The Salt Lake City Council is slated to consider a zoning change requested by Smith Entertainment Group that would lift height restrictions on buildings near the Delta Center, allowing the construction of skyscrapers of up to 600 feet in a seven-block area.
If approved, skyscrapers near the arena could top the Wells Fargo Center and Temple Square’s Church Office Building by more than 150 feet.
The council’s consideration of the changes comes after members of the city’s planning commission unanimously rebuffed the request, saying the district is being pushed through too fast and should not receive special treatment due to the Legislature’s priorities. The council is under no obligation to follow the commission’s negative recommendation.
This story will be updated with a live-stream of Tuesday’s work session meeting, which begins at 2 p.m. Council members are tentatively scheduled to hear the zoning item shortly after 4 p.m.
Work session meetings are listen-in only. The council will accept public input during the general comment section of its 7 p.m. formal meeting. In-person general comments are limited to a one-hour block, but the council does accept additional comments through multiple online options, including email and a 24-hour phone line.
The council is expected to schedule a public hearing on the zoning changes for Aug. 13, during which there will be no time limit on public comment.
The council is also scheduled to get an update Tuesday on a major proposal that will lay out how SEG can use $900 million of public financing to improve the Delta Center and surrounding area.
That deal, referred to within City Hall as the “participation agreement,” was still being negotiated as of Friday, according to a statement from Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s office last week. The administration said it was planning to complete a draft of the accord early this week, but an agreement has yet to be released.
The council will not vote on the agreement Tuesday, but could give tentative approval to it at its July 9 meeting.
If council members do endorse the deal, it would still need to be reviewed and approved by the Capital City Revitalization Commission — an oversight board created by the Legislature — and then returned to the council for final approval.
Assuming final approval is granted by the council, the city would raise the citywide sales tax rate by half a percentage point, which would generate an estimated $54 million a year that would used to pay off debt for the project.
According to projections from the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, up to 80% of the sales tax increase would be paid by commuters, tourists and businesses outside of the city limits. The average household tax increase for Salt Lake City residents would be about $150.
Under the terms of the legislation that allows for the sports district negotiation, the participation agreement needs to delineate the project area, include plans for the redesign of the Delta Center and lay out a 30-year master plan for development of the area. It must also envision changes to existing buildings and include plans for dealing with homelessness, public safety, transportation and parking in the area.
In addition to the taxpayer support, SEG has committed to investing at least $3 billion of its money into the area.
This story will be updated throughout the day.
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