A Fairpark apartment complex along North Temple initially approved in 2023 likely won’t start construction this year, and there’s been a big change to the project in recent months.
The Lusso 2 apartments, which would be located at 57 N. 1000 West, was granted a one year time extension on its design review and planned development applications by the Salt Lake City Planning Commission during the group’s meeting Wednesday evening. Commissioners did not discuss the extension request before voting unanimously to approve it, as the line item was on their consent agenda. Its approval Wednesday is the second time the project has received a one-year extension.
In an August letter to the Salt Lake City Planning office, Jarod Hall, manager of di’velept design (a Building Salt Lake advertiser) and the architect behind the Lusso apartments, requested a one year extension on the project.
The first phase of the Lusso apartments – now called Promontory Place – is still under construction and slated to finish in April 2026, Hall wrote. The second phase of the project could begin construction, “within the next year,” according to the letter, which was included in a staff report for the Wednesday meeting.
The city staff report also indicated a notable change for the apartment building — the Lusso 2/Promontory 2 is now planned as a affordable housing project. The affordable housing aspect was another reason for the extension, as going that route, “will require securing tax credits and will not be ready to submit for permits by the October 2025 deadline.”
Hall added in his letter that, “Securing the tax credits is a time consuming endeavor.” Neither the staff report nor Hall’s letter included further details of the complex’s affordable housing plans.
In addition, the project’s ownership has changed since the Lusso 2 was approved. The apartments filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in May 2024, and its former owner Donovan R. Gilliland later sold the property. County property records show the land for both Lusso apartment buildings is owned by locals Alta Bay Capital. The company has a handful of other LIHTC developments in the city, including the Alta Vue apartments along the North Temple corridor.
Lusso 2 was initially approved back in October 2023, and previous plans indicate the development will consist of one-bedroom apartments. The building’s design review was approved with a handful of variances, including a longer facade length, a modified ground floor use requirement and other modifications.
Prior to Wednesday’s planning commission vote, Commissioner Aimee Burrows asked Nick Norris, the city planning director, if the Salt Lake City Council had reviewed a rule the commission discussed earlier this year that would limit extensions to a number of city approvals, including final plat applications to subdivide land, conditional uses, planned developments and design review approvals. The proposed ordinance would limit design review extensions, for example, to a one-time, one-year extension.
Norris said the city council has not discussed it, and the city is actually holding that transmittal due to, “pending legislation at the state (level).”
“We wanted to make sure that we have an understanding of what’s going to be proposed by the legislature so that we’re not adopting something then instantly, within months, having to redo it,” Norris said.
Neither mentioned the Lusso 2 apartments’ extension request during that conversation, though Burrows and other commissioners voted to approve the extension just minutes later.
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