The Huntsman Cancer Institute requested $75 million from the Utah Legislature on Monday for the institute’s new Vineyard campus, which will be located in the Utah City development. During the same meeting, representatives from Vineyard requested funds for an overpass on 1200 North and Orem representatives requested appropriations to widen a portion of Center Street.

Mary Beckerle, CEO of the Huntsman Cancer Institute, said during a meeting of the Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee that the first phase of the new center will cost $375 million. So far, they have raised $175 million and philanthropic organizations have committed an additional $100 million, leaving a $75 million gap that the institute hopes the Legislature can fill.

Part of the donated funds Beckerle mentioned come from the developers of Utah City, where the campus will be located. Developers announced on Friday that they are donating $20 million in land to the Huntsman Cancer Institute for its campus.

Beckerle clarified to lawmakers during the committee that the funds requested would focus on supporting the research facility. The Vineyard campus also will provide clinical care and educational spaces, she said.

In addition to the $75 million one-time funding, Huntsman Cancer Institute also was seeking around $662,000 in ongoing funding.

Last year, Beckerle said, cancer patients in Utah County and the adjacent southern counties made more than 40,000 trips to the Huntsman Cancer Institute located in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah. That amounts to nearly 80,000 hours of travel, she said.

“That is a huge hardship for cancer patients and an unnecessary burden on their families and it affects our economy,” Beckerle said.

Construction, she added, would begin toward the end of the year and they are aiming to complete the project by 2028.

State Sen. Evan Vickers, who filed the appropriations request, said this new campus is a “tremendous opportunity” for Utah County and noted how surrounding states rely on the Huntsman Cancer Institute for patient treatment.

Sen. Chris Wilson, Senate chair of the subcommittee where the request was heard, thanked the Huntsman representatives and Vickers.

“I think it’s a great project and an opportunity for Utah County and the growth that they’ve seen down in Utah County,” he said.

During the same meeting, funding requests were made for an overpass in Vineyard on 1200 North to go over the railroad tracks and for a road-widening project on Center Street in Orem between Geneva Road and Interstate 15.

Morgan Brim, Vineyard’s community development director, and Josh Daniels, with the Regional Redevelopment Agency, presented to the committee regarding the overpass.

The location of the overpass would connect the north end of Vineyard and the future Utah City development to I-15 and Orem and would provide access to the new Huntsman Cancer Institute campus.

Daniels noted the influx of residential units coming to the area due to new development and said the bridge would provide better access for emergency vehicles. The request was for $10 million.

“This area is very much a solution to many problems the Legislature has discussed for years when it comes to transportation and housing,” Daniels said. “It’s a fairly densely populated area and contributing to the overall housing stock. And this is a really critical component of transportation.”

Brenn Bybee, Orem’s city manager, and Ryan Clark, assistant city manager, were seeking $1 million to add one lane in each direction of Center Street between Geneva Road and I-15.

Bybee said the stretch of road has become a “bottleneck” for traffic as the area continues to grow and the city has heard concerns from local businesses about maintaining access for their customers.

Both appropriations requests were filed to the committee through Orem Sen. Keith Grover, who represents the area.

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