YMCA and Mercy Housing pitch youth center and mixed-income housing on district land

The Park City School District board on Tuesday heard a joint proposal from Mercy Housing and the YMCA to develop a co-located youth center and mixed-income housing on district-owned land, with a particular emphasis on preschool spaces, after‑school programming and workforce/educator housing.

Mercy Housing’s Paul Brown described Mercy as a national nonprofit developer with experience pairing housing and on-site services. Brown said Mercy has worked with multiple school districts on educator-focused housing and described models that combine ground‑floor early‑childhood classrooms and stacked family rental units above. Brown said Mercy typically uses land donations or long-term leases to lower rents and that the organization wraps housing with services such as financial literacy and school‑age programming. “We could look at different ways to phase and partner,” he said.

YMCA representative Rich West outlined programming the Y would offer, including preschool classrooms, community rooms, after‑school programs and a large indoor ‘Arnesium’ to enable year‑round athletic and recreational use. West said the YMCA is pursuing a regional‑hub model that would combine youth services and athletic amenities with attainable housing on the same campus and stressed partnership and local operating responsibility. “What we’re asking for is the school district’s land, but we’re not asking for the school district to help pay for the capital or the operations of this,” he said.

Why it matters: Park City faces affordability and youth‑service gaps, including limited all‑day summer and preschool options and scarce field/indoor athletic space. Presenters said the combined model could address childcare, youth programming and teacher/staff retention through deed‑restricted housing or set‑asides for school employees.

Key details and timeline: Presenters recommended a formal community needs assessment and market feasibility study before advancing; they estimated feasibility work would take under a year and suggested a three‑ to five‑year horizon to full build‑out depending on phasing and topography. The presenters discussed a range of scale options and cited examples of Mercy projects that included on‑site classrooms and educator housing. District participants noted there are currently no formal plans to develop the property and that any proposal would need to be coordinated with other local recreation efforts and possible senior‑housing interests.

What’s next: Mercy Housing and the YMCA asked the board to consider whether the district would be interested in proceeding to feasibility studies. Presenters offered to circulate contact information and to remain thought partners; board members asked the teams to return with more detailed studies, cost estimates, and coordination plans so the district could assess impacts on land use and on other planned amenities.