Salt Lake City is transforming a long-vacant parcel at 800 South, between 300 and 400 West—the former city fleet maintenance facility—into a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood. Known as the Fleet Block Project, this redevelopment spans roughly 8.75 to 10 acres and will bring together housing, local businesses, community amenities, and public open space in a walkable, inclusive design.
What makes this effort especially hopeful is the city’s commitment to balance new investment with remembrance—to ensure the voices of neighbors, families, and communities directly affected by tragic loss help shape the transformation.
From Murals to Momentum
In 2020, the Fleet Block became a place of remembrance. Local artists and families painted murals across its walls, honoring loved ones who died during encounters with police. These murals turned a vacant city block into a place of grief, memory, and community.
Before demolition began in 2025, the city worked with families to preserve this history, commissioning professional photographs to document the murals. Now, community members are helping guide how memorials, public art, and gathering spaces will carry that spirit forward in the new neighborhood.
From Partners In Progress
In August 2025, Salt Lake City selected Mercy Housing, Habitat for Humanity Greater Salt Lake Area, and Brinshore Development to lead redevelopment of the northern parcels. Mercy Housing is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit affordable housing providers, and Brinshore has delivered other Salt Lake communities such as SPARK and Aster.
Plans call for mid-rise and high-rise housing, ground-floor retail, and internal walkways that make the block more connected and welcoming. Brinshore’s early concept includes two towers with a central plaza and more than 200 homes. New zoning allows buildings up to 125 feet tall, showing Salt Lake City’s commitment to building for the future.
The Heart of the Block: Open Space
Three acres on the southeast corner of the site will become public open space: a place where children can play, neighbors can gather, and art can inspire reflection. The design will be guided by the community through workshops, surveys, and conversations happening throughout 2025. This space will also include commissioned artwork. Construction of the open space and memorial art is expected to begin in 2027.
Community Benefits and Accountability
The Fleet Block Project is being built with a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), ensuring that development reflects what neighbors want most: public art, local business opportunities, childcare, and affordable housing. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall has emphasized that residents will be the ones setting these priorities, so the project remains rooted in the voices of the people who live here.
Homes That Build Strength
In Fleet Block, Habitat’s presence ensures that affordable homeownership opportunities are part of the neighborhood’s foundation. This means more families will have the chance to put down roots in the city—strengthening not only their own futures, but the future of the community as a whole.
A cornerstone of the project is the involvement of Habitat for Humanity Greater Salt Lake Area. For more than 30 years, Habitat has partnered with families across Salt Lake, Davis, and Tooele counties to help them build and buy affordable homes. Future homeowners invest hundreds of hours of “sweat equity” by helping build their homes and those of their neighbors, while volunteers and donors work alongside them. Families then purchase their homes with affordable mortgages, creating stability and self-reliance.
Looking Ahead With Hope
The Fleet Block Project is more than construction. It’s about building a neighborhood where every family has a fair chance to thrive. It’s about honoring history, lifting up voices, and creating spaces that connect people.
With strong partners, clear commitments, and a focus on dignity, Salt Lake City is turning a long-vacant block into a place filled with possibility. Together, we are building not just homes, but hope for generations to come. Find out how you can help.
