A completely redesigned Salt Palace Convention Center could drastically improve Utah’s capital city’s position in bringing in major conventions, but its redevelopment will likely cause many economic headaches first.
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Salt Lake County leaders now plan to fully close the convention center beginning in fall 2027, KSL has learned, as work begins on a major renovation and redesign project. It’s expected to remain closed for three years, coinciding with the creation of a new large sports and entertainment district downtown.
“What we want to do is set up downtown and the sports entertainment culture and convention district for long-term success,” said Arlyn Bradshaw, Salt Lake County associate deputy mayor and executive director of visitor and convention services. “What this is going to allow us to do is ensure that the Salt Palace remains a top-tier convention destination in the country and ensures that our partners in the business community are well supported into the future.”
The Salt Palace hosts close to 200 conventions every year, including FanX and the USA Volleyball Qualifier Showcase, each of which brings tens of thousands of visitors to the downtown area every year.
Salt Lake County tourism generated $4.1 billion in visitor spending and directly supported nearly 30,000 jobs in 2024, according to the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. That’s one-third of the statewide visitor economy. County officials say the Salt Palace is a “key driver” within those numbers, generating approximately $100 million in tax revenue annually.
Yet, the convention center is part of a major redevelopment for the new downtown district, which was proposed and finalized over the past two years as Utah welcomed an NHL team.
Salt Lake County is slated to close on its $55.4 million sale of the western edge of the Salt Palace to Smith Entertainment Group, owner of the Utah Jazz and Mammoth, early next year. That will set up a major reconstruction of the blocks directly east of the Delta Center, which is currently undergoing a multiyear renovation process.
The Delta Center renovation is scheduled to be completed in time for the Jazz and Mammoth’s 2027-2028 seasons, which is when construction will shift to the Salt Palace and a $1.8 billion vision around it.
Daniel Woodruff, KSL
The decision to fully close the facility was made “pretty recently,” Bradshaw told KSL. Officials originally hoped to keep it at least partially open while construction proceeded, but Bradshaw said design plans made that untenable.
The Salt Palace is slated to host events through the summer of 2027, and the closure date was set to minimize the impact on existing contracts as much as possible, he explained.
“We chose a date that we felt was most advantageous based off of the booking calendar and the feedback that the contractor gave us in terms of being able to complete that reconstruction as quickly as possible,” Bradshaw said, adding that plans haven’t changed for other buildings in the area, like Abravanel Hall, which is to be mostly preserved.
Jacobsen Construction and AECOM Hunt were hired in April to carry out the massive overhaul of the Salt Palace, although there are still many logistical elements of the project being sorted out. A final design of the reconstruction is expected to be finished in the next month or two, Bradshaw said.
Some events could be shifted over to the Mountain America Exposition Center in Sandy while the Salt Palace is closed.
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Salt Lake City leaders, local tourism officials and downtown experts are now bracing for expected impacts while the convention center is closed.
Approximately 30 of the 36 busiest days for downtown visitation in 2024 took place when the Salt Palace was hosting a convention, according to the Salt Lake City Downtown Alliance. The venue attracted more than 375,000 attendees that year, with the average convention delegate spending over $1,100.
The Salt Palace is a “cornerstone” of the city’s visitor economy, said Ryan Mack, chief communications and experience officer at Visit Salt Lake. Its closure is going to be a “significant event,” added Dee Brewer, director of Salt Lake City Downtown Alliance, explaining that the downtown economy thrives on the “social economy,” which is when residents, workers and visitors spend at the roughly 150 restaurants, bars and retail vendors within the area.
Visit Salt Lake and the Downtown Alliance have already discussed establishing a committee that will explore ways to bring the downtown’s hotel, hospitality and business leaders together while the convention center is closed.
“We recognize the impact this construction period will have on downtown businesses, and we are committed to proactively sustaining the visitor economy throughout,” Mack said in a statement.
What helps is that the Delta Center project will be complete by late 2027, bringing in concerts and other events in the summertime for the first time since its remodel began last year. The arena was the second most important driver of downtown visitation in 2024, per the Downtown Alliance.
Officials are also exploring ways to host events without using the Salt Palace, such as using the many other event venues scattered throughout downtown.
It’s a burden, but all of the impacted entities also believe the closure will be worth it in the long run. The revamped Salt Palace is expected to generate $105 million in added revenue annually from the current layout, holding two ballrooms to double the number of events that can be held at one time, according to Visit Salt Lake.
“With future bookings already being planned for a renewed Salt Palace, we are confident this pause will be managed with care and that the result will be a stronger convention center and downtown for generations to come,” said Andrew Wittenberg, a Salt Lake City spokesperson.
It will also help solve some of the existing connectivity problems that have created challenges over the past few decades. All of the new events should help draw more customers for hotels, bars, restaurants and retailers, boosting the downtown economy, too, Brewer added.
“It’s time for an updated Salt Palace,” he said. “The long-term opportunity to have that with two ballrooms with (downtown connectivity) is going to be a fantastic addition to downtown.”
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