Planning commission recommends rezoning 2280 South State Street to Housing and Transit Overlay

The South Salt Lake Planning Commission voted unanimously July 3, 2025, to forward a recommendation to City Council to rezone two parcels at 2280 South State Street from the downtown land use district to the Housing and Transit Overlay District, a change tied to the Market Center mixed-use project proposed by Blazer Ventures.

City planning staff told commissioners the rezoning request is intended to align the site with goals in the city general plan to preserve the area as a regional mixed-use center and to support redevelopment that increases transit and pedestrian connections. Staff said the site is bounded by Main Street to the west, Central Point Place to the north, State Street to the east and Haven Avenue to the south, and that the Market Center is positioned to fill a gap along the Parleys Trail.

Under the Housing and Transit Overlay District requirements noted by staff, redevelopment must meet several standards before the overlay can be applied: the proposed use must be permitted in the HTO, developments must meet the adopted land use matrix, the project area must meet a five-acre minimum, average building height must exceed 50 feet, and density must meet a minimum of 50 dwelling units per acre. Staff stated the applicant’s proposal meets those thresholds, reporting an average density of about 86.6 units per acre.

Staff described project-level benefits included in the required development agreement that the city and developer must execute before rezoning takes effect. Those benefits, staff said, include improved transit and pedestrian connections because of proximity to the S Line and bus routes; continuation of the Parleys Trail along Central Point Place; a publicly accessible parking structure with 470 proposed spaces and at least 200 dedicated for public use; ground-floor retail activation; and reduced reliance on single-occupant vehicles.

Staff said the Market Center would include 478 residential units, all of which staff said are proposed as affordable at 60% of area median income and would be deed-restricted for a minimum of 50 years via the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. The development agreement, staff noted, is the mechanism that will specify design standards, public benefits, and enforceable commitments.

The planning commission closed the public hearing after staff presentation; no members of the public spoke in chambers and no online public comments were taken. Commissioner Slifka moved to forward a recommendation of approval to City Council based on the findings and conditions discussed on the record; the motion passed unanimously. Staff recommended two conditions on the record: (1) the zoning map amendment shall not take effect until a development agreement between the developer and city is executed and recorded with the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office, and (2) any future retail uses within the Market Center shall comply with the land use matrix found in the applicable chapter of the city’s Land Use Code.

The commission held this as a special meeting with one agenda item and concluded the item will go to City Council for consideration at the council’s next meeting.