Smith Entertainment Group released renderings on Wednesday for a planned downtown sports, entertainment, culture, and convention district in Salt Lake City. The project includes a pedestrian walkway connecting City Creek Center to a new east-facing entrance at the Delta Center.
Demolition for the district is scheduled to begin in February, with work continuing into March. The project is slated for completion before the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. According to Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, the new Salt Palace will serve as an operations, hospitality, and event center for the 2034 Winter Games. Before then, the Salt Palace is expected to host multiple simultaneous conventions and will include meeting rooms, exhibit halls, and modern spaces.
The district will feature a Live Nation concert venue next to the convention center that is designed to seat 6,000 people and host between 80 and 120 concerts annually. SEG also plans to replace 400 feet of loading docks on Japantown Street with office space, retail, murals, and more. Additionally, a new art museum is planned for the district, while Abravanel Hall will undergo back-of-house improvements to reorient backstage and office spaces for better engagement within the district.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall stated the downtown district is expected to attract 5 million visitors every year. She noted that the Delta Center alone generates over $970 million to the Salt Lake City economy annually through events involving the Jazz, Mammoth, and various concerts. In partnership with the city, SEG created a Public Benefit Fund to support city priorities such as public art, transportation, and affordable housing.
The district is being partially funded with taxpayer money. In October 2024, Salt Lake City approved a half-percentage-point sales tax expected to generate $900 million. Of that, approximately $525 million has been set aside for ongoing Delta Center renovations, which are expected to finish in 2027, while $375 million will go toward investments in the district outside the arena. Smith Entertainment Group stated it is contributing $3 billion of its own money toward the district.
