November 4, 2010 — For every square foot of space it inhabits, University Neighborhood Partners (UNP)/Hartland Partnership Center has helped an equal number of new arrivals in Salt Lake City adjust to life in a complex new culture.

The on-site facility, located in a 300-unit apartment complex on Salt Lake City’s west side, has outgrown its current space that totals 1,900 sq. ft. between two apartments on 1700 South and Redwood Road and will expand into a new building offering 10,000 sq. ft. of space, thanks to a generous lead gift of $300 K from Goldman Sachs.

The Hartland Partnership Center has the opportunity to purchase the building adjacent to the complex located at 1578 West, 1700 south. The additional space will enable current partnerships to expand their work and will create room for new partnerships such as a teen program, a community business center, performance/stage area for youth, a commercial community kitchen, computer lab for adults and many other programs that would enhance access to higher education.

“The opportunity to purchase the new building represents the work of many partners, residents and donors over the past six years,” says Rosemary Hunter, director of University Neighborhood Partners. “The University as a property owner on the west side brings higher education into the community as a neighbor and partner. We thank President Young and Goldman Sachs for their support in creating a space for shared goals to emerge.”

The UNP/Hartland Partnership Center opened in September 2004 and has become a national model for residence-based service provision for individuals of immigrant and refugee and refugee background. The complex is home to over 1,500 adults and children from all over the world- Somalia, Sudan, Burma, Bhutan, Burundi, Eretria, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Bosnia, Liberia, Mexico and the United States.

The Center is a comprehensive capacity-building project co-created by University members and residents that brings a set of resources-family financial fitness, home buyer education, health access, English-as-a-Second Language classes, and early childhood programs-together in a rental complex for its 1,500 residents, 75 percent of whom are non‑native English speaking individuals.

“University Neighborhood Partners plays a critical role in the greater Salt Lake City community, and Goldman Sachs is pleased to support the development of a new home for one of their important partnerships,” says Gwen Robinson, vice president of Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group.

The nine on-site partnerships serve the residents of the complex and the surrounding communities. During fall semester 2009, the Center brought together 11 University of Utah departments, 18 faculty members, 44 students and 9 community organizations to work with and learn from culturally diverse resident communities. Over 800 residents (youth and adults) participate annually in programs that address economic, linguistics, educational, and social barriers.