SALT LAKE CITY — A bill moving through the Utah State Legislature would clear the way for the Salt Palace to undergo a massive redesign.
Senate Bill 306, sponsored by Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, allows Salt Lake County to shift some transportation funds to help pay for a re-imagined Salt Palace. It's a key part of larger plans for a downtown sports, arts and entertainment district envisioned by the Smith Entertainment Group, the owners of the Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club.
"Salt Lake County has asked that we prepare a method to help finance their ability to replace a part of the convention center," Sen. McCay said during a presentation of the bill in the Senate Revenue & Taxation Committee.
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson told FOX 13 News the changes envisioned were "substantial."
"We’re looking ideally to be able to come up with a design that allows people to walk from City Creek over to the Delta Center to the plaza that’s been imagined by Ryan Smith," she said.
Currently, 100 South hits a wall in the form of the back-end of the Salt Palace. Mayor Wilson said she wanted any remodeling of the Salt Palace to include a second ballroom, allowing the county to book even more conventions. The renovation project could cost more than $1 billion, she said.
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But the funding shift "means no tax increase for the public on this particular bill," the mayor told FOX 13 News.
"Also, none of the funding would go towards SEG and the Delta Center revitalization," she said.
Sen. McCay said still being negotiated is what to do with 300 West, which runs in front of the Delta Center. It's become caught up in a larger discussion about Salt Lake City's street closures on Utah's Capitol Hill (a separate bill blocks the city from controlling a lot of its own streets).
"There are considerations to leave it at the grade now, leave it open, there’s a consideration to close it and not have traffic going through there," Sen. McCay said. "What we’ve realized with working with UDOT is 300 West is actually the busiest road in downtown Salt Lake."
One thing not part of the bill? Abravanel Hall. Mayor Wilson says she's not touching it right now. Fears that Abravanel Hall could be torn down led to protests and petitions to save it and county leaders backed off of that.
"Front burner right now is getting the Salt Palace renovation funds identified," Mayor Wilson said. "It’s a big project."
The bill passed out of the Senate Revenue & Taxation Committee unanimously on Monday. It now heads to the full Senate for debate.
