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PROVO — Salt Lake City may be the main hub for Utah's next Olympic games a decade from now, with medals plazas and four big venues. But outside of the capital city, there are several other venues that need prepping before then.
One of those, the only facility in Utah County, is Peaks Ice Arena at 100 N. Seven Peaks Blvd. in Provo.
The men's and women's ice hockey teams of 2034 will start their Olympic journeys there before the finals are played at the Maverik Center.
"They'll have to win here before they go up there (to West Valley City)," said Scott Henderson, Provo's city administrative officer.
Over the next 10 years, Henderson said the upgrades to the arena will cost $10 million to $12 million.
The first thing to change is the capacity.
"(Right now it seats) about 7,500 in the full Olympic setup, and then we would go to 10,000 (seats) for 2034," Henderson said.
The stands will wrap around the entire ice sheet. Currently, they are only on the north side of the Olympic rink. A weight area and indoor soccer field will be taken down to make room for the extra seating.
"The big elements that we'll see on the interior will be complete locker room renovations, and adding the size and the overall feel and atmosphere of the locker rooms," Henderson said.
Those locker rooms will get NHL-style accommodations for the Olympians, including warmer finishes and up-to-date technology.
"I think you'll see more individualized lockers, warmer wood finishes, durable finishes, better lighting, ways where coaches can communicate," Henderson said.
It creates that connection between Salt Lake County, Utah County, and throughout Utah, that this Olympics is a statewide event, not a city event.
–Scott Henderson, Provo administrative officer
Henderson said the upgrades will benefit the community in Utah County for years after the 2034 games, just as the ones for the 2002 games have.
He also stressed that Provo has been a part of Utah's Olympic bid from the start.
"I think it creates that connection between Salt Lake County, Utah County, and throughout Utah, that this Olympics is a statewide event, not a city event. And it's something that we can all share together," he said.
Across the Wasatch Front, the Olympic master plan outlines clusters of Olympic venues.
There's an Ogden cluster, which includes Snowbasin Resort and the Weber County Sports Complex.
The mountain cluster has venues at Park City Mountain Resort, the Utah Olympic Park, Deer Valley and Soldier Hollow.
The Salt Lake cluster includes the Delta Center, Rice Eccles Stadium, the Maverik Center, the Kearns Olympic Oval, the Olympic Village at the University of Utah, the Salt Palace and a medals plaza in downtown Salt Lake City.
The Peaks Ice Area is a standalone venue and the only one in Utah County.
