TL;DR

We have a new place for cremation burials in West Jordan City Cemetery. There are 884 spaces for purchase. These spaces are in the towers, the benches, the eagle monuments and in the center pillar. You can purchase spaces as a single (1), couple (2) or family (4).

The Full Story

Even if you haven’t heard the word “columbarium”, you’ve probably seen one.

A columbarium is a stone structure built like a headstone, but with spaces called niches for cremated remains. It is designed to last for generations with no metal or wood that can rot or rust.

As our West Jordan Cemetery approaches capacity, we have been looking for ways to provide more final resting places for our residents and their loved ones. We built a columbarium with 884 more spaces for purchase.

“We’ve never offered this before. We wanted to offer something new and exciting. This is a beautiful, desirable spot.” – Dave Naylor, West Jordan Parks Manager

Cremation is a rising trend, with about one-third of all deaths resulting in cremation.

The niches in the columbarium can be purchased as companion (2) or family (4), with spaces in the towers, benches, and eagle monuments.

Another word you may not know is “ossuary.” An ossuary is a large cremation vessel that can hold a lot of ashes at once, but without external markers. Our ossuary is the center pillar of the area. These spaces can be purchased individually (1).

“After we see how popular this is, we can plan the next phases. We have other underutilized areas we could use for more columbariums and cremation gardens.”

– Naylor

The project cost about $250,000. The City was able to save tens of thousands by demolishing an unused building and constructing the foundation themselves, reserving $225,000 for the solid granite columbarium itself.

Construction is complete, but we’re still adding finishing touches. Stay tuned for updates on when spaces will be available for purchase.