SALT LAKE CITY — A concert venue, restaurants, shopping experiences, and pedestrian walkways were among the details revealed Wednesday for a proposed transformation of downtown Salt Lake City.
In a social media video, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson and Smith Entertainment Group CEO Ryan Smith shared renderings of the makeover plans for the area surrounding Delta Center and the current site of the Salt Palace Convention Center.
"This is a massive win for Salt Lake," said Mendenhall.
According to Mendenhall, the Delta Center generates over $970 million to the Salt Lake City economy, which "helps pay for our roads, infrastructure and our vital city services."
Smith said a new 6,000-seat concert venue will sit adjacent to the convention center, with plans to host 80-120 concerts a year. He added that the Delta Center's main entrance will be rebuilt to face east and connect to a retail area featuring stores, restaurants and a new hotel.
Retail and office space, along with streetscape murals, will replace the loading docks found on Japantown Street. The convention center will also undergo a renovation that will include "flexible meeting rooms, new exhibit halls, and modern spaces to connect."
The group added that Abravanel Hall will remain where it is, with updates focused on the building's back-of-house areas not seen by patrons.
The end goal of the project is to transform the downtown area currently split in half by the convention center, replacing it with walkable, pedestrian-friendly areas between Delta Center and City Creek for residents and visitors to enjoy.
"When we think of our downtown, we need connection," Mendenhall said. "Prior to these district plans, when you left City Creek, you ran into the Salt Palace, and it created a wall separating our downtown."
"It's an exciting time to be in downtown Salt Lake," added Smith.
Mayor Mendenhall expects 5 million people to visit the new district each year after its planned completion before the 2034 Winter Olympics in Utah.