Efforts have begun to transform an area of downtown Salt Lake City into a sports and entertainment hub.
Dylan Guenther of the Arizona Coyotes skates in front of fans as players warm up for an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 in Tempe, Arizona. Coyotes move to Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Utah's capital is now a hockey town.
Beehive State professional sports powerhouse Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith has long wanted a National Hockey League franchise, and now he's got it. The Arizona Coyotes skated on the ice in Tempe for the last time Wednesday and will stroll to their new home in Salt Lake City next season.
Here's what we know about where the team calls home and what's in store for them in the future.
The team will play at the Delta Center again next season.
(Rick Egan | Salt Lake Tribune) Los Angeles Kings fans celebrate the Kings' 4-3 overtime victory over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, at Delta Center.
Smith's new team, which will shed the Coyotes name, will play downtown, the Jazz's longtime home, when players take the ice next season.
Although the arena regularly hosts preseason NHL games, this place wasn't built for hockey. Placing regulation-sized ice on the floor will require some bowl seating to be removed, reducing venue capacity.
Smith told NHL.com he would like to use the Delta Center as a dual-sport arena, adding that he has considered plans to increase the hockey stadium's capacity to about 17,500 people.
Downtown SLC could be reborn as professional sports
(X via Ryan Smith) Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith posted this rendering of the proposed downtown sports and entertainment district at X on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.
During the 2024 Utah legislative session, Smith lobbied lawmakers to sign a bill aimed at overhauling downtown's taxpayer-supported sports and entertainment district. The idea is to create a lively area to entertain fans before, during and after games, giving Utah's capital a hub of year-round activity.
Lawmakers approved SB 272, a bill that would allow Salt Lake City to issue up to $1 billion in bonds. These bonds will be repaid through sales tax increases of up to 0.5 percentage points, resulting in a total sales tax rate of 8.25%.
That extra money could be used to renovate the existing arena or pay for a new stadium.
The mayor puts the arena district first.
(Trent Nelson | Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall will deliver the State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 30, 2024.
Mayor Erin Mendenhall has long envisioned a sports and entertainment district. She used the year's biggest stage, the State of the City Address, to advocate for such a development.
She told the Legislature that the bill, which supports sports districts, is “truly transformative” for Utah's capital city.
Ryan Smith begins athletic district process
(Trent Nelson | Salt Lake Tribune) Ryan Smith attends the NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City on Sunday, February 19, 2023.
The part of the law that allows cities to raise taxes on new sports districts requires Smith to submit an application to City Hall. He did so on April 4, beginning the process of working with the city on the new zone.
City officials are currently reviewing the submission and plan to work with Smith to negotiate district boundaries and how tax revenue will be used.
What comes next?
(Trent Nelson | Salt Lake Tribune) Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Salt Lake City City Hall and Downtown.
Smith and the city have until Sept. 1 to resolve everything, but the city is working on an earlier timeline.
Smith Entertainment Group and city officials are scheduled to brief the City Council on the terms of the draft agreement on May 7th, with a final vote possible on July 2nd.
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