Housing Authority seeks approval for redevelopment of Capitol Motel
For the past year, the Housing Authority of Salt Lake City (HASLC) has provided transitional housing at the former Capitol Motel at the 1700 South block of State Street. But now the local nonprofit is ready to provide more long-term affordable housing by redeveloping the former hotel property into a mixed-use, mixed-income development.
HASLC has started the Conditional Design Review application process so that they may begin construction next year on the proposed project referred to as the Capitol Apartments. The project will be four-stories with 93 residential units, the majority of which will be reserved for residents earning around 40 percent of the Area Median Income.
The project will have a mix of one, two, three and micro one-bedroom apartments. Surface parking will wrap around the building with a smaller lot directly north of the building and a larger lot behind the building. The surface lots will have a combined 70 stalls at a parking ratio of 0.75 stalls per one residential unit. The north lot will connect to State Street and will include 15 bike stalls. The larger eastern lot will connect to Wilson Avenue.
The ground level will have four commercial spaces that will occupy the northwest corner of the building and six walk-up residential units that include one three-bedroom corner unit, four micro one-bedroom units and one standard one-bedroom unit that all front State Street. An additional four walk-up micro one-bedroom units will occupy the building’s northeast corner and front the north surface parking lot.
The bulk of the amenities will occupy the ground floor. Amenities will include a small fitness center, computer room, shared kitchen space, raised community garden, playground, barbeque area and wellness rooms on each floor.
The city’s Blue Ribbon Commission selected the nonprofit developers last year to redevelop the former motel on State Street. In January the Salt Lake City Council, acting as the Board of Directors for the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City, approved a $3.2 million loan to HASLC to purchase the motel and several adjacent parcels. Each floor will have two two-bedroom apartments and three three-bedroom apartments. The remaining units will be split between the standard one-bedroom and the micro one-bedroom apartments.
The Capitol Apartments will replace eight existing buildings on 1.28 acres, including the Capitol Motel, a shoe shop, a tattoo parlor and a single-family home.
The developers will need to go before the Salt Lake City Planning Commission for a design review before they can begin construction.
Image courtesy Salt Lake City public documents.
