Smith Entertainment Group Plans Multibillion-Dollar Downtown Salt Lake City District

Salt Lake City, UT, October 14, 2026 —

Smith Entertainment Group and Salt Lake City leaders have revealed plans for a multibillion-dollar makeover of downtown Salt Lake City, proposing a district focused on sports, entertainment, culture and conventions.

The plan includes renovations to the Salt Palace Convention Center and Abravanel Hall, as well as new venues, residences and retail spaces. Demolition is slated to begin early next year, and the project is expected to be completed before the 2034 Winter Games.

The announcement describes a broad redevelopment effort, but the information provided does not specify the project’s total cost beyond calling it multibillion-dollar. It also does not identify which structures are slated for demolition, detail the planned venues or residences, or state how the renovations to the convention center and concert hall would be carried out.

The names of the Salt City leaders involved were not provided, and no additional information was supplied about project approvals, permits, construction phases or financing. The announcement also does not describe how much of the district would be newly built compared with renovated or redeveloped space.

The stated completion target places the project’s timeline ahead of the 2034 Winter Games. No specific opening dates or interim milestones were provided. The plans’ scale, mix of proposed uses and stated schedule are the key details available so far; further specifics about the development were not included in the announcement summary.

Story summarized from the original created by Dennis Romboy on www.deseret.com, see more information here.

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