Connection Needed: Mammoth Owner Ryan Smith Unveils New Salt Lake City Entertainment District

By 2034, Salt Lake City is going to have an NBA team, an NHL team, a renovated Delta Center, and perhaps even an MLB team. They will also beat any allegations of having a dead downtown scene.

Utah Mammoth and Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith released a video alongside Salt Lake City mayor Erin Mendenhall and Salt Lake County mayor Jenny Wilson, going over newly released graphics of a revitalized downtown Salt Lake City entertainment center. It’s an over $3 billion project led by Smith and the Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) that is scheduled to be completed before the 2034 Winter Olympics.

The project will completely revitalize downtown Salt Lake City directly in front of the Delta Center, creating the city’s first entertainment center. Currently, the Salt Palace Convention Center takes up a majority of the land between the Delta Center and City Creek, a popular shopping center downtown. It creates a wall between the two areas. SEG and Utah are looking to break down that wall and create a walkable pathway from the Delta Center to the City Creek area.

“When we think of our downtown, we need connection,” Mendenhall said.

That area also holds 400 feet of active loading docks, leaving an unattractive and unenjoyable chunk of land in front of some of the city’s biggest revenue generators. That’s all going to change with the completion of this project.

“That's not a great experience for everyone who's coming in,” Smith said. “We're removing these 400 feet, and we're replacing it with retail, with office, with streetscape, with murals. That'll be another great experience coming up 100 South. It's truly a place for families and people to gather, and that's going to be something that everyone can participate in.”

The walkable pathway between the two venues will be the main highlight for most, as it brings downtown Salt Lake City together. However, there will be a lot to look for on that walkway. The biggest of which is the 6,000-seat Live Nation concert venue that was announced previously in conjunction with the company. Smith expects the venue to pull in 80 to 120 concerts a year.

Also expected in the entertainment center are multiple local iconic brands, a hotel, housing, and restaurants. Smith put out a poll on X a couple of days ago, allowing residents to voice their opinion on what local restaurants and shops they want to see.

Additionally, the Salt Palace will be renovated to host multiple conventions at the same time. It will serve as the central hub for the 2034 Winter Olympic Games. The Abravanel Hall, which is the home of the city’s symphony, will also be renovated and complemented with a new art museum.

Finally, the Delta Center’s main entrance will be shifted to face the entertainment center and to create one fluent pathway. That was something that was put on the arena’s renovation plans when the entertainment district was previously announced.

Mendenhall stated that the Mammoth, Jazz, and the Delta Center’s other events generate $970 million every year for the city’s economy. That money goes back into infrastructure, vital city services, and roadwork.

The entertainment center is set to begin construction in February and end construction right before the Olympics in 2033. It will help Salt Lake City be ranked alongside other major cities in terms of entertainment and tourism. Especially if the city lands an MLB expansion team, which seems more likely every month, it could be the next mainstream destination spot.

“This is a place you'll come visit with your family, hang out in the entertainment areas, watch games outside, eat at great local and new restaurants, and take in the new core of Salt Lake City,” Smith said.

The Delta Center just underwent the second phase of renovations this past summer and is expected to be completed after next summer. This is just one of the multiple projects that Smith has tackled in the past couple of years ever since acquiring the Mammoth. The other big project was the completion of the Mammoth’s new practice facility in Sandy that was recently renamed the Select Health Ice Center.