Salt Lake City just took a major step forward in addressing affordability and child care issues with the grand opening of SPARK, a new affordable housing development located on North Temple. The $99 million project, designed to make life easier for families earning between 20-30% of the Area Median Income (AMI), boasts 48 deeply affordable units and 152 additional affordable units. A crucial element of SPARK includes an on-site childcare center, operated by the local nonprofit Neighborhood House, providing high-quality early education for residents.
"This project is a milestone, yes, but it’s also a model for the kind of thoughtful, inclusive development that can truly change lives," Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall stated, as per Salt Lake City. The location of SPARK was strategically chosen to enable residents to easily utilize public transit to commute and to foster a sense of community with added public spaces and mid-block pedestrian/bike walkways, features indicative of the rise to meet urban planning challenges with sustainable solutions.
The financial groundwork for SPARK was laid through a $14.5 million contribution from the Community Reinvestment Agency (CRA) and an extra $1 million from the City’s Housing Stability Division. The funding ensemble was completed by key project partners, including Utah Housing Corporation, state and federal tax credits, the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund, and several private entities. Spark's ability to turn the corner from vision to reality highlights the collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors aimed at tackling Salt Lake City's housing and childcare needs.
Brinshore Development, the company at the helm of the project, is no stranger to such developments. "SPARK represents the gold-standard for what mixed-income, mixed-use developments can bring to a community," said David Brint, CEO of Brinshore Development, as obtained by Salt Lake City. Also, according to Jennifer Nuttall, Executive Director of Neighborhood House, by merging affordable housing with accessible childcare, SPARK creates significant and lasting advantages for the community.
