The City of Grand Junction will break ground on the Salt Flats development Aug. 17 at 10 a.m., marking the beginning of construction on one of the community’s largest mixed-income housing developments.

The ceremony will take place at the Salt Flats site, 450 28 Road, and is open to the public.

According to a city news release, at full buildout the approximately 21.78-acre Salt Flats development is expected to deliver an estimated 450 affordable and attainable apartment homes and for-sale homes. Those homes are available through a partnership between the City of Grand Junction, Grand Junction Housing Authority, Brikwell, Rural Homes, Volunteers of America with MGL Partners, and Vertikal.

The development is designed to provide a variety of housing options for working families, seniors, veterans, retirees and first-time homebuyers while supporting the city’s long-term housing goals.

According to the news release, the Salt Flats project has been made possible through a $2.2 million Proposition 123 Land Banking Grant, paired with a $1 million city investment for property acquisition. The project also received a $2 million More Housing Now Infrastructure Grant, matched with $800,000 in city funding to construct roads, utilities, sidewalks, drainage and other public infrastructure needed to support future housing development.

Construction will begin with Juniper Grove, Salt Flats’ first for-sale neighborhood. Developed by Rural Homes, it will include 48 affordable homes for income-qualified home buyers.

Those interested in purchasing a home at Juniper Grove can learn more during an information meeting Aug. 15, 10 to 11:30 a.m., at the Clifton branch of the Mesa County Public Library. Meetings will be held in English and Spanish. Information also can be found online at junipergrovehomes.com.

For more information about the Salt Flats development, go online to engagegj.org, or email the city’s housing division at housing@gjcity.org, or call 970-256-4094.