Shovels hit the dirt Tuesday at the future Kearns Station Apartments, an affordable housing and childcare project rising on the old Camp Kearns site that aims to keep current residents in place while adding deeply affordable homes and an on-site daycare. Housing Connect and Chicago-based developer Brinshore joined county officials and neighborhood advocates for the groundbreaking, pitching the complex as a family-focused anchor on the west side of Salt Lake County.
Groundbreaking Draws Housing Heavyweights
The ceremony, hosted by Housing Connect, marked the formal launch of a plan to “preserve existing housing, add new units and include a childcare facility,” according to The Salt Lake Tribune. The outlet noted the project sits on the footprint of Camp Kearns and brought together county leaders and nonprofit housing partners. Officials framed the effort as a way to shield current tenants from displacement while still bringing new affordable homes into the neighborhood.
What The Project Will Deliver
The county’s public notice spells out the details: Kearns Station will rehabilitate 32 existing apartments spread across 16 duplexes and add a new three-story building with 50 more units, for a total of 82 affordable homes, according to Salt Lake County Housing and Community Development. The same notice describes a roughly 4,100-square-foot childcare center designed for about 80 children. The project is pegged at approximately $39.4 million and lists the main address as 5000 W 5035 S in Kearns. The existing 32 units will stay under the RAD use agreement, and the county notes some residents may need to be temporarily relocated while rehabilitation work is underway.
How The Partnership Came Together
Housing Connect acquired the neighboring parcel and in 2024 issued a development solicitation that envisioned adding about 45 to 68 new units alongside renovation of the existing 32, with the goal of assembling tax-credit financing and an experienced development team, per Housing Connect. The request emphasized family-sized, income-restricted apartments and called for on-site space for supportive services as part of the overall capital plan.
Why The Project Matters
Planners and housing advocates say the mix of affordable apartments and on-site childcare is tailored to working parents who are trying to hang on in a tight market where larger, family-ready units are scarce. Local reporting has highlighted the squeeze on both housing and childcare in the valley, and the Kearns Station concept bundles renovated homes, new construction and a modern daycare into a single campus aimed at low-income families and refugees, supporters say. Local leaders have framed the project as a practical answer to the county’s housing crunch and the steep childcare costs flagged in regional coverage.
Brinshore Picked And What Happens Next
Board minutes show Brinshore Development emerged as the winning partner and that Housing Connect intended to pursue Low-Income Housing Tax Credits as part of the project’s funding, according to Housing Connect. Before full construction can proceed, the development still needs HUD approvals connected to RAD restructuring and other federal subsidies. In the meantime, officials say they will work on securing tax credits and gap financing to close the remaining funding distance.
