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Provo advances plan for 68-home subdivision with 34 workforce units in land trust
Summary
Provo officials outlined a council-driven plan to build 68 homes on city-owned land near the high school, with 34 units held in a land trust to preserve long-term affordability for city employees; construction is expected to start in 2026 and first moves late 2026.
Provo City leaders on Monday reviewed a development plan for a 68-lot subdivision at 3200 West Bulldog, south of the high school, that pairs 34 market-rate homes with 34 workforce homes placed in a permanent land trust.
Justin Harrison, ProvoCity council executive director, said the parcel was rezoned by the council to R-16 and identified by the city as suitable for a workforce-housing pilot. Developer Nilsen Homes will build the project; the Provo Housing Authorityland-trust entity will hold the land for the workforce units so those homes remain more affordable for successive buyers.
The proposal calls for clustering homes on roughly 12 acres of developable land, with the developer building 34 market-rate units and 34 workforce units. Bill (presented as a project representative) said workforce sale prices are expected in the "high 300s to low 400s" and that 34 workforce units are set aside as the city's compensation for contributing the land. He said there was already a waiting list of 47 city employees who had expressed interest.
Board and council members pressed staff on oversight and long-term management. Justin Harrison and Gordon Haidt, city public works director, explained that the land trust (managed through the Provo Housing Authorityaffiliated nonprofit) will set resale formulas intended to let owners earn modest equity while keeping subsequent sales affordable. "The land trust . . . will own the land the whole time," a development representative said, adding the model preserves affordability "so it stays affordable long term." (direct quote from transcript)
Officials said the citydeveloper partnership will be hands-on through planning, infrastructure and early construction but that day-to-day property management and homeowner-selection rules will be administered by the land trust and the developer after construction begins. The project will include an HOA for common amenities and maintenance; the developer estimated HOA costs will be managed to limit mortgage impacts for qualified buyers.
Provo staff said the intention is to prioritize city employees (including public safety personnel) among eligible buyers without making occupancy contingent on employment, and that precise income and resale percent limits were still being worked out with Nilsen Homes and the land trust. The council has previously voted to rezoning and move the project forward; staff estimated initial occupancy near the end of 2026.
Opposition from nearby neighbors at earlier meetings focused on misunderstandings about "workforce" versus "low-income" housing and concerns about construction impacts; board members said they are continuing outreach to explain the land-trust model and unit eligibility.
The next steps are continued design and permitting and coordination with the Provo Housing Authority on the land-trust terms. City staff said they will bring further details to the council and school board as plans firm up.
