A new home is coming for the University of Utah’s most-attended indoor sports.
The school’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday morning approved a motion to consider a proposal for the construction a new, multi-purpose arena in Salt Lake City to eventually replace the Jon M. Huntsman Center, which hosts Utah basketball, gymnastics, and volleyball.
It follows a broader initiative, titled the Campus Physical Development Framework, to expand the university from a commuter institution into a “destination campus” with increased on-campus student hubs, expanded housing and other residential areas.
The move would separate the U. into six different districts; an athletics district; a health district; a cultural district; a academic and research district; a research park district; and, finally, a “college town magic” district, which is where the Huntsman Center is currently located on the Fort Douglas property.
(University of Utah) The University of Utah Board of Trustees announced a proposal to split the campus into six new districts.
According to a statement from Utah AD Mark Harlan, Utah’s basketball and women’s gymnastics practice facilities will remain in their current location, next to the current arena.
“I want to assure you that the process to identify the ideal location for a new arena will be very thorough, comprehensive and inclusive,” Harlan said in a letter. “We will have the opportunity to explore a completely reimagined in-venue experience to serve our athletics programs and our great fans who support our teams. This process will evolve over several years, and we will work closely with university leadership and campus planners, and seek significant input from fans, donors and the surrounding community.”
With the new campus proposal, Utah is planning to use the current area anchored by the Huntsman Center for newer residential areas amid its growing student population.
“We envision that the district through this area calls for a relocation of this new arena,” Utah president Taylor Randall said in the meeting, “I want to make it clear that we have not decided where the new arena should go, and that we need to study the economics, the location, the parking, the access [for this proposal]. Events will continue at our current Huntsman Center until a new arena is constructed. But one of the large, I think trigger items for making college town magic occur, is actually studying the relocation of the Jon M. Huntsman center.”
In the coming months surveys and studies will be conducted by the university and athletic department to understand the feasibility, cost and decide on a final location for the proposed new arena.
(University of Utah) The University of Utah released conceptual renderings of its new "college town magic" district. The brown building showcased in the image is where the Huntsman Center is currently located.
“In terms of the Huntsman Center, obviously, there’s a lot of things that we’ve been talking about as a team through the last few years,” Utah AD Mark Harlan said of the potential for a new arena during the Trustees meeting. “It’s a historical building that all of us have benefited from so much. But the timing in this, parallel to the path of President Randall’s vision, also aligns with the timing of a building that is, frankly, not as accessible as it needs to be in this day and time.”
Harlan went on to explain the current building’s deficits, which was first opened in 1969.
“We have one service elevator — I can go on and on about some ADA standards that are expected now. So, we’re very excited to look at this possibility, to study this possibility. We have groups that that are on board already looking at possible locations, as the President mentioned, and we’ll report back as we get those findings, but this is a fantastic opportunity for this athletic department to modernize and to move forward in conjunction with this overall plan,” Harlan said.
Locations and a proposed financial investment into the new arena will be presented for approval from Utah’s Board of Trustees in September.
“The Jon M. Huntsman Center will forever hold a special place in the history of Utah Athletics and in college sports, having hosted countless unforgettable NCAA postseason competitions across several sports,” Harlan said in his letter. “It will remain the home venue for our men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and gymnastics programs until a new arena is built, and we will strive to provide the best in-venue experience possible while we celebrate more big moments in the years ahead, as our teams continue to chase championships.”
No timeline for a new arena was released Tuesday, but the Board of Trustees' vote was the first official step of the process.
“We’re excited to be a part of this,” Harlan said. We’re excited to work with our fans, and will be surveying for locations and surveying for needs, and really moving our arena sports into this new modern era.”
