Project History

To help meet Grand Junction’s growing housing needs, the City adopted 13 Housing Strategies, which were reaffirmed and expanded in the 2024 Housing Strategy Update. One key strategy was to use City-owned land, or purchase new land, to support affordable housing development.

At first, this was difficult because the City Charter only allowed land leases of up to 25 years. Affordable housing funding sources typically require much longer leases — 30 to 99 years — to secure financing. To solve this, the City placed Ballot Measure 2B on the Fall 2023 ballot. With strong voter support, the Charter was amended to allow leases of up to 99 years specifically for affordable and attainable housing. This change removed a major barrier and opened the door for projects like the Salt Flats.

Another housing strategy focused on reducing infrastructure costs, which are one of the biggest barriers to building affordable housing. The Salt Flats property — a 21.78-acre site within a larger 33-acre parcel — had long been vacant. It was owned by En-Sim QOF, LLC, a local candy manufacturer, which had planned to keep part of the property for warehouse and office expansion. But the high cost of infrastructure made private development of the northern portion impossible, creating a unique opportunity for City partnership.

In November 2023, the City applied for a Proposition 123 Land Banking Grant through the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) for $2.2 million, paired with a $1 million City match. The grant was awarded in January 2024, allowing the City to move forward with acquisition. A Letter of Intent with En-Sim was signed in April, and the property subdivision was completed later that year.

To support infrastructure needs, the City also applied for the More Housing Now Grant in August 2024, requesting $2 million with an $800,000 City match. That grant was awarded in November 2024, and the purchase of the Salt Flats site was finalized in January 2025.

Shortly after acquisition, the Grand Junction Housing Authority (GJHA) requested that a portion of the site be set aside for a project for them to find a partner. The City honored this request, reserving up to 2.91 acres in the northwest corner. Meanwhile, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the rest of the property. By March 2025, 13 proposals were submitted, with developer interviews taking place in April. From this process, four development teams were selected, including one that will serve as the site’s Master Planner.

Detailed information on the selected developers, project timelines, and proposed housing units can be found in the following pages.