South Valley students could soon discover the wonder of nature in Dimple Dell Park.
Salt Lake County is considering building a nature center in the southeast corner of the park, which would serve as an onsite classroom for science students.
The proposed center, about 2900 East and Dimple Dell Road, would provide about 3,000 square feet of learning space for area students, said Angelo Calacino, a county park development project manager.
The facility would most likely not be open to the public, Calacino said, because of the cost of staffing it full time. Instead, it would be open during class time, possibly staffed by employees from partnering school districts.
Students from Granite, Canyons and Jordan school districts could end up using the facility, though the county is still in the early stages of talks with the districts. Still, the idea is appealing, said Canyons spokesman Jeff Haney. "If we can provide an educational experience like that for our children, that's something we'd be very interested in," Haney said.
The Murray School District has a similar program along the Jordan River Parkway, where students take classes and then venture outdoors for hands-on experience.
Dimple Dell's master plan calls for a nature center, Calacino said, and the issue has been visited in the past. About 20 years ago, the county considered building a much larger center, but it "got out of hand" at 9,100 square feet.
The county does not have a firm cost estimate for the proposed center, but it could end up paying for itself. The building would be available for wedding receptions and other events in the evenings, hopefully generating some revenue for the county, Calacino said.
Several of Dimple Dell's equestrian users have been outspoken in opposition to the center, fearing that the county would create a nature preserve, limiting access to the public. But the park will remain open to residents and their horses, Calacino said.
Plans for the nature center ae expected to be complete in the next few weeks, when they will be delivered to county administration.
