What does Ryan Smith want to develop around Delta Center? – Deseret News

Ryan Smith spoke generally about how he would like to see downtown Salt Lake City reimagined around the Delta Center to enhance the experience of attending a Utah Jazz or Utah Hockey Club game.

But an application that Smith Entertainment Group submitted to the city for a 100-acre revitalization zone under a new state law provided a little more insight into what could happen around the arena in the coming years. Does not include specific plans.

SEG proposes to develop the area as a sports and entertainment district with a variety of commercial uses, including retail, restaurants, hospitality, multi-family housing and other cultural and entertainment uses, and parking. It includes remodeling the Delta Center over several seasons to accommodate the Jazz and hockey teams.

“Development of the project area, including the redevelopment of Delta Center, will require substantial remodeling, urban renewal and reconstruction, which will likely include rerouting, permanent closure and/or bridge construction on certain surrounding streets,” according to the request.

Additionally, SEG wants the city to revise zoning laws to eliminate maximum height limitations in the project zone and identify “arenas,” “stadiums,” “helipads,” “commercial parking” and “outdoor parking” as uses permitted. .

SEG presented the seven-page document to the mayor’s office on April 4, two weeks before the NHL announced that Ryan and Ashley Smith had purchased the Arizona Coyotes on April 18. The Deseret News requested the request on April 17 under Utah’s access to public records law, but the city denied it, citing “business confidentiality.” The newspaper appealed and the city provided documents Thursday night, saying SEG waived its request for commercial confidentiality.

Earlier this year, the Utah Legislature, with the support of Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County, passed legislation allowing for the creation of a downtown revitalization zone. Under the law, the city could increase its current sales tax rate from 7.75 percent to half a percent — bringing it to 8.25 percent over no more than 30 years to help finance construction. or remodeling a sports arena. The tax increase could generate about $1 billion.

“In order to make the property in question financially viable, and in order to maximize the overall positive impact of the project for the surrounding community, and to justify significant private investment, a significant amount of public financing is required in connection with the development of the Mon of the project area”, says the application.

In the application, SEG proposed receiving the “full value” for the full 30 years. It would subtract 1% of taxes collected as an administrative fee for the city and an undetermined amount as agreed with Salt Lake County for the renovation of the Salt Lake Palace Convention Center. SEG also says the project may require tax increment financing and the creation of a public infrastructure district.

“Tax increment financing will be justified based on the significant and lasting positive impacts of the project, including promoting, creating and maintaining jobs, improving the value of surrounding properties, attracting greater private and public external investment, increasing tax revenues, improving the overall aesthetics and functionality of the project area and surrounding area, enhancing cultural and entertainment opportunities, increasing tourism and boosting the overall vitality of Salt Lake City,” according to the application.

The documents note that the Delta Center is currently part of a property tax refund agreement with the Salt Lake City Development Agency that began in 2019 and runs through 2040. To date, SEG has received about $ 3.5 million of the maximum $22.7 million over that period. SEG also leases the block housing the RDA’s Delta Center and is proposing a new 99-year lease on the same terms. It also wants to lease two additional blocks east of the arena from Salt Lake County, although the purpose is not specified in the documents.

The application doesn’t include any specific projects, but at a news conference announcing the Coyotes’ move to Utah last month, Smith said he “can’t wait to show you the plans for how we’re going to do this.”

At the news conference, Smith spoke about his vision for downtown Salt Lake City, noting that he and government officials recently visited LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. The sports and entertainment district surrounding the Crypto.com Arena, located near the Los Angeles Convention Center, includes sports and music venues, nightclubs, restaurants, a bowling alley, museum and movie theater.

Smith said the fan experience should begin before entering the arena. He said he would like to see families heading downtown at 3pm for a night game and then heading out. He is also interested in providing housing so players can live next door. He also talked about improving flow between the Delta Center and the convention center and other downtown attractions.

“This is not about renovating the arena. It simply isn’t. It’s about everything else around you,” he said.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall told state lawmakers in February that the project would link the east and west sides of downtown, including the Delta Center, Temple Square, the theater district and the City Creek and Gateway malls. .

Smith sidestepped the question of whether residents would support a tax increase for the project.

“It will take everyone. It’s going to take a toll on the county and the city from a tax standpoint, but we’re going to generate a lot of revenue,” he said. “I think in the future everyone will look back and say, ‘Wow, at a time when we needed to revitalize, reimagine, we invested and it worked.’”