July 2025 – SLCCRA

Affordable, Ambitious—and Now a ULI Finalist

Two years after opening its doors in downtown Salt Lake City, The Aster — a mixed-use development at 255 State Street commissioned by the Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency — is making headlines again: it has been named a national finalist for the 2025 Urban Land Institute Terwilliger Center Award for Innovation in Attainable Housing, a top honor recognizing innovation in housing solutions.

Recognition from ULI’s Terwilliger Center positions the project alongside national leaders in replicable, inclusive housing. According to ULI’s July announcement, The Aster is one of just eight finalists reaching the national stage .

About The Aster

Developed by Brinshore Development, The Aster offers 190 apartments, including 168 deed-restricted units priced for households earning 20 to 80 percent annual median income (AMI) – more than half of those units are available to households earning 50 percent AMI or below.

Danny Walz, CEO of Community Reinvestment Agency, highlights the significance:

“The Aster exemplifies how intentional design and public-private partnership can deliver deeply attainable housing at scale.”

The project’s developer, Brinshore Development, was selected by the CRA in 2018 through a competitive public Request for Qualifications process to build affordable housing on the CRA’s 1.1-acre property.

The Aster project received a total of $14.5 million in financial assistance from the CRA. Other public financing came from the Utah Housing Corporation, tax exempt bonds, the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund, state housing tax credits, Salt Lake City’s Division of Housing Stability, and Salt Lake County. Architecture and construction partners include KTGY Architecture + Planning and Wadman Corporation.

Walz emphasizes that it’s the blend of family-sized units, integrated retail, and connective public space that truly sets The Aster apart.

In addition to affordable housing the project also features 18,000 square feet of commercial space across two newly constructed buildings flanking a lively paseo, as well as the historic Cramer House. The result is a development that combines deep affordability with community vitality.

What’s next?

ULI will announce winners at the annual Fall Meeting in November. Regardless of the outcome, The Aster’s national recognition serves as a model for how cities can thoughtfully deliver affordable housing that contributes cultural, economic, and neighborhood value.

To learn more about the awards and other finalists, read the Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Housing Awards news release.

A bold, community-informed vision for the future of the historic Ballpark neighborhood is moving forward today.

The Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency (CRA) has released the final draft of the Ballpark Design Plan, marking a major milestone in the effort to reimagine the future of the historic Smith’s Ballpark site and its surrounding neighborhood. The plan will be formally presented to the CRA Board of Directors for discussion and public comment at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 8, with final endorsement anticipated in August.

The Ballpark Design Plan represents the culmination of a robust, transparent public engagement process that included a design competition, workshops, focus groups, surveys, and direct collaboration with community stakeholders.“The Ballpark neighbors themselves made this plan possible—through survey responses, late-night meetings, and a wall of blue and yellow sticky notes,” said Mayor Erin Mendenhall.

The result is a neighborhood-scale vision that embraces adaptive reuse of the ballpark structure, introduces vibrant public spaces, supports mixed-use commercial and residential development, and creates new opportunities for year-round events, economic growth, and neighborhood identity.

A community-centered design

At the heart of the design is the concept of preserving and transforming key elements of the stadium. The most notable being reuse of the stadium and an “arrival gateway” anchoring the neighborhood’s identity. The design also introduces a multipurpose festival street off of the stadium’s west facade along West Temple, envisioned as a year-round hub for markets, music, art, and public gatherings.
In addition to supporting economic and cultural activation, the plan focuses on improving walkability, enhancing access to green space, and strengthening connections to nearby transit, schools, and services.

“This isn’t just a vision—it’s a concrete step toward the kind of community residents have told us they want,” said Council Member Darin Mano, who chairs the CRA Board and represents the Ballpark area. “It’s inclusive, creative, and deeply rooted in the character of the neighborhood.”

Looking Ahead

The Ballpark Design Plan does not prescribe specific developments but instead establishes a flexible, values-based framework to guide public and private investment. It intentionally leaves room for complementary housing strategies, such as attainable homeownership, family housing, and aging-in-place models, to be pursued alongside the physical transformation of the site. Feedback from community members helped inform this balanced approach.

The CRA will release a request for proposals on phase one development later this year. In the meantime, the agency is working with contractors and community partners to activate the site throughout 2025 with food truck nights, outdoor markets and neighborhood concerts. These interim uses will ensure the site remains welcoming, safe, and energized while long-term plans progress.
Public participation encouraged

The CRA invites residents, business owners, and all community stakeholders to review the final draft and share feedback ahead of the July 8 CRA Board meeting. The full plan is available online.

Month: July 2025

The Aster Earns Prestigious ULI Terwilliger Center Finalist Spot