17.5 million in May 2024.