FOX 13 News 360: The ballooning cost of new Utah State Prison site By the time itâs finished, Utahâs newest state prison will have cost taxpayers close to a billion dollars. and last updated 2021-01-18 00:30:58-05 SALT LAKE CITY â By the time itâs finished, Utahâs newest state prison will have cost taxpayers close to a billion dollars. In 2015 when state officials were talking about building a new state prison, the estimated cost, shared at open houses in communities like Grantsville and Saratoga Springs, was $550 million. Ultimately, the state settled on a site on the far west side of Salt Lake City, and a campus of more than 30 buildings are taking shape on the 250-acre site.