On the national scene, we have witnessed billionaires who believe their will, and even their whim, should override democratic decisions and constituent considerations. On the local scene, we are seeing a billionaire owner of two major sports teams and stewards of a billion-dollar legislative mandate pressuring local officials to enforce their will in the creation of a sports entertainment complex and their whim in building it east of the Delta Center and in eliminating Abravanel Hall.
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall talk of preserving some kind of concert hall downtown, but they stop short of advocating for Abravanel Hall. The crown jewel of the Utah music scene is irreplaceable in its aesthetics, location, view, acoustics and heritage. The mayors’ wavering statements suggest they are being pressured by power brokers disinterested in the wishes of tens of thousands of citizens who have signed petitions this week. The mayors seem fearful that the billionaire brokers might take their ball and puck and find a new home. This is a reasonable concern, but not one that should override the will of the mayors’ constituents.
Why are the big players unwilling to negotiate more viable solutions that would allow both sports and arts to thrive downtown? Could not the sports entertainment district be incorporated into a revitalized Gateway Center to the west, or could it not purchase and develop vacant spaces to the north?
By ignoring and dismissing other options, the power brokers are acting as if their will, and even their whim, are paramount, since money talks and big money could trump all discussion. The mayors and councils of the city and county must not be pressed into hasty and short-sighted decisions by billion-dollar brokers unwilling to consider reasonable alternatives that could better serve multiple community interests.
John Newman, Sandy