Even as the EngineHouse ribbon-cutting pomp had begun Friday morning, project manager Tim Saxton was locking down the last OK to actually open — certification for the elevators.
It’s been that kind of year, he and developer Rory Murphy, representative of J. Fisher Companies, said with relief after the speeches were all given, the ceremonial scissors put to work, and the swarm of smartphones and cameras finished capturing the moment.
Another big relief: The $40 million or so project had come in just $34,000 over budget and opened in time for winter, should the season ever show up.
This is a big, big deal for Park City Municipal. It embarked on its first public-private partnership on city land in Bonanza Park next to the Boneyard and the Kimball Art Center to build its largest affordable housing development yet.
Even critics of the exterior appearance of the dark four-story structure, two sheer rectangles set end to end to form a sort of V, said they were impressed with the inside.
“It’s really nice,” observed former Mayor Dana Williams, a close friend of Murphy who was critical of the structure as the building neared completion.
It would be an exaggeration to declare the EngineHouse a sort of geode — a regular ol’ rock on the outside and shimmering crystal inside. But that’s the feel when visiting a model one-bedrooom, the yoga room, the workout room, kids playground with equipment and parents’ side room to observe and work, a vintage game room including Pac-Man, a more traditional wood-paneled one with pool table and table tennis, and especially the rooftop clubhouse that would suit one of those world-class lodges with wide views all around. There’s also bike storage, a bike repair area, a dog wash and parking underground, too.
The builders clearly put extra effort into the common spaces.
Murphy, known more for his high-end projects like Empire Pass in Deer Valley and Silver Star on the edge of Thaynes Canyon, wanted to make sure this one had some of that feel in the public spaces, if on a more frugal budget.
“We just went into it with, like, look you guys, best foot forward. This is Park City,” Murphy said.
A theme during the ceremonial speeches in the lobby focused on legacy and lasting impact.
Owen Fisher, the CEO and chairman of J. Fisher Companies, rolled through the history of his family in the Wasatch Back and Park City, going back into the mid-1800s when a great, great-grandfather sailed from Scotland and wound up in the mines. His grandfather lived in Park City. Another relative, George Fisher, served as Summit County sheriff from 1942 to 1962.
Murphy emphasized the next 100 years for the EngineHouse: helping working-class employees live in central Park City and contribute to the community.
He also named everyone he could remember who had a hand in getting the EngineHouse to this point, ready to open with a waiting list of possible tenants much longer than that.
More than 100 people squeezed into and around the lobby on a rainy day, literally everyone wishing it were snowing.
“EngineHouse is the largest affordable housing project in Park City’s history, and it reflects a core value that this community continues to stand behind, and that’s keeping the doors of the community open for people who live here, work here affordably,” Park City Mayor Nann Worel said. “But this project didn’t just happen by accident.”
With that, she went through her own long list of people to thank.
The project endured bumps from city financing help to delays a year ago that threatened to make construction go on much longer than it did. Originally, the partners hoped to open last summer.
Still, the apartments on 2 acres are finally ready for tenants about two years after the groundbreaking ceremonies in fall 2023 on a longtime parking lot. J. Fisher Companies has a 99-year lease with the city for $1 per year. The city also waived $1.8 million in impact fees to make the project work.
The EngineHouse had a list by early December of more than 600 people expressing interest in renting the 99 apartments based on qualifying based on income, and there are 24 more units for rent at market rates.
The limits, based on the area median income, include $70,020 for a one-person household, $80,040 for a two-person household, $90,060 for a three-person household and $100,020 for a four-person household. The figures rise based on household size.
There are one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units. Monthly rents range from $1,793 to $4,300.
Worel said opening the EngineHouse “means hard-working community members can call Park City home right here in the heart of town, a short walk or bike ride to their jobs. They can take transit and be really close to the life of this community.”
She and others said Park City is far from done on the affordable-housing front.
“What I hope this project continues to demonstrate is that working together is the only way we can solve our biggest challenges,” Worel said. “When we stay focused on shared outcomes, we can move past obstacles and deliver real results to our future residents.”
For more: www.enginehouse-parkcity.com.
