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Associated Press
06-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Moving up 4th in the NHL draft in the lottery adds to the Utah Hockey Club's exciting summer
When the Utah Hockey Club selected Tij Iginla with the sixth pick and took 10 other players in the first draft since the team moved to Salt Lake City, fans were excited, thinking they would be in the NHL right away. General manager Bill Armstrong tried to temper expectations, telling them, 'No, it takes some time.' After an unexpected victory off the ice Monday night in the draft lottery, the expectations for the club's future are Rocky Mountain high once again. Utah won the second random draw of lottery balls to move up from the 14th pick to No. 4, adding to an already momentous summer that could feature a free agent spending spree with tons of salary cap space and an owner not afraid to spend money, the first phase of massive arena renovations taking place and the full-time name getting unveiled before next season. 'It's a game-changer for us,' Armstrong said on a post-lottery video call with reporters. 'These are exciting times for Utah. ... Just great stuff for the franchise. I can't express in words on the excitement of when that happened and the opportunity in front of us.' Armstrong has over $22 million in room, and with Ryan Smith's ownership group in charge, there's every indication Utah can spend to the annually increasing cap . That was never the case under a procession of penny-pinching owners over the past decade as the Arizona Coyotes. Utah committed $80 million-plus in player salaries this past season, and Smith Entertainment Group along with the city are investing plenty to upgrade downtown Delta Center and increase the capacity of full-ice views to over 16,000 for hockey in an arena initially designed and built primarily for basketball for the NBA's Jazz. 'We are excited for the challenge as we kick off this never-before-done renovation project,' Ryan and wife Ashley Smith said last week. 'This transformation will create the most compelling, welcoming and exciting experience for hockey fans, while also allowing us to maintain the steep vertical seating for basketball that has made Delta Center such a dynamic venue.' And, possibly soon, a venue for playoff hockey. Utah was in the race until the final few weeks of the season before finishing seven points out of the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. 'We were a pretty good team that chased it down the stretch playing meaningful games and chasing a playoff spot,' Armstrong said. 'We're getting to that point where we're becoming a really good team that's going to have a chance to get into the playoffs.' Not counting the expanded pandemic playoffs in 2020, this organization has not qualified since 2012. The building blocks to end that decade-plus drought are there, from captain Clayton Keller and 2022 No. 3 pick and budding star Logan Cooley to two-time Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev — acquired at the draft last year — and top goaltender Karel Vejmelka . And after drafting a league-high 42 players over the past four years, there might be a temptation to use the fourth pick for immediate help, like someone who is established but still young and entering or in his prime. 'That's something that obviously we'll always talk about,' Armstrong said. 'We'll never shut that door. That's always been an avenue for us to get players, and we're at the position right now as a team where we're trying to make that next step, so we'll always look at that. That's part of the process.' The final step in the naming process is happening, too. The finalists have been narrowed down to Mammoth, Outlaws and Utah Hockey Club, complete with a permanent logo and new jerseys. If the branding process goes as swimmingly as the first year with Smith's group in charge, the results on the business side could even exceed the hockey progress. 'They made a lot of promises, and they exceeded them with what they accomplished in a short period of time,' Commissioner Gary Bettman said last week at a meeting of Associated Press Sports Editors in New York. 'What they accomplished is a testament to Ryan and everybody out there. They dreamed big and they accomplished everything they needed to do, and we're thrilled to have them in the league. It's been an incredibly positive experience, and the players love it, too.' More high-quality players are coming next year and into the future, though Armstrong cautioned that the lottery doesn't speed up the building process and, 'One pick's not going to change our franchise.' But that doesn't dull the internal excitement. 'You've got a chance to get a real game-changer,' Armstrong said. 'We're going to have the opportunity to pick a real good player high in the draft and take a big swing here.' ___ AP Sports Writer Jake Seiner in New York contributed to this report. ___ AP NHL:
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
When will Salt Palace renovations begin? These are some of the next steps
