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After unsuccessfully fighting to avoid hosting a relocated Utah State Prison, Salt Lake City is now preparing for an economic boon spurred by the facility.

The city's urban-renewal agency voted Tuesday to designate a swath of land containing the future prison site as a redevelopment-project area in what one top aide to Mayor Jackie Biskupski called "a critical first step."

State leaders have yet to choose a precise spot west of Salt Lake City International Airport for the new prison, set to be relocated from Draper.

But wherever it goes, according to Lynn Pace, senior adviser to Biskupski, the $550 million-plus state construction project and supporting roads and utilities will be a "catalyst for future development to this area, unlike anything we've seen today."

"This is an opportunity of enormous proportions," Pace told the City Council.

The council, acting as the governing board of the city's Redevelopment Agency (RDA), gave unanimous backing.

Among other advantages, making up to 8,600 acres north of Interstate 80 and west of 5600 West an RDA project area will let the city use a host of financial tools meant to spur economic development, including low-interest loans, tax rebates and other incentives to lure businesses.

"The state has given us the opportunity to do this, and we can't screw it up," said Councilman James Rogers, whose District 1 covers the city's northwest quadrant.

The city moved to create its RDA project area just before state lawmakers finish a proposal to hire consultants to study future development at the current prison site at Point of the Mountain.

On Wednesday, members of the Utah Legislature's Point of the Mountain Commission approved a request for proposals. They've allocated $500,000 to hire planners, study what might be built at the vacated Draper locale and how to pay for it, then report back by year's end.

Simultaneously, Salt Lake City is nearing final approval of a new master land-use plan for the northwest quadrant, an area that encompasses sensitive wetlands along the Great Salt Lake, salty scrublands, brownfields and a number of industrial and warehousing facilities.

Creating the redevelopment district, Pace said, prepares the city "to take advantage and take the lead" in exchanges with state officials on how the prison project might unfold.

Biskupski said the action also would strengthen the city's hand with lawmakers.

"It's really important that we get this right," the first-term mayor said, "but it's also important that we do it before the [legislative] session [in January]."

Justin Belliveau, RDA chief administrative officer, said the project area would be of "utmost priority." The process will start, RDA staffers said, with a detailed economic analysis.

But council members worry about delaying ongoing work on two other new RDA projects, along State Street and 900 South, both also considered priorities.

"I'm torn," Councilman Stan Penfold said, "about pausing on those." At his behest, council members left open the option of hiring additional RDA staff to cover the workload.

Twitter: @TonySemerad