SLC announces three options to rebuild ballpark neighborhood
Brice Wallace
Salt Lake City has one, two, three options out for an old ballpark.
Three scenarios for the future of the Smith’s Ballpark location at West Temple and 1300 South have been announced by Mayor Erin Mendenhall and other city leaders. One keeps the current ballpark structure in its entirety, one completely eliminates it, and one retains a portion of the building.
The concepts for the 13.5-acre “Ballpark Next” redevelopment will be whittled down to one early in 2025. The city’s Redevelopment Agency (RDA) board of directors recently received the concepts from Perkins&Will, an agency that has led the design effort since being selected earlier this year. After a winning concept is decided, the RDA is expected to release a request for proposals (RFP), inviting developers to propose how they would complete Phase 1 of the project.
“This is a once-in-a-century opportunity to breathe new life into one of Salt Lake City’s most family-centric spaces while staying true to the heart of the Ballpark neighborhood,” Mendenhall said. “We’ve worked side by side with residents to ensure their voices are guiding this transformation. Their ideas are shaping a future that strengthens community and creates a space we can all be proud of for generations to come.”
The concept that keeps the stadium in place, dubbed “Preserve,” uses the ballpark as a centerpiece for a year-round venue for professional, amateur and community sports. It also features a neighborhood that could support space for perhaps a farmers’ market, festivals along West Temple, and retail spaces on the ground floor of the stadium along 1300 South and West Temple. A regulation soccer field is also included.
An “Adaptive Reuse” concept retains only the western part of the stadium as the site becomes a hub for arts and culture. The stadium would be reworked to serve as a venue for performances and community events. Retail businesses would occupy the stadium’s ground floor. West of the stadium would be a festival street along West Temple. East of the stadium would be fields for gatherings and festivals and for the neighborhood to enjoy when events are not taking place.
The “Nature” concept ditches the stadium entirely in favor of a place with ecology and nature as the focus. Option documentation describes it as offering “a peaceful retreat, promotes outdoor fun, and connects the community to nature.” It also says the site would feature “a procession of park spaces” and that it “embeds civic, commercial and residential life in unison with the natural world.”
The concept “daylights” the three creeks running beneath 1300 South and includes tree-lined streets, bike paths and “pocket parks” that offer recreational opportunities. The current baseball field would be the site of a “Ballpark Square” with a cultural center, and a residential court would be among elements at the south end of the redevelopment.
In each concept, the existing parking lot north of the stadium would become a parking garage and a food hub/product market. In two concepts, it also would include arts and culture workshop spaces. All three concepts also call for a library, community/fitness center and fire station east of the existing stadium.
“Community feedback has been the backbone of this project,” said Lauren Parisi, project manager for the RDA. “Each of these scenarios showcase how thoughtful design can honor the neighborhood’s history while reimagining the Ballpark as a cornerstone of Salt Lake City’s future.”
The ballpark site and nearby parking lot will become available because of the Salt Lake Bees’ move to Daybreak Field at America First Square in South Jordan. The under-construction stadium is expected to be ready for the Bees’ 2025 home opener April 8. Baseball will be played at Smith’s Ballpark in 2025 by the University of Utah while a new on-campus baseball stadium is built.
Details about Ballpark Next are at ballparknext.com.