West Station Apartment’s second phase is underway
The next phase of residential development on North Temple has begun. Since the Airport TRAX line opened in 2013, two residential clusters have started to emerge on North Temple, the area surrounding the North Temple TRAX station near 500 West and North Temple and the area adjacent to the 1940 W TRAX station, just west of Redwood Road on North Temple.
Construction has started on the second phase of the West Station Apartments, the first new residential project west of Interstate 15 to be built along the North Temple Corridor since the TRAX line opened. At four stories tall with 148 units, the second phase will be nearly identical in size as the first phase, completed in 2015. As with the first phase, the project will include 212 surface parking stalls.
The West Station’s next phase is the second of three proposed phases and replaces vacant land directly east of the first phase and directly north of the site of the potential third phase, just west of Redwood Road and north of North Temple. Unlike the first phase, that fronts the Sutherland Lumber store’s surface parking lot, the second phase building will front Redwood Road with the surface lots tucked behind the building.
The West Station Apartments are in the North Temple TSA (Transit Station Area) zoning district. Under the current TSA guidelines, projects in close proximity to a transit station must earn TSA development score of at least 100 to be approved for construction. The score comes from a checklist where developments receive points based on various project elements deemed important to projects near transit stations. Projects that score less than 100, must face either an administrative hearing or a review by the planning commission.
The first phase of the West Station development received a TSA development score of 111. West Station’s second phase received 103 points, just three points over the 100 point threshold. Both phases earned the bulk of their points for bicycle storage, pedestrian walkways, 360-degree architecture, materials, project density and by placing visual emphasis on the building’s corners.
While the developments first two phases were able to avoid a public hearing, there will be a higher threshold for the developments potential third phase. The Salt Lake City Council voted to update the TSA (Transit Station Area) zoning in June, to ensure that new developments within the TSA zones better comply with the city’s intended purpose when first adopting the zoning ordinance.
The city first adopted TSA guidelines for North Temple in 2010 in anticipation of the Aiport TRAX line and added the 400 South TRAX corridor two years later. The guidelines are intended to create vibrant developments that capitalize on their proximity to rail transit. Several recently completed projects, including the West Station Apartment’s first phase, passed the TSA guidelines without including active ground floor or mixed uses and other pedestrian orientated elements.
Proposed changes to the TSA guidelines include increasing the number of points awarded for affordable housing, ground floor mixed uses and pedestrian orientated elements like ground floor activation and midblock walkways.
According to planning documents, the West Station Apartment’s second phase will have similar amenities as the first phase including bicycle storage, a club room, a conference room, a fitness room, an outdoor pool, sundeck and spa.
