DOWNTOWN DAYBREAK: Miller breaks ground on development, ballpark
Brice Wallace
Like a runner sliding into home plate, the dirt was flying in South Jordan recently during the groundbreaking for a brand-new ballpark for the Salt Lake Bees.
And a lot more.
The Triple A team hopes be playing ball at the 7,500-seat stadium in 2025 but it will eventually be surrounded by a destination mixed-use development called Downtown Daybreak. The development will occupy nearly 200 acres of the 4,100-acre Daybreak master-planned community.
The city looks forward to the ballpark development, South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey told the crowd assembled for the event. “But this development will be so much more than that,” she said. “It will be a catalyst for economic growth and regional opportunity as the new urban center for the southwest quadrant of Salt Lake County, with attractive housing and amenities, new businesses and employment opportunities, for entertainment, recreation and education opportunities contributing to the overall prosperity of our community.”
“Downtown Daybreak will take years to complete,” Brad Holmes, president of Larry H. Miller Real Estate, said in a video played at the event. “We’re starting with the entertainment district, a mix of offices and places to live, with great restaurants, a performance venue, a Megaplex cinema-entertainment center and a minor-league ballpark.”
The Larry H. Miller Co. is the developer of Downtown Daybreak and announced at the event that America First Credit Union is the exclusive naming rights partner for the ballpark and nearby sports and entertainment plaza. It also will serve as a finance and lending partner for Downtown Daybreak and other Larry H. Miller Real Estate projects.
“A best-in-class regional destination needs jobs, housing diversity and affordability, education, retail and dining options and, of course, sports and entertainment venues,” said Steve Starks, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Co.
Downtown Daybreak will feature 500 units of affordable housing, 16 acres of open space, 9,000 direct jobs, structured parking with street-level retail and dining, connecting trails and a new light-rail station. The Megaplex location will be more than a movie theater, with options including bowling, food and beverage offerings, an arcade, virtual reality games, private event space and a lounge. The America First Square will have year-round programming, including outdoor concerts, ice skating, games, holiday festivals, patio dining, a water feature and other amenities.
The former site of mining will be transformed into a “sustainable and community-centric development,” Ramsey said. It will include a variety of housing options for people of all ages and allow “their entire family, no matter their stage of life, to live in a city they love,” she said.
The privately funded ballpark will be built on undeveloped property between Mountain View Corridor and the TRAX line. Details about the ballpark’s location, renderings and surrounding amenities, will be released later this year.
But speakers at the groundbreaking promised it will have ticket options ranging from field-level seats to an outfield berm; a new alcohol-free zone for families and children; accessibility by light rail, bicyclin or by walking; and views of the Wasatch Mountains, just like the Bees’ current home, Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City.
“Downtown Daybreak is going to be unbelievable,” said Peter Woodfork, senior vice president of minor league operations and development for Major League Baseball. “And, most importantly, we still get to look at the mountains. I’m from New York City. We look at really tall buildings and a lot of clouds. So to be able to look here and get this seat and be able to see everything, truly is going to be amazing.”
Dennis Kuhl, chairman of Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Bees’ parent club, said he was impressed with everything already built near the ballpark location. “Most of the time, a stadium is built and then you build around it,” he said. “You’ve got a great fan base here just to start.”
The Bees will continue to play at Smith’s Ballpark until the new park is ready; its lease at Smith’s expires after the 2024 season. The future of the Smith’s site has not been determined. A local group is also working to land a Major League Baseball team sometime in the future, either through expansion or team relocation.
“So we hope,” Starks said, “that baseball is not gone from Salt Lake City for too long.”
Among the companies involved in the Downtown Daybreak construction are Larry H. Miller Real Estate, Okland Construction, TallyCM, HOK, Urban Design Associates, MVE Architects, Atlas Architects and Loci Landscape Architecture.
In addition to the naming rights and finance elements, America First will have credit union exclusivity rights and a street named in Downtown Daybreak, plus promotions with Swig for credit union members. The Bees will contribute $200,000 annually toward community projects, with a monetary match from the America First Charitable Foundation.
“As we met with The Larry H. Miller Co., it became clear that the new Salt Lake Bees ballpark would be more than just a sports venue and entertainment plaza,” Thayne Shaffer, America First president and CEO, said in a prepared statement. “Giving back and strengthening others is a core part of who we are at America First, and it’s a commitment we have shared together with The Larry H. Miller Co. for decades. We are grateful to continue this truly remarkable partnership and honored to be part of the Bees’ incredible new home.”