February 28, 2023

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Today, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and members of the Salt Lake City Council joined community and financial partners to kick off the construction of Spark, a mixed-use, mixed-income, transit-oriented development located at 1490 W. North Temple Blvd. 

Purchased by the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City (RDA) in 2017, the former Overniter Motel site will soon be home to 200 residential units, with 100 of the studio- to 4-bedroom units available at rates affordable to families between 20-60% of the area median income (AMI) and the other 100 affordable to those making 70-80% AMI. A 5,000-square-foot childcare center and outdoor play yard, commercial spaces, and a public courtyard will be located on the ground floor. A pedestrian- and bike-friendly mid-block walkway will connect Cornell Street to 1460 West.  

“Spark will help to fill a critical gap in family-sized affordable housing units, with 63 units ranging from 2- to 4-bedrooms in size,” said Mayor Mendenhall, who also serves as the RDA’s Executive Director. “Combined with the ground-floor childcare center, public courtyard, mid-block walkway, neighborhood-serving commercial spaces, and its location right across from a TRAX station, this project will serve the North Temple neighborhood, and the community-at-large, like no other development in the area.”  

The project’s developer, Brinshore Development, was selected through a public Request for Proposals process to redevelop the 2.0-acre property. Estimated to cost $96 million to build, the Spark project received $14.5 million in RDA funds and an additional $1 million from the City’s Housing Stability Division. Other public financing came from the Utah Housing Corporation (4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits), state and federal tax credits, the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund, and Salt Lake County funds. Private partners include Goldman Sachs and Citi Community Capital.  

Mayor Mendenhall delivered remarks at today’s groundbreaking event, as did Salt Lake City Council Member Victoria Petro, who represents Council District 1 where Spark is located, and Salt Lake City Council Member/RDA Board Chair Alejandro Puy. The RDA Board was instrumental in the RDA’s strategic purchase of the Overniter Motel.

“Because of the RDA’s acquisition of the property and $14.5 million in financing, Spark is able to deliver elevated public benefits,” said Council Member Puy. “As representatives of the west side of Salt Lake City, Council Member Petro and I applaud this unique project and are excited to see its construction begin.” 

About the RDA: 

The Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City (RDA) strengthens neighborhoods and business districts to improve livability, create economic opportunity, and foster authentic, equitable communities. Acting as a catalyst for strategic development projects, the RDA prioritizes redevelopment projects that enhance the City’s housing opportunities, commercial vitality, public spaces, and environmental sustainability. The Spark project achieves the following North Temple Project Area Plan goals: revitalization of distressed properties along the North Temple corridor; a reduction in opportunities for crime; increased residential density; neighborhood commercial spaces; and support for North Temple as a transit-oriented corridor. To see what is happening in other RDA project areas, please visitwww.slcrda.com.