A four-member committee of the Utah Legislature has unanimously approved Salt Lake City and Smith Entertainment Group’s (SEG) plans for a sports and entertainment district in downtown Salt Lake. The plan includes the city’s initiation of a half-cent sales tax that will fund the up-to-$2 billion cost to renovate the Delta Center and build a new entertainment area adjacent to the arena.
The plan will ensure that the Utah Jazz and the new Utah Hockey Club will remain in downtown Salt Lake City and not move to another part of Salt Lake County, officials stressed.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall told the committee the plan was the result of what she called “true negotiation” between the city and SEG. Neither group got everything they wanted, she said, but the agreement would be beneficial for both parties.
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said the plan includes four main elements: a Salt Palace Convention Center renovation, the activation of various assets in that part of the city to help them work together for a better downtown experience, creation of a central gathering space in downtown and the preservation of Abravanel Hall.
“We want the symphony to thrive,” Wilson said. “Keep as is, where it is, as it is.”
SEG executive Mike Maughan stressed that the project would include the renovation of the Delta Center as the long-term home of both the Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club. He told the committee the area between the arena and convention center would be used for entertainment, housing, retail, hotels and a place where families and visitors could spend time together. He also reiterated SEG was committed to preserve Abravanel Hall in its current form.
The plan now heads back to the Salt Lake City Council for approval and the implementation of the sales tax hike. The city has until Dec. 31 to make its decision, according to the agreed-upon timeline.