Leaders of church fear Smith's vision could turn historic Japantown into 'Japandock'

SALT LAKE CITY — Ryan Smith has released a clearer vision of how he'd like to transform downtown Salt Lake City, but neighbors of the planned "sports, entertainment, culture and convention" district say they're concerned about impacts they say the plans don't address.

Members of the Japanese Church of Christ and Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, the last remaining pieces of a once vibrant Japantown community, worry that it could further impact the historic neighborhood that's been mostly erased through redevelopment over the past few decades.

"People are concerned," said Lynne Ward, an elder at the Japanese Church of Christ, explaining that the concerns range from the construction impacts to how pieces of the project will function if it's built as planned.

Smith Entertainment Group's plans for a "sports, entertainment, culture and convention" district include new housing, retail and office space, a hotel and a 6,000-seat Live Nation concert venue.

These new features would exist next to a rebuilt Salt Palace Convention Center and Utah Museum of Contemporary Art in the complex. Changes to 300 West are also planned in the area to better connect the Delta Center with the district.

The southern end of the district abuts what's left of historic Japantown along 100 South, including the Japanese Church of Christ and Salt Lake Buddhist Temple.

Salt Lake City released early elements of its plan to honor the block's history last year, which calls for uniquely designed street lights and other infrastructure, as well as entry monuments — all of which would incorporate Japanese cultural designs. Cherry trees would also line the road from 200 West to 300 West.

Construction concerns

However, Ward said what was presented last week could conflict with the city's vision.

The project has already brought up old wounds for a community that was mostly pushed out to make way for the Salt Palace in the 1960s. Most of what was left was taken by eminent domain in the 1990s for its expansion. Its loading dock end from that expansion still looms over the Japanese Church of Christ chapel — for now.

Ward led a few presentations about the plans over the past few days to the church's congregation and others who could be impacted by the project.

She and others in the community are worried about potential impacts to the 102-year-old church's foundation as the adjacent Salt Palace section is torn down and new structures are built in its place. Renderings show that retail will wrap around the northern end of the church's parking lot, while a new office building would be built directly east of the church.

Meanwhile, the Utah Department of Transportation told her congregation that they have a new plan for 300 West. They will tunnel underneath a middle section of the existing road from South Temple to 100 South for new entry points to new underground parking, and any digging could also threaten the church's foundation, she said.

The new 300 West tunnel would be similar to parking for City Creek Center, replacing original plans for a pedestrian plaza that would go over the roadway.

Noise and dust from construction are among the top concerns from construction, as well as access to the churches while trucks surround the area.

Don't want to be 'Japandock'

Once it's complete, Ward is worried that Japantown Street could become the "back of house" for the district, even with beautification efforts.

She pulled her phone to show pictures of a line of semitrucks parked in front of the church waiting to pull into the Delta Center to set up the stage for a concert later that day.

Renderings show that 100 South would serve as the backend entry point buses and trucks would take for events at the concert venue. The tight space next to the redesigned road leaves her with questions about more vehicles parking in front of the church, blocking in people.

"With the Live Nation arena, there will still be loading docks. ... If there are semitrucks, box trucks and delivery trucks parked in the street, you won't be able to see the Japantown art, and it will return to — again — 'Japandock,'" Ward said.

She and others in the Japanese community have brought these concerns to Smith Entertainment Group.

The company also submitted a development agreement last week, in which it acknowledges that even though the city oversees maintenance of 100 South/Japantown Street, Smith Entertainment Group will "be responsible for the repair and replacement of improvements on 100 South to the extent such improvements are damaged or altered by SEG in connection with the construction of the project."

No other references to the street are included in the 27-page document. Additional documents mostly offer additional insight into a walkway between the church and music venue within the district.

'Things are still changing'

Smith Entertainment Group's plans are subject to change, though, and new accommodations can be made, said Mike Maughan, an executive for the company.

"Everything is still in the planning stage at this point. ... Things are still changing," he told KSL.

At the same time, he said many of the elements of the design already incorporated feedback from the Japanese Church of Christ and Salt Lake Buddhist Temple from meetings that began two years ago, largely to avoid making it feel like the "back of house."

Designs were adjusted to plug into Salt Lake City's plans for the street, with at least $5 million dedicated to the project after a participation agreement was reached in 2024.

Smith Entertainment Group, Maughan added, explored other event venue configurations, but the one that's currently proposed offered the least amount of visible docks and constraints on the full district, and made the rest of the street "active and vibrant."

"We took very seriously our commitment to make sure that the street felt like an integral part of the downtown district," he said.

The company is currently finalizing its construction plans, which it anticipates sharing with members of the two churches before demolition of the Salt Palace begins next year.

It also plans to install monitoring equipment to ensure digging doesn't impact the Japanese Church of Christ's foundation, while making sure the churches are accessible while construction is happening.

Ward hopes there aren't serious impacts.

She said she understands the complexity of a project involving state, county, city and multiple private entities, all of which is expected to be complete before 2034. She just wants to make the race to build the new district doesn't negatively impact the "last vestiges" of the historic neighborhood.

"Our two churches and Japantown are in the middle of this, and we're just hoping that everybody coordinates in a responsible way," she said.

Related topics