The Salt Lake City Council voted unanimously to approve and help fund Smith Entertainment Group’s plan to remodel Delta Center -- home of the Jazz and Utah Hockey Club -- and develop portions of the two blocks around the arena into a sports and entertainment district .
The city will contribute $900M to the project -- $525M toward the arena renovation and $325M toward the surrounding district -- raised via a new 0.5% sales and use tax over thirty years. SEG itself has pledged to invest a minimum of $3B .
The arena renovations will in part be focused on adapting Delta Center for hockey following the sooner-than-expected arrival of an NHL franchise . The arena, which was designed with basketball in mind, currently has 11,131 seats with full views of the ice when configured for hockey, along with another 4,000-5,000 offering obstructed views. The arena renovations are expected to be conducted in three phases and completed by the start of the 2027-28 NHL and NBA seasons.
The mixed-use district plan calls for a large public plaza east of the arena, along with a hotel, residential high-rises, retail and restaurant space and a revitalization of the Salt Palace Convention Center.
Speaking to SBJ for this week’s cover story on the arrival of Utah Hockey Club, owner Ryan Smith said the sooner-than-expected arrival of the NHL franchise forced both SEG and local leaders to prioritize long-term plans for the arena and surrounding area.
“The natural catalyst is the space to play and the arena itself,” Smith said. “When you actually have a team, you have to solve how that’s all going to work, so that’s a natural compelling event.”
The project is slated to be completed before the Winter Olympics return to Salt Lake City in 2034 .
