Ground broken for construction of Larry H. & Gail Miller Arts Center in South Jordan
From left, South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey, Miller Family Foundation Chairperson Gail Miller and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson lend their artistic skills to a color-by-number rendering of the new Miller Arts Center. (Courtesy Salt Lake County)
An artist rendering depicts the new center being built in Downtown Daybreak thanks to a $25 million contribution from the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation. (Tom Haraldsen/Salt Lake Business Journal)
Construction has begun on an arts and cultural center in South Jordan. Thanks to a contribution of $25 million from the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation, the center to be named in their honor will join Salt Lake County’s portfolio of venues — including Maurice Abravanel Hall, Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater, Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center and the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art.
At a groundbreaking ceremony March 19, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said the new center “gives seasoned and emerging artists a space to share their talents while providing the community with a place to learn, grow creatively, and be entertained.”
Plans for the center, which will be approximately 89,000 square feet in size, include an 800-seat proscenium theater, flexible performance and rehearsal spaces, an art gallery and classrooms. The Miller Arts Center has a projected budget of $90 million and is being built on three acres of land just south of The Ballpark at America First Square donated by the Larry H. Miller Real Estate Co. The remaining $65 million was proposed by Wilson and approved by the Salt Lake County Council.
“This arts center will be a beautiful addition not only to the South Jordan community, but to the many individuals across this area of the valley who will come to enjoy a performance, participate in a class, or experience arts in a new way,” said Gail Miller, who chairs the Miller Family Foundation and is co-founder of the Larry H. Miller Co. “We are proud to help create spaces like this where ideas can take shape, creativity can flourish and communities
can gather.”
“South Jordan is excited to welcome the Larry H. & Gail Miller Arts Center to our city,” said South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey. “We are strong supporters of the arts, and we’re grateful for Salt Lake County and the Miller Family Foundation who collaborated to turn a good idea into a great reality.”
Wilson said the idea for a performing arts center in the southwest part of the county has been floating around among leaders for some time, but said this groundbreaking has brought its fruition “about 10 years sooner than we thought.” It will become part of the rapidly growing Downtown Daybreak development that has included not just the ballpark but also entertainment venues, restaurants and new residential housing.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on the roof terrace of the county’s Daybreak Library branch. Miller, Wilson and Ramsey were invited to put their touches on a color-by-number rendering of the new building. That portrait will be displayed permanently in the new center.
Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2028, with inaugural performances and programming expected to begin shortly thereafter. The center will also become conveniently located near the TRAX Red Line that features a stop by the complex.