Salt Lake County needs to maintain Abravanel Corridor ‘in its current kind,’ mayor says

SALT LAKE CITY — It seems that a proposed “sports activities, leisure, cultural and conference district” could embody Abravanel Corridor “in its current kind” in spite of everything.

Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson introduced Tuesday afternoon she’s “working diligently” on a challenge design that will not influence the 45-year-old live performance corridor that the county owns and operates.

“I’m working diligently on a reimagined downtown and a district design that enables Abravanel Corridor to stay in its current kind and worth the suggestions from the neighborhood,” she wrote in a ready assertion.

Abravanel Corridor is “a important anchor” of the plan, added Salt Lake Metropolis Mayor Erin Mendenhall in a submit on social media platform X Tuesday night.

“I’m grateful we’ve got companions in Mayor Wilson and (Smith Leisure Group) who consider we should elevate and embody our nice establishments of arts and tradition as we glance to revitalize downtown,” she wrote.

Salt Lake County and Salt Lake Metropolis are at present negotiating with Smith Leisure Group over a plan for a district surrounding the Delta Middle. Smith Leisure Group initiated the planning course of final month, using a invoice that the Utah Legislature handed to create a downtown revitalization zone.

The corporate’s plan requires a “sports activities, leisure, cultural and conference district” round an enviornment that will likely be renovated to accommodate Utah’s new Nationwide Hockey League franchise and the Utah Jazz. It focuses on the Delta Middle block and two blocks east of it, together with the Salt Palace Conference Middle and different buildings like Abravanel Corridor.

Mike Maughan, Smith Leisure Group’s challenge principal, mentioned final week that the group wished to maintain Abravanel Corridor and the Utah Museum of Modern Artwork in its plan; nevertheless, its future was nonetheless up within the air. Wilson mentioned the constructing may very well be torn down and rebuilt if not renovated.

Wilson’s and Mendenhall’s statements on Tuesday seem to point the tone has modified over the previous week.

Abravanel Corridor is residence to the Utah Symphony and different occasions. An internet petition asking the three teams to save lots of the constructing gained greater than 30,000 signatures in simply 10 days.

In the meantime, the Salt Lake Metropolis Council is slated to carry a public listening to on its participation within the course of. The town is required to achieve an settlement on a plan with Smith Leisure Group by Sept. 1, which might then must be authorized by a brand new state fee to the renovation district.

The Metropolis Council additionally has by the top of the 12 months to vote on whether or not to enact a 0.5% gross sales tax enhance that can be utilized to pay for tasks throughout the district.