Downtown Salt Lake City is on the verge of a drastic makeover, especially now that Salt Lake County has agreed to sell off a piece of the Salt Palace Convention Center in a deal that should kickstart renovation plans east of the Delta Center. However, that left many in the audience at Tuesday's CountSalty Council vote wondering the same question: What happens next? Those are the types of conversations just beginning as the 'sports, entertainment, culture and convention district' comes together. The next steps are about to get underway. Salt Lake County plans to launch a search for an architectural firm this week to help it map out more detailed plans for the blocks east of the Delta Center that are included in the downtown revitalization district. It hopes to have a firm hired by the end of summer, which will help map out the culture and convention side of the district. Once selected, the winning firm will also handle questions about other key logistics like demolition, site locations, feasibility and programming. Everything will center around the Salt Palace. Tuesday's sale paves the way for parts of the building west of 200 West to be demolished for Smith Entertainment Group's 'mid block' section, which may include mixed-use development on top of a plaza east of the area. It's still unclear how the space will be utilized, but the company's past renderings have suggested that tall buildings could be constructed within some of the spaces currently occupied by the convention center. Building heights of up to 600 feet are permissible within the district, per a rezone of the area Salt Lake City approved last year. Meanwhile, the county plans to build a second ballroom as part of a new convention center. Partial demolition of the existing building could begin as early as 2027, and the new Salt Palace could be completed by 2031, according to preliminary projections. Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said the county wants to make sure that the new convention center is completed before 2034 because it's slated to be the media center and potential curling site when the Winter Olympics return to Salt Lake City. 'I'm excited that the visitor in 2034 is going to have this incredibly fresh, new, invigorated downtown,' she said, adding that the same can be said for residents. Changes are also planned for other county facilities neighboring the Salt Palace. County leaders voted last year to preserve Abravanell Hall, but county officials said Tuesday that the building's 'back of house' will have to be rebuilt to account for the new east-west walkway. They're currently working with the Utah Symphony as they raise funds and plan out updates to the building's other features. They're also working with the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art on planning out a new museum location after it was determined early in planning that the current building would likely be torn down and rebuilt. Of course, 300 West might be the biggest challenge between the Delta Center and the buildings east of it. State lawmakers floated around the idea of transferring 300 West in the area to Salt Lake City earlier this year, but a proposed bill to do that didn't clear the Utah Legislature. Smith Entertainment Group is 'working closely' with the Utah Department of Transportation on plans to discuss process and timeline, said Smith Entertainment Group executive Mike Maughan, in an update to plans on Wednesday. Whether the road is owned by UDOT or Salt Lake City, plans still call on a portion of it to be tunneled underneath the plaza linking the district together. 'We are going to be doing work on 300 West, and hopefully, (it'll be) done in a way that inhibits traffic the least,' Maughan said. More details about the road could be announced 'in the coming months,' he added. The county's land sale doesn't include a garden currently buffering the Salt Palace or the Japanese Church of Christ. County officials say they plan to maintain the garden moving forward. But church leaders and others with close ties to historic 'Japantown' say there are still 'serious concerns' as the project slowly moves from concept to reality. Lynne Ward, a Japanese Church of Christ elder, called for a series of construction mitigation steps before Tuesday's vote. Her congregation would like to see vehicle access for both its and the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple's parking lots during demolition and construction, along with ways to mitigate the dust, debris and potential damage caused when demolition begins. They'd also like to see that future buildings have multiple access points to avoid congestion along 100 South once new buildings are constructed, as well as new security measures to protect the church grounds. Those closest to the churches remain cautious about the future, especially since creating and expanding the convention center wiped out most of what once was a neighborhood with thousands of residents. 'If the two churches end up getting run over, shame on everybody,' said Brent Koga, a member of the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple board. Salt Lake City will largely oversee construction approvals within the district section. City leaders have expressed an interest in preserving and enhancing what's left of the neighborhood. Its agreement with Smith Entertainment Group last year included a provision that at least $5 million from a 'public benefits' account — generated from Delta Center ticket sales — go toward Japantown revitalization. Maughan says the company heard the comments. It plans to engage with residents and churchgoers before construction shifts to those parts of the district. 'We want to move as efficiently as possible and disrupt as little as possible,' he said.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Salt Lake City close to sale of Salt Palace land portion as downtown plans heat up
