A derelict apartment complex that's been plagued by vandalism and fire near Brigham Young University is finally getting a makeover. The Provo Municipal Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve a zone change allowing new student housing at the long-vacated Park Plaza Apartments at 910 North and 900 East, clearing the way for developer Cole West to replace the aging property with a six-story complex.
According to KUTV, the council voted 7-0 on Tuesday to approve the redevelopment, rezoning the property to campus residential. The site has sat mostly empty for years, and the three-story, 44-unit building that once stood there was constructed in 1965, according to KSL. The property changed hands repeatedly over the years and became blighted by vandalism and two reckless burning incidents, according to the Daily Herald.
What's Planned for the Site
Cole West plans to build a six-story housing complex at Park Plaza, per the Daily Herald, though reported figures on the project's size vary. The Daily Herald reports the plan calls for 146 units with a cap of 523 beds, while a Nov. 3 account from Provo Notes described a revised plan with about 157 apartments ranging from studios to three-bedrooms. KUTV similarly reported the 146-unit, 523-bed figure.
Parking became the project's central sticking point. The Daily Herald reports Cole West and Provo City agreed to 0.75 parking spaces per bed, totaling 390 stalls, while KUTV also cited an increased parking ratio of 0.75 stalls per bed. Provo Notes, however, described a revised plan with 419 onsite stalls and a ratio of 0.7 stalls per bed. Those figures mark a shift from an earlier proposal that called for 238 onsite stalls and 40 offsite stalls for a complex described as housing 491 students, according to The Daily Universe.
A Car-Stacking Garage to Squeeze in More Vehicles
To fit more cars without building a larger structure, Cole West will use a car-stacking system in a parking lot beneath the building, according to the Daily Herald. A spokesman for the company said 130 stalls will have the stacker function, with the top storage used for nondaily use, while 260 cars would be parked on the ground level. KUTV likewise reported the car-stacking approach is intended to accommodate more vehicles onsite without additional parking structures, and that the project includes shared vehicles available to residents.
Cole West has used a similar parking system in a downtown Salt Lake City project, the company's spokesman said, where about 30% of residents are University of Utah students. The spokesman said that project's parking system has operated without problems. Cole West received approval in October 2025 to convert a shuttered OfficeMax site in Salt Lake City into off-campus student housing, according to KSL. A comparable Salt Lake City development, Paperbox Lofts, has also drawn attention for its own automated car-stacker, a seven-level structure with 112 parking spaces designed to transfer cars automatically, per Multi-Housing News.
Parking Oversight and Timeline
The development agreement requires contracted parking agreements for students and prohibits charging non-car users for parking, according to the Daily Herald. The council also requested a parking study one year after the building opens. That timing differs slightly from what KUTV reported, which described the developer agreeing to a parking study in the second year after completion.
Provo Council Member Katrice Mackay said a follow-up study in a year or two after opening would be wise, since the project functions as a pilot for the city. The parking ratio proved contentious earlier in the approval process: planning commissioners voted 4-3 in September against a rezoning request that would have reduced the required ratio from 1.08 stalls per bed down to 0.5, even as they approved concept plans subject to resolving parking in later approvals, per The Daily Universe.
Cole West anticipates a 30-month construction period and expects the complex to open in time for the 2029 or 2030 school year, according to the Daily Herald. The development agreement also includes 247 indoor biking stalls.
A Separate, Contested Vote on Joaquin Townhomes
During the same Tuesday meeting, the council approved a separate and more contested project in the Joaquin neighborhood. Members voted 4-3 to rezone a property at 313 E. 200 North from residential conservation to medium density residential, clearing the way for 10 new townhome units with deed restrictions prohibiting rentals for five years.
Council members Travis Hoban, Jeff Whitlock, Rachel Whipple and Mackay voted in favor, while Becky Bogdin, Craig Christensen and Gary Garrett voted against, following a lengthy public comment period and debate over development in the historic neighborhood. Christensen argued that not every neighborhood should be pushed toward higher density and that neighborhood character should be valued. Mackay countered that the residential conservation zoning had originally been intended as a holding designation with owner occupancy as the eventual goal, and said the redevelopment enables deed restrictions that may give families a chance to build wealth and live in Joaquin.
