Salt Lake City Fox-affiliate KSTU is set to debut a brand-new, HD-optimized studio on Monday.

“The project has been 18 months in the making,” KSTU president and general manager Tim Ermish told The Salt Lake Tribune this week.  “When Local TV LLC acquired the station in 2008, they were kind of surprised at what they bought.  They couldn’t believe the cramped space we were working out of.”

In addition to unveiling its new studio, KSTU is also premiering a new 4:30 a.m. newscast on Monday.

The KSTU news team certainly won’t be short on space in their new studio.  KSTU’s morning anchors will be able to stretch out on a semi-circle couch and the station’s weather team has a new, state-of-the-art weather center.  There’s also a spiral staircase that leads to a balcony overlooking the anchor desk.

The Salt Lake Tribune has a photo gallery here.