While Smith Entertainment Group’s proposed downtown Salt Lake City sports district nears its final approval, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson says she is committed to having Abravanel Hall stay put.
On Tuesday, a committee of state lawmakers unanimously approved the district’s boundaries and Salt Lake City’s participation agreement with SEG for the project. The district’s fate now lies in the hands of the Salt Lake City Council.
SB272, which authorized discussions for the sports district last spring, required a committee made up of four legislators to ensure the city’s agreements with SEG met state requirements.
“This desire to keep it downtown was truly a legislative and municipal desire, and was not the original desire of the developer or the owner of the team,” Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, said after Tuesday’s vote. “You see this type of investment only because the local effort really wanted to keep the team downtown and keeping that downtown core vibrant.”
McCay was one of SB272′s sponsors.
(Screenshot from Salt Lake City and Smith Entertainment Group) The proposed area of Smith Entertainment Group's downtown sports district.
Despite the approval, legislators left a few recommendations on the proposal for the City Council and SEG to take into account when considering the project’s final approval, including continued meetings with the committee and the preservation of Abravanel Hall.
Although the building is a county facility — and outside of the scope of the agreement that was considered Tuesday, according to Sen. Kirk Cullimore, R-Sandy — Wilson reassured the committee that she is committed to “keeping the hall where it is” and in its current form.
The mayor told lawmakers the home of the Utah Symphony needs over $200 million to upgrade failing heating systems and to keep the storied venue accessible to those of all abilities.
McCay said he could see a “continued conversation” with the county on how to fund that renovation.
“This opportunity that’s presented today, I believe, has captured the public’s imagination for the preservation of the hall, and that means we — with hopefully the state’s help and other partners — can come up with that bill,” Wilson said. “We care about the vitality of the orchestra itself, not just the building. I mean, the point is to be able to enjoy arts, culture, and our primary tenant in Abravanel Hall is the symphony. We want it to thrive for decades to come.”
The Salt Lake City Council approved the city’s participation agreement with SEG in July. The pact will now head back to the council, which will take a final vote on the project and the proposed half-a-percentage-point sales tax increase that would funnel $900 million of public money into the district.
SB272 requires the council’s final approval of the project by Dec. 31.
