Smith Entertainment Group has unveiled the plans for a four-block, 35-acre development that’s tied to the renovation of Delta Center and will reshape Salt Lake City’s downtown.
The district includes a previously mentioned 6,000-seat Live Nation music venue, with 80 to 120 shows annually, a near-total rebuild of the Salt Palace convention center, a renovation of Abravanel Hall, home of the city’s symphony, and construction of a new art museum. Elements of the project will be run by the city and county, as well as Smith Entertainment Group’s in-house real estate development team. District development, demolition, and construction will begin February 2027.
“It’s truly a place for families and people to gather,” Smith Entertainment Group CEO Ryan Smith said. “And that’s going to be something that everyone can participate in.”
The carrot for the whole effort is the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which will be held in Salt Lake City. All of the project’s various pieces will be completed before the end of 2033 in advance of the Games.
We’re excited to share the next phase of what’s coming to downtown Salt Lake City. The new district will have something for everyone.
It’ll have a new convention center, updated Abravanel Hall, new art museum, transformed Delta Center, Live Nation venue, strong local vibe… pic.twitter.com/tyXCzYcfoe
— Ryan Smith (@RyanQualtrics) October 14, 2026
Bringing an NHL team to Salt Lake City in 2024 set off a domino effect of events, including a 30-year lease extension for the newly created Mammoth and the Jazz in conjunction with a $900M public funding commitment to renovating the Delta Center and rejuvenating the surrounding downtown district.
While the overall project’s price tag isn’t clear yet, it’s been previously reported as a multi-billion-dollar investment.
The Salt Palace will be rebuilt as a vertical tower instead of a sprawling horizontal structure, enabling better connection between the east and west halves of downtown Salt Lake City. That connection will be strengthened by a predestrian-centric, car-free paseo that Smith Entertainment Group will build that will tie the area more tightly together and generate daily activity.
“When we think of our downtown,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said, “we need connection.”
Besides modernizing various aspects of the 35-year-old arena, reworking its seating bowl to eliminate obstructed view seats and create better sightlines for hockey fans, was a major priority. By the summer of ’28, Delta Center’s main entrance will be reoriented toward the east and the future mixed-use district.
