Four affordable housing developments will receive millions in Salt Lake City funds, and that includes a project that would convert the former Public Safety Building into apartments.
The city denied one west side proposal that it said didn’t meet its criteria for funding.
Salt Lake City’s Community Reinvestment Agency approved just under $5.3 million in CRA funds to be allocated to affordable housing developments in the city. The agency voted unanimously to approve the funds during a meeting Tuesday.
The CRA had $5.77 million in funding available to dole out. According to a staff report, $4.59 million was approved by the CRA as part of its fiscal year 2025 budget, and an additional $710,000 was available due to a loan approved in fiscal year 2024 was rescinded. The staff report says that development, which was Project Open 3, was able to be built without needing those funds.
The CRA also had $475,330 in funds from the city’s Housing Stability Division available, but it did not allocate those funds to affordable housing projects.
In order to qualify for the Housing Development Loan Program funds, projects must meet one of these criteria: at least 10% of its units be family-sized with three or more bedrooms, or the developments must also have at least 10% of units be rent and income deed-restricted for families earning 40% AMI or less.
Among the developments that will receive city funds is the Northwest Pipeline Building, located at 315 E. 200 South, otherwise known as the city’s former Public Safety Building. The project was awarded $1 million in city funds during the CRA meeting Tuesday.
Last June, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall announced the vacant building would be the future site of family-sized apartments and businesses on the ground floor. The project would also include two other buildings in the development. One of the partners in the project is the Housing Assistance Management Enterprise, or HAME, which is a part of the Housing Authority of Salt Lake City.
Councilmember Darin Mano recused himself from the vote over the building to refrain from a potential conflict of interest, saying, “the reason for my recusal is because I now serve on the Board of Commissioners for the Housing Authority (of Salt Lake City), which also operates HAME.” The city council appointed Mano as a member of the HASLC in January, and his term will last until 2029.
Jennifer Bruno, the council’s executive director, clarified during the CRA meeting that city staff are still discussing with attorneys whether Mano’s role on the HASLC board would require him to recuse himself from HAME projects in the future.
The Northwest Pipeline Building’s loan application gives the latest look at what the former public safety building would hold — a total of 56 units, ranging from studio to 3-bedroom apartments. The loan application also says construction would start in March 2026 and would be completed in May 2027. That timeline is later than what developers announced last summer.
Later in the meeting, the council also approved $1.25 million in CRA funds to be used as a loan toward the Northwest Pipeline Building’s rent to own program. During the rental period, 12 units will be offered for people making 60% AMI or below, and the remaining 44 units will be offered at 80% AMI or below, according to the slide deck for the presentation. After a tenant lives in their unit for five years, they can then buy their unit.
Project Details – Northwest Pipeline Building
- 7 studios
- 14 one-bedrooms
- 22 two-bedrooms
- 13 three-bedrooms
- 56 total
The other projects set to receive city funds can be found throughout the city. The 1300 South Apartments, which would be located at 390 W. 1300 South, received $750,000 in city funding. The Hive on 11th apartments, located at 1116 Richards Street, was awarded just over $1.54 million. The Gregory, located at 738 W. South Temple, was given $2 million.
Project Details – 1300 South
- 24 one-bedrooms
- 38 two-bedrooms
- 8 three-bedrooms
- 70 total
Project Details – The Hive on 11th
- 116 one-bedrooms
- 23 two-bedrooms
- 30 three-bedrooms
- 169 total
Project Details – The Gregory
- 72 studio
- 62 one-bedrooms
- 25 two-bedrooms
- 28 three-bedrooms
- 187 total
Only one project that applied was denied city funds. That development, called the Flats at Folsom and located at 16 S. 800 West, was not given a funding recommendation because its plans only call for studio or one-bedroom units, which did not meet the criteria for the loan program.
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