SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and the Smith Entertainment Group are close to a deal on a major downtown development involving a remodeled Delta Center and entertainment district.
On Friday, Mayor Mendenhall and Smith Entertainment Group issued a joint statement saying that they are negotiating and finalizing the agreement. Because those negotiations continue, it will delay a planned July 2 vote by the Salt Lake City Council on the proposed sales tax increase. "Due to next week’s holiday and to give Council Members and the public ample opportunity to review the details ahead of a potential endorsement, we anticipate the Agreement discussion to occur on July 2 and a possible vote related to the agreement to occur on July 9."
The Smith Entertainment Group is proposing to take $900 million to remodel the Delta Center to accommodate both the Utah Hockey Club and the Utah Jazz. But the Delta Center would then be a funnel toward the rest of the downtown district, where discussions with the International Olympic Committee are under way about making the district the new Medals Plaza. SEG committed it would invest about $3 billion of its own money into it all.