The team behind the proposed Junction Commons redevelopment project has decreased the density of the neighborhood and added more affordable housing units based on feedback from the Summit County Council.
Singerman Real Estate, the company that purchased the outlet mall in 2018, originally suggested redeveloping the property into a mixed-use area with commercial space and 433 residential units, 205 of which were earmarked as affordable housing.
However, the development team on Wednesday said it revised its plans after the County Council expressed concerns about density and traffic congestion. Councilors pointed out Junction Commons’ proximity to the Utah Olympic Park and Altus Park City projects, which will also add residential units to Kimball Junction over the next few years.
The County Council additionally requested more affordable housing units than market-rate units, with county councilors Chris Robinson and Roger Armstrong previously stating that they didn’t think the proposal provided enough community benefits to outweigh the impact the project would have on the Snyderville Basin.
Craig Elliott, an architect working on the project, said he and the Singerman development team took councilors’ feedback to heart, adjusting the proposal so it would include fewer residential units while also increasing the affordable housing offerings.
“We spent quite a bit of time … trying to come up with what we felt like was going to be the best solution,” Elliott said. “My experience in working with (Singerman) has been very professional and diligent, and that’s not always the case when you’re working with a development team. When we’re presenting these items, it shows. It’s real, and it’s doable. That’s what we’ve been trying to get to.”
The new site plan details 370 residential units on the property, a 14% decrease from the original proposal. Of those units, 220 would be classified as deed-restricted affordable housing, while the other 150 would be rented or sold at market rates.
Overall, 60% of the redeveloped neighborhood would be dedicated to affordable housing.
“We think that’s a good balance,” Elliott said. “We’ve come up with a good solution to make it work financially for the project.”
The development team also added more three-bedroom offerings after county councilors said they wanted options for residents with families. Approximately 110 market-rate units were removed to accommodate the construction of more townhomes, some of which will be for sale at “attainable” rates, likely between the 100% and 120% area median income mark, or AMI.
The redevelopment, if approved, would reduce the property’s amount of commercial space by more than 56,000 square feet. Developers said they intend to create a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood instead of maintaining the outlet mall’s current layout, which relies on cars and is occasionally dangerous for pedestrians.
The County Council seemed appreciative of the development team’s efforts to adjust the proposal based on feedback from previous meetings, with County Councilor Megan McKenna saying there is already a difference in how Junction Commons looks today compared to how it looked when she was in high school.
“I have to tell you, I was pleasantly surprised when I opened this packet and read through it,” added County Councilor Tonja Hanson. “I went, ‘Wow, they really did listen to us, and they took our feedback.’”
The County Council did not take any action on the Junction Commons proposal on Wednesday. County planner Amir Caus said he will compile a comprehensive staff report on the project and present it at a later date. At that point, the County Council may hold a public hearing or take further action.
The proposal is not expected to appear before the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission again because planning commissioners already forwarded the project to the County Council with a positive recommendation in February.