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SALT LAKE CITY — With just four, six-game homestands left, the Salt Lake Bees final season at Smith's Ballpark is nearing an end.
While it's clear the team will move out of the stadium after the season wraps up on Sept. 22 for new digs in South Jordan, the future of the ballpark space they're leaving remains a mystery. That could change, but not anytime near the end of this baseball season.
Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City planners say they expect construction on a future project could begin as early as 2026. It would leave a gap between the final Bees game and construction, which has some Ballpark neighborhood residents on edge.
The planning continues
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall unveiled Ballpark Next just hours after the Bees unveiled plans for a new Daybreak stadium in January 2023. The massive project to overhaul the 13.5-acre space has now reached its urban design framework stage, according to Lauren Parisi, a senior project manager with the Redevelopment Agency.
Parisi explained, in a presentation to the Ballpark Community Council Thursday night, that work has progressed behind the scenes even if it has been quiet publicly this baseball season. Perkins&Will and Kimley-Horn — a pair of national consultants — were hired to help plan out the development and transportation needs for the area.
Perkins&Will oversaw the transformation of Turner Park in Atlanta after the Atlanta Braves moved. The firm also isn't a stranger to Salt Lake City, having recently helped plan the future of the Rio Grande District and University of Utah Research Park districts.
The involved entities are working on a final recommendation for the space by reviewing nearby projects and every public comment to date, Parisi said. They also plan to hold at least two more public meetings, in August and November.
This will be used to create a document outlining recommended land uses, including what types of buildings or open spaces should exist and any transportation needs. And if there are buildings — such as housing, businesses or a venue — the plan will recommend heights and other important logistics. On top of that, the groups will suggest what types of events or activities should be used to attract people to the area like the Bees did for 70 days every baseball season.
"I kind of think of it as site plan on steroids," she said. "A lot of detail will go into this."
A draft version of the document is on track to be presented to the Redevelopment Agency's board of directors — a government body composed of members of the Salt Lake City Council — either by the end of this year or early 2025. A final version of the plan could be finalized by early 2025 before the city will find a developer or a development team to oversee the project.
Parisi estimates construction could begin in 2026 at the earliest, which would likely come in phases.
What happens to the ballpark between uses?
However, that means the city can't ensure the ballpark doesn't become an "empty pit" after the Bees leave — which Mendenhall promised in January 2023 — unless it finds creative uses for the stadium in the near term.
This has become the "immediate concern" about the project now, especially with the Bees season finale less than two months away, said Amy Hawkins, chairwoman of the Ballpark Community Council.
"I think we're all really interested in seeing a really solid intermediate activation plan — something that can be executed quickly and bring people into the neighborhood," she told KSL.com after the meeting, explaining that the stadium feels like "an empty fortress" when it's not game day.
Salt Lake City does have at least one post-Bees plan. It and Miller Sports + Entertainment reached a deal to host a pair of Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico exhibition games at Smith's Ballpark on Oct. 5-6, extending its ballpark uses a few more weeks. It's unclear beyond that.
In a statement to KSL.com, the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office said the city is aware of this problem and is still working on a plan to address it.
"(The city) is evaluating options for interim use and potential activation following the Bees' departure," the statement reads, in part. "(Redevelopment Agency) staff will keep the community informed as these plans progress."
Some short-term ideas were discussed on Thursday. Residents appeared to be the most excited when they talked about potentially using the stadium as a temporary public park, possibly opening it up for pickleball or other activities beyond baseball.
The short-term wasn't the only concern, though. Kristina Robb, chairwoman of the East Liberty Park Community Organization, said she believes residents are "freaking out" over all the different projects happening across the city at the same time, especially now that Salt Lake City has been named host of the 2034 Winter Olympics.
To that end, resident Erika Carlsen asked what would be done to make sure that Ballpark Next is not lost in the shuffle.
"I feel like once there's a new shiny object we go to the bottom of the list," she said, adding there's neighborhood frustration that the city still doesn't have a clear plan for the ballpark, despite knowing 18 months ago the Bees were leaving. "I just want to see something that there serves the community."
Parisi said she understands the concerns and that Ballpark Next remains a priority for the Redevelopment Agency as the project moves forward.
Although still concerned about the near-term, Hawkins added Thursday that she's also encouraged with the update, especially after looking at the portfolio of who the city is partnering with. She'd like to see the space feature some other attraction, like an exhibit, museum or event space that could bring visitors in year-round.
"It makes me feel hopeful about a real transformative building in the neighborhood," she said. "I think this will expand possibilities."
