SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah (KUTV) — A big vision has been in the works for South Salt Lake, but recent developments are shining a light on the future of the area.
The city has plans to create shops and restaurants and more residences to create a downtown experience.
To fully be complete, leaders say this could take a little over a decade, but developers are already leaning into the vision with affordable land and a growing population.
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“There was something about this neighborhood besides the fact that it has great access to go to the mountains, to go to work downtown, to silicon slopes to work, sugarhouse, we just love this spot,” said Jason Algaze, a Principal with Abstract Development Company.
His group is building apartment buildings in South Salt Lake and the Ballpark neighborhood.
South Salt Lake’s building is called One Burton and is already starting to fill up. The apartments are one of the first major developments in the Downtown District. It’s helped shape the city’s approach to zoning, infrastructure, and design.
Just down the way are the nearby Bower Apartments which have apartment units and a ground floor cold plunge spa.
“We intend to have a lot of housing units, and a mix of types of units, affordable rental owner, and we want to use that as an opportunity to develop all the things you would find in a downtown,” said South Salt Lake Community and Economic Development Director Jonthan Weidenhamer. “Different restaurants, eclectic groups of people, all kinds of programming, happenings and events.”
Weidenhamer says this is being funded with help from the State of Utah.
“The state has a housing transit reinvestment zone, is get affordable housing units along with residential housing units,” Weidenhamer said.
He says this program allows property tax around transit stations to be repurposed into the area development.
Part of this program is keeping units affordable.
“The requirement is part of the housing transit reinvestment zone is 12.5% of the units are required to be affordable,” said Weidenhamer.
For Algaze, he says he sees the future here.
“I can see the building in my head, I could see the activity on the streets once this comes up and others come up and restaurants move in and whatnot,” Algaze said. “I could clearly see it in my head three four years ago.”
A major part of this project is expanding and maintaining Parleys Trail. Keeping transit options safe and diverse through the area.
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