Smith Entertainment Group, Salt Lake leaders unveil updated downtown vision

SALT LAKE CITY — No, Smith Entertainment Group isn't seeking 600-foot skyscrapers, as some wondered when it secured a zoning amendment of land east of the Delta Center for a new "sports, entertainment, culture and convention district" in and around the arena.

However, the primary owner of the Utah Jazz and Mammoth is planning to move forward with a mixed-use development that brings new housing and business options downtown, including a hotel maxing out near 250 feet.

It would surround a brand new and taller Salt Palace Convention Center, along with a new Utah Museum of Contemporary Art building, according to new renderings that Ryan Smith, the company's chairman and CEO, unveiled in a video on Wednesday, which also featured Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall.

Abravanel Hall would also undergo renovations, but the bulk of it will be preserved following a push to save the historic building in 2024. Construction tied to the large project is on track to begin next year.

"This is a massive win for Salt Lake City," Mendenhall said. "When we think of our downtown, we need connection. ... The new district breaks down that wall and creates a walkable pedestrian connection all the way from City Creek to the Delta Center, bringing more energy and vibrancy that is desperately needed in any thriving urban core."

Smith's plans

Wednesday's vision update serves as the biggest update of the vision in over a year.

A 6,000-seat Live Nation concert venue, hotel, housing, shops and offices will fill in the space that will be next to a rebuilt convention center. The venue aims to host 80 to 120 concerts every year, Smith said. Some of it will remove 400 feet of active loading docks as part of an effort to make the space more vibrant.

"We're replacing (the docks) with retail, with office, with streetscape, with murals. So that'll be another great experience coming up 100 South," Smith said. "It's truly a place for families and people to gather, and that's going to be something that everyone can participate in."

Most of the buildings are planned to be less than 200 feet in height, shorter than many of downtown's existing buildings. To put that into context, Astra Tower is the city's tallest building at nearly 450 feet.

A/walking path helps connect the district with City Creek, making it easier to walk from the outdoor mall to the Delta Center. The whole district will be capped with new logo statues included at the center of the project.

Smith launched a survey last week seeking feedback for a "strong local vibe" within the retail spaces, which will be mixed in with "iconic" national brands.

Partial demolition of the Salt Palace will begin as early as March 2027, starting with the section that Smith acquired from Salt Lake County last year.

Many projects had been vague and conceptual as Smith Entertainment Group pursued a partnership agreement with Salt Lake City, which ended in a 0.5% sales tax increase to help pay off up to $900 million in bonds Smith sought for the arena and district.

But now that crews have completed two-thirds of the three-year renovation project, the vision for the land across the street from the arena is slowly coming together. State leaders signed off on a $1.8 billion reinvestment zone in April 2025 to facilitate it.

A new convention center

The zone includes a new Salt Palace and Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. Many of the new renderings of it released on Wednesday show the convention center's interior, but it will be much taller than the current building.

"This is a once-in-a-generation chance to reimagine the Salt Palace from the ground up," Wilson said. "Our goal is to be the single best destination to host national conventions and even some international conventions."

County officials estimate the new center can generate $105 million in added revenue annually from the current layout because it will feature two ballrooms, seeking to draw in multiple conventions at the same time.

KSL was the first to report that the Salt Palace will be closed for approximately three years beginning in fall 2027, as that project commences. The county anticipates the new convention center could be open by the early 2030s.

Once complete, the district is projected to attract 5 million visitors every year, Mendenhall said.

Other projects

What's next for 300 West wasn't included in the video, as it is overseen by the Utah Department of Transportation.

The agency received $300 million from the Utah Legislature last year, and unveiled that it was considering a plan that calls for a portion of the road to be lowered by 10 feet, while a pedestrian plaza over it would be raised by 10 feet over the existing ground.

UDOT didn't immediately respond to KSL's request for comment on where the project is in development and when construction of the project will begin.

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