Salt Lake County leaders are close to deciding whether to sell a large portion of the Salt Palace Convention Center land in a deal that would likely factor into Smith Entertainment Group's 'sports, entertainment, culture and convention' district plans. Salt Lake County Council members will decide at an April 29 public hearing on a proposal to sell about 6.5 acres of land near 55 S. 300 West. They spent over an hour in a closed session Tuesday discussing sensitive details, like the price. County officials offered few details about the proposed sale at Tuesday's meeting. Spokespeople for Salt Lake County and Smith Entertainment Group couldn't confirm exact details but said negotiations are related to a portion of downtown revitalization plans. The listed address is located across the street from the Delta Center in the newly designated Capital City Convention Center Revitalization Zone. Project maps list a "Mid Block" at the existing western edge of the Salt Palace. Mike Maughan, a Smith Entertainment Group executive, also referenced a possible vote on April 15 regarding the "Mid Block" when he spoke about development plans at a Utah Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity meeting to approve the zone on April 4. Smith has previously described a plan to tear into the existing structure for a plaza linking the arena to the rest of the district. County officials say they want to rebuild the convention center by constructing a second ballroom. The "Mid Block" is described as a "mixed-use development" that will "be a pivotal piece in facilitating greater east-west connectivity of the downtown core," according to a Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity document. It's listed as part of the "entertainment" portion of the district and is expected to have ties to 2034 Winter Olympic venues, as well. "Connecting the Salt Palace Convention Center to the Delta Center through the midblock will create a space for residents and visitors to enjoy and create easier connections to multiple Olympic venues," the state report says. It is still unclear what it would look like, as the design is part of ongoing negotiations. Tuesday's decision took place a day after Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson met with Smith Entertainment Group owner Ryan Smith and state leaders, according to the governor's published schedule. Tuesday's update comes a week after Salt Lake City officials finalized the Convention Center Public Infrastructure District. It was decided on days after a state committee approved the Capital City Convention Center Revitalization Zone. They set up a "funding mechanism" for the city and county to pay for projects east of the Delta Center. Each passed, but not without controversy. Major adjustments to the Salt Palace are projected to cost over $1.2 billion, while the renovation of Abravanell Hall and a potential rebuild of the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art could tack on another $230 million. Salt Lake City officials said they were only informed about the addition of "Block 67" to the zone just hours before the Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zone Committee voted to approve it on April 4. They requested a small delay to review the impacts of the addition, which added $300 million to the expected project cost. Their concerns boiled over into the April 8 City Council meeting, where the district was approved. "We are much better if we collaborate and work together and communicate together — and not just bring things up at the last moment," said Salt Lake City Councilman Dan Dugan. Meanwhile, Smith Entertainment Group is close to beginning its long-term plan to remodel the Delta Center, making it easier to handle both the Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club. Construction is expected to begin soon, as the season has now ended for both teams and comedian Kevin Hart's tour stop on Friday is the last event on the arena's schedule for months. Arena remodeling is expected to be completed in phases over the next three summers. It remains on track to be completed by the start of the 2027-2028 NBA and NHL seasons.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Downtown district gets financial tools for remodel while Fairpark will be kept to one stadium
An aerial view shows the Delta Center, right, and Salt Palace Convention Center, left, on 300 West between South Temple and 100 South in Salt Lake City on Monday, July 29, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) The plans for the districts supporting professional hockey and, potentially, baseball are keeping their momentum in Utah after the Legislature considered a series of bills to draw essential financial paths for an area in downtown Salt Lake City, or to allow multiple stadiums on a west-side district. Last year was big for special districts and funding arenas at the Utah Legislature. Lawmakers voted to approve a Capital City Revitalization Zone to host the state's new National Hockey League team, and a Fairpark Area Investment and Restoration District to help with the bid to attract a Major League Baseball franchise — both projects with funding mechanisms to capture almost $1 billion each. