SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Governor Spencer Cox joined Clark and Christine Ivory, alongside leaders from Ivory Innovations, the Call to Action Foundation, the Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation and the Lehi community, for the grand opening of Innovation Park at Holbrook Farms and the Lehi Rippy Literacy Center. Together, the new workforce housing community and literacy center uniquely address two of Utah’s most pressing issues, housing affordability and childhood literacy, in one of the state’s fastest-growing cities.
This ribbon cutting celebrated the availability of more than 200 all-electric townhomes purpose-built for Utah’s essential workers and mark the grand opening of the community’s new Lehi Rippy Literacy Center. By embedding a free community tutoring center within a workforce housing community, Ivory Innovations, the Call to Action Foundation and the Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation are proving that the most effective solutions tackle these interconnected problems together rather than in silos.
Attainable Housing for Utah’s Essential Workers
Innovation Park at Holbrook Farms was developed through the Call to Innovations partnership between Ivory Innovations and the Call to Action Foundation, funded entirely through private philanthropic contributions.
The community features 200+ all-electric townhomes purpose-built for Utah’s workforce families: the teachers, nurses, hospital staff and first responders who are the backbone of the state’s fastest-growing communities but are increasingly priced out of the neighborhoods they serve.
With monthly rents starting at $1,231, Innovation Park offers pricing significantly below Lehi’s market rates. The development is strategically located adjacent to the new Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital in Lehi, ensuring the healthcare professionals who care for Utah’s children can find quality, affordable housing within minutes of where they work.
Since opening Phase 1 in fall 2024, Innovation Park has reached near-full occupancy, underscoring the urgent and growing demand for attainable housing.
“Our team hopes that Innovation Park and the Lehi Literacy Center highlight what can happen when communities come together to help address the challenges facing Utah families,” said Clark Ivory, co-founder of Ivory Innovations and CEO of Ivory Homes. “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with others, think creatively, and work alongside those who care deeply about strengthening our communities. We welcome anyone who would like to join us as we continue striving to build Utah together.”
Tackling Utah’s Literacy Crisis
Research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows that children who struggle with reading are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Addressing this challenge has been a central mission of the Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation, which has long invested in community-based literacy programs that uplift children and expand their educational opportunities.
“Every child deserves the chance to become a confident reader, regardless of their zip code or their family’s income,” said Christine Ivory, President of the Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation. “By opening this new literacy center in the heart of Innovation Park, we’re meeting families where they are and making sure that the children who live here and in surrounding Lehi areas have access to the same opportunities as any child in Utah.”
The new Lehi Rippy Literacy Center provides free tutoring in the heart of the community, building on a legacy program of the original Rippy Literacy Center that has served Lehi families for more than 20 years. Supported by a generous contribution from the Stokes Foundation and sustained through a partnership with Lehi City, the center ensures every child at Innovation Park and in the broader Lehi community has access to the reading support they need to succeed.
For more information, visit innovationparkholbrook.org.
About Ivory Innovations
Ivory Innovations is an operating foundation and research center based at the University of Utah dedicated to catalyzing innovation in housing affordability. The organization works with students, entrepreneurs and experts to source, support, and scale the most promising housing solutions nationwide. Ivory Innovations also puts innovation into practice through its foundation arm, which has more than 1,500 affordable housing units under development in Utah. To learn more, visit ivoryinnovations.org.
About the Call to Action Foundation
The Call to Action Foundation is a philanthropic organization committed to strengthening communities through strategic investments in housing, education, and economic opportunity. Learn more at calltoactionfdn.org.
About the Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation
The Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation invests in community-based programs that expand educational opportunity and improve outcomes for children and families across Utah, with a particular focus on childhood literacy. Learn more at ivoryfoundation.org.