Utah’s oldest school is set to bring its upper and lower grades together on one campus for the first time in four decades.
Rowland Hall’s students have long been split between two locations, but that is set to change next December — if all goes as planned for the private school.
The plan includes moving students in grades six through 12 from Rowland Hall’s Lincoln Street campus in the 9th and 9th neighborhood to the soon-to-be “Richard R. Steiner Campus,” perched on Salt Lake City’s east bench. It will sit directly behind the existing Philip G. McCarthy school at the corner of Guardsman Way and Sunnyside Avenue.
Once complete, Steiner will span approximately 155,000 square feet. School officials hope to move students into the building on Dec. 2, 2026, Spokesperson Stephanie Orfanakis said. Until then, those students will stay at the Lincoln Street campus. Students in 3Pre-K through fifth grade will remain at the McCarthy building.
How construction is coming along
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Construction of the Richard R. Steiner Rowland Hall campus, on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025.
Construction is about 45% finished, with most of the structural steel in place, Orfanakis said. Looking north along Sunnyside Avenue from the Yalecrest neighborhood, the gymnasium and part of the auditorium are already visible.
Portions of the drop-off circle, which is on the east side of the construction site, can also be seen from Sunnyside Avenue.
The campus’s existing soccer field directly along Sunnyside will stay put, which means the new campus will sit far back from the road, Orfanakis explained.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Construction of the Richard R. Steiner Rowland Hall campus, on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025.
That was an intentional choice, designed to preserve views of Salt Lake City’s Foothills from the nearby Yalecrest neighborhood, according to a school news release.
When Steiner officially opens, the school will also restrict left-hand turns onto Sunnyside Avenue during “peak hours” to minimize traffic, Orfanakis said.
Bids roll in for classic campus
Rowland Hall announced plans to build the Steiner campus in 2023 and sold the Lincoln building to another owner last December.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rowland Hall, considered Utah’s oldest school, in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025.
The property recently hit the market, and has so far received at least eight proposals, according to Kip Paul, project broker and vice chair of real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield.
Though Paul said he can’t release the specifics of those bids, the proposals range from multifamily units to townhomes and student housing. He added it’ll likely take a year for any plans to be finalized.
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