Junction Commons clears first council hurdle, but traffic and affordability questions remain

A conceptual rendering shows the pedestrian-focused public plaza proposed as part of Junction Commons, the 19-building mixed-use redevelopment planned for the former Outlets Park City site in Kimball Junction. The project was forwarded to the Summit County Council after a 6-1 vote by the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission. Photo: Elliott Workgroup

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Summit County council members on Wednesday got their first official look at the proposed Junction Commons redevelopment, signaling broad interest in transforming the former Outlets Park City into a more walkable, mixed-use neighborhood while pressing for more detail on traffic, affordability, and phasing before the project moves forward.

The proposal calls for a rezone and master planned development at 6699 N. Landmark Drive, where the former outlet mall would be redeveloped into a 19-building mixed-use project with 433 residential units and new commercial infill in the lower portion of the site. TownLift previously reported that the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission forwarded the project to the council in February with a positive recommendation.

At Wednesday’s meeting, planning staff described the project as a phased redevelopment that would replace much of the upper portion of the shopping center with housing while retaining and infilling commercial uses below. Staff said the plan includes roughly 54,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, office, and commercial space in the lower portion, with employee housing above. That mirrors the proposal previously outlined before the planning commission.

Project representatives framed the redevelopment as a way to remake what they called a “fortress” style retail center — a largely inward-facing mall surrounded by parking — into a neighborhood with stronger pedestrian connections, transit access, public space, and housing.

Council members appeared receptive to that broader vision.

Council member Megan McKenna called the proposal “an excellent opportunity” to redevelop a struggling commercial area, address housing needs, and improve connectivity in a part of Kimball Junction she said remains frustrating for pedestrians and transit users. “I generally just kind of avoid that area,” she said. McKenna added that the project could “serve as a model” for future redevelopment in the county.

Other council comments suggested that support will depend heavily on execution.

Council member Chris Robinson said the project stood apart from nearby proposals because it would reuse an already-developed site. “What I like about it, and the way I would contrast it with Dakota Pacific, is Dakota is brand new. This is infill,” he said.

But Robinson also cautioned that transportation remains a major unresolved concern. “Navigating the traffic issues, I think it’s going to be hard,” he said.

That concern echoes the planning commission’s earlier debate, in which commissioners said Junction Commons could not be evaluated in isolation from surrounding growth pressure and that it required broader traffic mitigation planning.

Affordable housing also drew attention.

During the discussion, project representatives said 205 of the project’s 433 units would be affordable, or about 47%, though council members indicated they want a closer look at how those units are counted, how affordability levels would be distributed, and whether some for-sale homes could be targeted to households above traditional low-income thresholds but still priced for local workers.

That issue also surfaced at the planning commission, where members questioned how affordable housing would be integrated into the project and added a condition requiring three of the proposed 42 townhomes to be affordable.

Council members did not take action on Wednesday, instead requesting additional information on traffic, transportation mitigation, deed restrictions, and the project’s affordable housing mix before continuing their review.