Salt Lake County mayor shares more details on Salt Palace remodel

SALT LAKE CITY — More details are emerging about the reconstruction plans coming to the Salt Palace Convention Center. Salt Lake County recently announced it has now hired all the teams working on the billion-dollar project.

KSL sat down with Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson to learn where it goes from here.

The big plans for the Salt Palace all line up with the creation of a new entertainment district in downtown Salt Lake. What that means for the Salt Palace is massive construction, renovation and redesign. So take a good look at Salt Palace now because come next year, it won't look the same. Wilson said the county has big plans for how the Salt Palace fits into the Smith Entertainment Group's concept downtown.

"So we're now at the point, Salt Lake County and Visit Salt Lake to be able to communicate a little bit more, and they'll be more information coming out," Wilson said.

We already know the county sold 6.5 acres of the northwest portion of the Salt Palace to SEG to make room for the reimagined walkup to the Delta Center, filled with entertainment and restaurants, but that leaves the Salt Palace footprint significantly reduced, and it must be modified to sync up with the design.

So, where does that put the Salt Palace today?

The mayor said they're now in phase two of the remodel, which means construction teams and designers have all been selected, and the county is currently whittling down design options. The mayor said whichever one they pick will include a second ballroom.

"The facility is sometimes not bought out completely because people want a ballroom, and if one group is using that ballroom, it would prevent another group from coming in. So, by building two ballrooms, you can have two major conventions at once, and that's better for the bottom line," said Wilson.

But with less square space, where does a second ballroom go? Wilson said the only way is up, likely above the existing ballroom.

"Right now, we're expecting it to go higher. So the people who are enjoying the ballroom can have some incredible vistas of our city," she said.

The mayor said the design requires coordination, and the county has weekly meetings with the Smith Entertainment Group to make sure it lines up with plans for the Delta Center. She feels Utahns will love it when it's done.

"This next phase is a transformation and a continuation of what we're already doing in Salt Lake City. We're becoming a really, incredible place for Utahns and visitors alike," she said.

Here's the timeline of things: The mayor expects the new Salt Palace design to be public by the end of the month. The county hands over the sold portion of the Salt Palace to Smith Entertainment Group in February 2027. Demolition and construction is expected to begin soon afterward.

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