Entertainment district proposal may include occupied blocks east of Delta Center

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The area around the outside of the Delta Center could undergo a major reconfiguration based on plans submitted to the city by the Smith Entertainment Group (SEG).

Owners of Utah’s new hockey team and the NHL commissioner have said the Delta Center needs renovations to work as a permanent hockey venue.

A 7-page-long proposal from SEG showed the addition of the team could also reshape parts of downtown Salt Lake City.

It’s the little details in the plan that start to give some shape to the big picture. For instance, the Delta Center was widely thought of as the temporary landing spot for the new NHL franchise.

However, the plan submitted to the city called for a massive renovation of the arena, keeping both the Jazz and hockey at the same spot.

KUTV went through the SEG application. The proposal outlined details on a project area near the arena, spelling out a footprint of “no more than 100 acres,” including blocks east of the Delta Center.

Those two blocks have houses part of the Salt Palace Convention Center and Abravanel Hall for years.

KUTV asked the executive director of the Downtown Alliance, Dee Brewer, if that meant the buildings would be leveled and relocated.

“We’ll, it’s a portion of the Salt Palace. “It’s not all of the Salt Palace,” Brewer said.

He said while the county-owned convention center is the driving economic force as it is, there is room to grow it.

“The Salt Palace also, parts of that, and particularly the parts nearest the Delta Center, were built for (the) Outdoor Retailer (trade show) – and that show will never be as big as it was 10 years ago, so there actually is capacity in those county properties,” Brewer said.

He said several ideas from the surrounding “entertainment district” the state legislature created during their 2024 session have been around for a while.

Brewer said the new district downtown would benefit everyone in the state.

“(Hockey) is going to double the number of nights of pro sports downtown, and that’s going to be good for bars, restaurants, retailers in the downtown area,” he said.

KUTV asked if the recent tax passed by the legislature to pay for the new entertainment district and changes to the Delta Center was fair to taxpayers.

“This is a tax across the city, and it is a public investment in the core of downtown Salt Lake City,” Brewer said. “I think that those investments will pay dividends in the additional development that we see in our city. That clearly is in ascension.”

KUTV asked for Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s take on possible changes to the Salt Palace, and whether any action would be taken on the proposal when city leaders next meet.

A spokesman responded, saying they’re unable to comment of proposal specifics at the moment. They did say the city and SEG would meet to discuss the proposal on May 7.

Brewer said he hoped to listen in on that meeting.

“I think their commitment is clear and what this document is a necessary step in what they will present to city council next week,” he said. “You bet I’ll be there to hear those, that detail that they share about their plans.”

Public hearings were expected to happen later in the month, with a possible city vote in July.

The proposal also asks for zoning changes on height limitations, identifying things like stadiums and heliports as permitted uses.