SALT LAKE CITY — No, Smith Entertainment Group isn’t looking for a 600-foot skyscraper, as some wondered when it obtained a zoning amendment for land east of the Delta Center for a new “sports, entertainment, cultural and convention district” in and around the Delta Center.
The major owner of the Utah Jazz and Mammoth plans to move forward with a mixed-use development that will bring new housing and business options to downtown, including a hotel reaching nearly 250 feet.
It would surround a brand new, taller Salt Palace Convention Center as well as a new Utah Museum of Contemporary Art building, according to new renderings that Ryan Smith, the company’s president and CEO, unveiled Wednesday in a video also featuring Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall.
Abravanel Hall will also undergo renovations, but most of the building will be preserved following efforts to save the historic building in 2024. Construction on the larger project is expected to begin next year, with the goal of completing the entire area before the 2034 Winter Olympics.
“This is a massive win for Salt Lake City,” Mendenhall said. “When we think about our downtown, we need connection. … The new district breaks down that wall and creates a walkable, pedestrian connection from City Creek to the Delta Center, bringing more energy and vibrancy that any thriving urban center desperately needs.”
Smith’s projects
Wednesday’s vision update is the biggest update in over a year.
A 6,000-seat Live Nation concert hall, hotel, housing, retail and offices will fill the space next to a rebuilt convention center, renderings show. The concert hall aims to host 80 to 120 concerts each year, Smith said.
About 400 feet of active loading docks will be removed as part of an effort to make the space more vibrant, he added.
“We’re replacing (the platforms) with retail, offices, streetscapes and murals, so it’s going to be another great experience to come on 100 South,” Smith said. “It’s really a place for families and people to come together, and everyone can participate.”
Most buildings are expected to be less than 200 feet tall, shorter than most existing buildings downtown. To put this into context, the Astra Tower is the tallest building in the city at almost 450 feet.
A walking path connects the neighborhood to City Creek, making it easy to walk from the outdoor mall to the Delta Center. The district will be capped with new Jazz and Mammoth statues at the center of the project, while the exterior of the Delta Center will be redesigned to give it a more east-facing appearance toward the new district.
Smith launched a survey last week to gather feedback on a “strong local vibe” in the retail spaces, which will be mixed with “iconic” national brands.
Partial demolition of the Salt Palace will begin as early as March 2027, starting with the section Smith acquired from Salt Lake County last year.
Many plans were vague and conceptual as Smith Entertainment Group pursued a partnership agreement with Salt Lake City that resulted in a 0.5 percent sales tax increase to help pay off up to $900 million in bonds Smith sought for the arena and district.
But now that crews are two-thirds through the three-year renovation project, the vision for the field in front of the arena is slowly coming to fruition. State leaders approved a $1.8 billion reinvestment zone in April 2025 to facilitate this process.
The end of Salt Lake
The area includes a new Salt Palace and a Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. Most of the new renderings released Wednesday show the interior of the convention center, but it will be much taller than the current building.
It includes two ballrooms, “flexible” meeting rooms, new exhibit rooms and other new features, Wilson said.
“This is a once-in-a-generation chance to reinvent the Salt Palace from the ground up,” she said. “Our goal is to be the best destination to host national conferences and even some international conferences.”
County officials previously estimated the new center could generate $105 million in additional revenue annually from the current setup because it will feature two ballrooms, seeking to attract multiple conventions at the same time.
KSL was the first to report that the Salt Palace will close for approximately three years starting in fall 2027, when the project begins.
That’s not all. Renderings released Wednesday show how everything will be connected as part of Salt Lake City’s goal to revitalize what remains of the historic Japantown district along 100 South as loading docks are removed.
When completed, the entire district is expected to attract 5 million visitors each year, Mendenhall said. She noted that the Delta Center already generates more than $970 million in annual economic activity for the city.
“This economic engine helps finance our roads, infrastructure and vital urban services,” she added.
Other projects
The video does not cover the rest of Route 300 West because the Utah Department of Transportation oversees that area.
The agency received $300 million from the Utah Legislature last year and said it is considering a plan to lower part of the road by 10 feet, while raising a pedestrian plaza 10 feet above the existing ground.
Renderings still show a plaza that allows people to walk between the neighborhood and the arena.
UDOT did not immediately respond to KSL’s request for comment on the project’s status and construction start date.
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