Salt Lake City’s long-in-the-works overhaul of its Northwest Community Plan finally landed at the Planning Commission this week, with planners pitching denser, mixed-use corridors and a major buildout of the Power District. After a lengthy briefing, commissioners opted not to vote, keeping the most sweeping pieces of the draft very much in play.
At a public hearing, planning staff said northwest side neighborhoods have trailed citywide growth and need more space for both businesses and housing. Staff ultimately recommended holding off on a decision to give residents more time to weigh in, according to Building Salt Lake.
The Planning Division has released a draft plan and an existing-conditions report that lay out the data and outreach behind the recommendations. As described by the Salt Lake City Planning Division, the update refreshes the North Temple Station Area Plan and sketches a 15-year vision for Rose Park, Fairpark, Jordan Meadows, Westpointe, and parts of Poplar Grove.
What’s changing on the northwest side
The draft concludes that the northwest side is starved for commercial zoning. Staff note that most of the land is locked up in residential or manufacturing districts, with only a sliver currently mapped as mixed-use. To balance that out, the plan calls for low-scale mixed-use along corridors such as 1000 North, 600 North, 300 North and 900 West, and mid-scale commercial at key nodes like 700 North and Redwood Road, according to Building Salt Lake.
Power District, heights and riverfront upzoning
The heaviest lift is reserved for the Power District, which planners frame as a catalytic site that could take on a large share of new housing. The Salt Lake City Planning Division says the draft concentrates infrastructure upgrades and mixed-use intensity there. Existing zoning already lets buildings rise to 200 feet by right in the Jordan River/Fairpark district, and up to 400 feet with design review, height limits that are detailed in the Salt Lake City Code.
Sites to watch
The plan also puts a spotlight on specific redevelopment prospects, including the property at 200 North and 700 West, the former Mary W. Jackson Elementary. The draft notes that if the school does not reopen, the site is expected to be redeveloped. The school landed on the district’s potential closure list in late 2023, prompting community pushback, according to KUER, which could make the parcel a likely candidate for higher-density housing if it remains closed.
With commissioners hitting pause, the draft goes back to staff and stays open for additional public comment before any recommendation moves to the City Council. Neighbors, small-business owners, and developers all have something at stake in how those corridors, nodes, and catalytic sites are rezoned, and they will get at least one more chance to speak up before the rules on the northwest side change.
