SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson's office confirms to FOX 13 News she will not push for Abravanel Hall to be bulldozed as part of the new downtown development project for a hockey arena.
Instead, her desire is the beloved concert hall remains as-is.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mayor Wilson said she had been taking feedback into account. Salt Lake County owns the Salt Palace and Abravanel Hall, which are both being swept up in the multi-billion dollar development project encompassing several downtown blocks.
"I appreciate the extensive amount of input regarding the future of Abravanel Hall as a sports, entertainment, culture, and convention district is envisioned in downtown Salt Lake City," she wrote. "Salt Lake County is the owner and operator of Abravanel Hall. As Mayor of Salt Lake County, I am working diligently on a reimagined downtown, and a district design that allows Abravanel Hall to remain in its present form and value the feedback from the community."
What that means for Salt Lake City and Smith Entertainment Group's overall plans remains to be seen. During a briefing before the Salt Lake City Council last week, Smith Entertainment Group said its plans included remodeling the Delta Center to accommodate both the Utah Jazz and the new hockey team. But the group also wants a broader entertainment district in the two blocks east of the Delta Center.
That includes remodeling the Salt Palace to connect the east and west sides of the city again, potentially putting Abravanel Hall in jeopardy. Asked directly about Abravanel Hall by FOX 13 News, Smith Entertainment Group's Mike Maughan replied: "SEG would love to see Abravanel Hall stay on the site."
Arts lovers rallied to preserve the aging concert hall, even though Mayor Wilson said it needs hundreds of millions in upgrades. Thousands signed an online petition demanding Abravanel Hall be left alone.
The downtown project has support from Mayor Wilson, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and members of the Salt Lake City Council. The legislature authorized the city council to enact a .5% sales tax increase to help pay for development, including the Delta Center remodel. Public hearings on the tax hike are scheduled for later this month.
Smith Entertainment Group has said it intends to invest $3.5 billion of its own money in the district.
"Salt Lake City is the cultural core of our state and Abravanel Hall is a critical anchor of this. I am grateful we have partners in Mayor Wilson and SEG who believe we must lift and include our great institutions of arts and culture as we look to revitalize downtown," Mayor Mendenhall said in a statement to FOX 13 News.
