More townhomes coming to Central Ninth
Another infill project is moving forward in the Central Ninth neighborhood. On Wednesday, March 22, the Salt Lake City Planning Commission unanimously approved a planned development and preliminary subdivision request for The Ruby, a 12-unit townhome project on the 800 South block of West Temple.
The project consists of four three-story buildings with three units per building. Two buildings will front West Temple and two will front an alleyway to the west of the parcels. Unlike most of the townhomes under construction in the city, The Ruby’s townhomes will be owner-occupied and will be a mix of three and four bedrooms above two-car garages.
“We love the neighborhood, the Central Ninth neighborhood, there is a lot happening, ” said Jake Williams of CW Urban, the project’s developer. “There is a cool neighborhood environment being created.”
According to Williams, the homes will be geared toward Millennials that want a for-sale product near downtown. To activate the street level, the developers have designed the townhomes to front West Temple with the garages to be accessed via a driveway behind the homes. Flexible, live/work space and the main entrances will front the street. The second level will have large sliding doors that will open to balconies fronting West Temple. The project will also include a landscaped walkway connecting West Temple to the rear alleyway.
The homes facing the alleyway will also engage the street level with the garages accessed at the rear of the building. The alley-facing homes will be set back to allow for a landscaped yard that will separate the homes from the street. Williams told the commission members that HOA fees will be used to maintain a portion of the alleyway.
“It is a way to activate alleyways that are kind of dark. Hopefully, it adds to the neighborhood safety,” said Williams.
The project replaces three parcels, two of which are vacant and a third parcel that includes a historic home. According to planning staff, neighbors responded favorably to the project but several wanted to see the historic home preserved. Because the project is not in a historic district the city can not require the developers to protect the home from demolition.
Williams told the commission that his team tried to design around the home, but the home is in serious disrepair and limited the ability to orient the project to the street level.
The Ruby is one of four for-sale residential projects in development in Central Ninth. Construction is underway on the Jefferson Walkway, an eight-unit cottage home development. Construction should start later this year on the Central 9th Lofts, a 23-unit mixed-use project on the northeast corner of 900 South and 200 West. Atlas Architects also plans to move forward on four townhomes directly south of the Central Ninth Market.