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The fate of all 2025 legislation addressing the districts were ultimately decided on the last day of the general session, some undergoing major makeovers before approval and one of them failing to get any House hearings to advance it. Here are some of the highlights. Senators voted on day one to approve SB26, sponsored by Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, which was initially a technical cleanup bill. But, after it stalled for weeks, the legislation received a committee hearing with big changes, including a funding mechanism for renovations at the Salt Palace Convention Center, which is located within the downtown revitalization district's boundaries and owned by Salt Lake County. 'This bill allows Salt Lake County and Salt Lake City to invest in the redevelopment of the convention center, Abravanel Hall and the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art,' SB26's House floor sponsor James Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville said, 'because who doesn't think downtown needs a little revitalization?' The legislation doesn't require Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County or the state to raise taxes, it allows the city and county to use existing tax authorizations to finance rebuilding the convention center, and revitalization of its surrounding areas. Fifty percent of any growth that happens in state sales tax within the four-block area downtown will go to the project, Dunnigan said. 'The current base of all the sales tax that's coming in on the base level, that will continue to come to the state,' Dunnigan said. 'All that this captures is if new development goes in and then sales tax increases, then it captures some of that growth.' Under the policy, the county will oversee the convention center's remodel while adhering to a budget established by the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. None of the funds would be used for private development, Dunnigan reiterated. The city, the county and the Smith Entertainment Group — which owns the Utah Jazz and the state's NHL team — are working 'to align development goals, to help clean up downtown, promote economic development and reconnect the east and west side of downtown,' Dunnigan said on Friday. SB306, another proposal to fund the convention center renovations from Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, didn't get a hearing in the House. The bill would have allowed repurposing a portion of the county's sales and use tax for highways and public transit for the revitalization of the convention center and other surrounding projects. Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson spoke in support of McCay's bill during a committee presentation, describing its potential to be 'a win for the community,' as Salt Lake prepares to host the 2034 Olympic Games. 'We're no longer in the road business. If you're from Salt Lake County or watching you'll see that we're almost wall-to-wall cities. Other than our canyons, we're generally almost built out with city state roads primarily,' Wilson said. While the bill would have still allowed the county to have some spending on transportation with the funds, redirecting a portion of them for the cause made sense, she added. When Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, first introduced a cleanup bill addressing the Fairpark district, a single letter drew much attention because of its big implications; stadiums, in plural, would be allowed, the bill said then. They would also be smaller stadiums, with the minimum capacity of hosting 18,000 spectators and not the 30,000 contemplated for the potential MLB team. But, that ended up being removed. 'As we got further into the master plan across the stadium, (and) Fairpark, it was just pretty much determined that the best use of the area would be just one individual stadium, as far as when we planned it out,' Sandall said. 'So we figured there was no reason in the bill file to leave the option hanging out there.' The concept of this bill dates back to the last weeks of the 2024 session, Sandall added, with some factors still needing to be cleared up in code, including the potential need for a second stadium. What was the stadium for? That remains a mystery. 'We never did find out, quite honestly, what it was for,' Sandall said. A provision that would have brought forward a proposed October start date for when the district's authority could start collecting a car rental tax also died after Sandall learned about a verbal commitment to not levy the tax until an MLB team was announced. The bill was then left with a cleaner explanation of how much of the tax increment will go to fund a municipal service agreement with Salt Lake City. As for now, a year after the Legislature passed the first plans for the district, an authority was set up and plans have already started running, Sandall said. 'My biggest enthusiasm right now is around the safety and security in the district, now, as quite honestly, we begin to lay all of the underground work before we start to go vertical with projects,' he said. 'I'm pretty excited. We also have a really, really nice master plan coming together.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
