Provo · November 5, 2026
Provo Council approves Cole West student housing at abandoned Park Plaza site
The Provo City Council unanimously approved a zone change Nov. 5, 2026, that clears the way for new student housing on the vacated Park Plaza apartments site east of Brigham Young University, the Daily Herald reported.
Cole West plans a six-story, 146-unit, 523-bed housing complex on the property at 910 N. 900 East after the council rezoned the development to Campus Residential. The Daily Herald said the vote ends a multiyear saga around an abandoned apartment building that had been hit by vandalism and two reckless burning incidents and had changed ownership several times.
Before the zone change, council members spent significant time on the development agreement—especially parking. The sides agreed on 0.75 parking spaces per bed, for 390 stalls total, plus 247 indoor bike stalls, the paper reported. Cole West said it will use a car-stacking system under the building: 130 stalls with stackers (upper storage for non-daily use) and 260 cars parked on the ground, with roommates sharing stacked stalls to coordinate access.
A Cole West spokesman told the council the firm already runs a similar system on a downtown Salt Lake City project where about 30% of residents are University of Utah students, and “we have not had any problems.” The development agreement also requires contracted parking for students and bars charging non-car users for parking. The council asked for a parking study one year after opening.
Cole West anticipates a roughly 30-month construction schedule, aiming to open for the 2029 or 2030 school year, the Daily Herald reported. Councilwoman Katrice MacKay called for a follow-up study a year or two after opening, describing the stack-parking approach as a pilot the city wants to learn from.
In a separate, more contested vote the same night, the council approved 10 townhomes at 313 E. 200 North in the Joaquin neighborhood on a 4–3 vote, with five-year deed restrictions prohibiting rentals—an adjacent housing story, not part of the Park Plaza student project.
At a glance: Developer: Cole West · Program: 6 stories, 146 units, 523 beds · Address: 910 N. 900 East, Provo · Parking: 390 stalls (0.75/bed) + 247 bike stalls · Build: ~30 months · Target open: 2029 or 2030 school year
Sources: Daily Herald
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