Summit County residents were invited to provide feedback on Dakota Pacific’s proposal

Summit County residents will finally have a chance to voice their opinions on a development proposal near the Park City Tech Center after months of waiting.

The County Council is moving forward with a schedule to review a potential development agreement with Dakota Pacific Real Estate in the Kimball Junction area as officials hone the final elements of a plan aimed at bringing community benefits to the area, scheduling a public hearing for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, 7 November, at the Newpark Hotel.

County Council Chairwoman Malena Stevens said officials will spend about 15 minutes explaining the details of the project. There’s a developer proposal to build affordable apartments and single-family homes on the land behind the Skullcandy building, as well as a public-private partnership concept that could include a care facility, community space, retail, underground parking, a new transportation hub, a public library and venues for public gatherings such as an amphitheater. Feedback will then be collected throughout the remainder of the meeting.

This will be the first time the community will be able to comment on the proposal in a recording. The county board had planned to hold public hearings earlier this year, but they were regularly delayed due to protracted discussions and numerous counterproposals.

A subcommittee was eventually formed in the spring, and the talks took place behind closed doors. Specific elements of the public-private partnership were unveiled last month.

Steve Borup, Dakota Pacific’s director of commercial development, met with the county board Wednesday to explain some additional details of the proposal, including a phased approach to the construction of 750 units and the probability of allocation of state funding.

Borup suggested stunningly building units based on a milestone or a specific time period. He said Dakota Pacific can’t commit to development without knowing the occupancy plans in advance because the initial 80% to 90% of the units basically offset the upfront cost of the project, and it’s not profitable for the land company.

The phased release will be based on the early stages of construction, not just at the start of development or when units are occupied. Full occupancy typically takes two and a half to three years after a project receives rights approval.

The first milestone is slated for December if the County Council approves a revised development agreement. In this phase, Dakota Pacific will build up to 170 units of affordable housing with full occupancy expected in 2027.

The next phase can begin when the SR 224 project is added to the Utah Department of Transportation’s State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) list. Borup estimated that this could happen in 2025 if the momentum for cooperation and finding a solution for the corridor continues. He said state officials may be forced to move forward with the project if housing is built near the transit center, as proposed in the public-private partnership.

If that happens, another 170 units will be built, with full occupancy projected between 2027 and 2028.

The same number of units will open in 2026 and 2027 after the project has been in STIP for one to two years. Full occupancy is estimated around 2028-29 for the first wave and 2029-31 for the second.

Development will cease after the first milestone if the SR 224 project does not make it to STIP.

“The worst that happens is we end up with 170 units available, and that’s all that will be released at that time,” Borup said. He estimates that about half of the 250 identified affordable units will be built by the third milestone.

When construction on SR 224 is about halfway complete, 70 units will be available for construction. Borup wasn’t sure what year that might happen. There is also a chance to create 90 units of title-restricted senior housing if the area is unable to create a seniors home. These units will be removed from the developers.

The county is also considering building its own housing in the area as part of a public-private partnership, which could bring the total number of units to about 915. There is no word on when those might be built.

The STIP financing is critical for Dakota Pacific to address some of its risks, the developer said. When this happens, there is confidence that the project will move forward despite any changes in the timeline.

County Councilman Roger Armstrong urged Summit and Dakota Pacific counties to work with UDOT to ensure the most significant improvement project moves forward.

District staff preferred expansion of the carriageway and construction of an overpass to connect the two sides through other alternatives proposed by the state, such as building a split diamond interchange to divert traffic.

However, it is unclear if the design will be changed. UDOT officials plan to hold a formal presentation this winter, and a final decision could be made next summer.

Public-private partnership could cost Summit County $39 million. The podium parking lot is valued at $20 million, the transit center at $11 million, and the pedestrian bridge at $4 million. Officials are considering several funding sources to pay for it.

Other costs will be shared with Dakota Pacific, but the County Council wanted to better understand what that cost sharing looks like and how some of the square footage is being used.

After details are worked out and public comment is received, the Summit County Council can vote on Dakota Pacific’s proposal. According to the current schedule, this could happen before the end of the year.

A vote to amend the development agreement would only affect the Tech Center land and would not guarantee that construction would take place on the Sheldon Richins site as part of a public-private partnership.