Utah News Dispatch
Smith Entertainment Group unveils one-of-a-kind vision for Delta Center remodel
Rendering of the future hockey setup at the Delta Center. (Courtesy of Smith Entertainment Group)
The Utah Hockey Club wrapped its first season in a temporarily modified Delta Center this year. Now, Smith Entertainment Group, which owns the state’s NHL franchise, unveiled how it would remodel the arena to permanently accommodate hockey and basketball.
One of the main events in the transformation is the implementation of a retractable seating system in the arena’s lower bowl “that accommodates a nearly 12-foot variance in elevation between rink and court endlines to offer optimal sightlines for both the NBA and NHL,” according to a news release. It’s a first of its kind in a dual-use arena, Smith Entertainment Group said of the feature.
With the hockey configuration, there will also be added capacity behind the goals and above and around the event tunnels on the north and south side of the lower bowl. For basketball, the riser system will have 29 rows of retractable seats that are able to extend over 28 feet.
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Ryan and Ashley Smith, co-founders of Smith Entertainment group, said in a statement that while adding an ice rink inside an arena designed to host basketball is challenging — since the rink must be nearly double the size of a basketball court — they are excited to get started on the challenge.
“This transformation will create the most compelling, welcoming, and exciting experience for hockey fans, while also allowing us to maintain the steep vertical seating for basketball that has made Delta Center such a dynamic venue with its loud atmosphere that energizes our players night after night,” the Smiths said.
With these renovations, the Delta Center is expected to increase its seating capacity from 11,131 to about 17,000 for hockey, and from 18,206 seats to nearly 19,000 for the Utah Jazz.
This is a major part of what SB272, a 2024 bill that created a sports and entertainment district in Salt Lake City’s downtown, intended. The legislation allowed the city to start collecting a 0.5% sales tax increase for 30 years to raise about $900 million for the arena’s renovations as well as redevelopment for three blocks of the neighborhood.
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Smith Entertainment Group estimates that $525 million will be used on the remodel of the Delta Center and $375 million will go to cover costs to develop the district. While the deal with the state and the city includes a participation agreement in which the company committed to fund programs and spaces for the public, Salt Lakers remained divided on whether taxpayer dollars should be used for this endeavor.
Ultimately, the city signed onto the agreement. And, after the 2025 legislative session, the state created more tools to fund renovations to the Salt Palace Convention Center, also a landmark of the downtown district.
On Tuesday, the Salt Lake County Council voted unanimously to approve selling 6.5 acres of county-owned property — between South Temple and 100 South, and 200 and 300 West — to Smith Entertainment Group.
The area hosts an exhibit hall space at the convention center and it’s surrounded by the Delta Center, Japantown, Abravanell Hall, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art and City Creek Center, according to a release.
“This is more than a land transaction — it’s a catalyst for long-term growth, a stronger downtown, and significant benefits to residents across Salt Lake County,” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said in a statement. “The redevelopment of this property will generate millions in tax revenue, attract major national and international events, and ensure Salt Lake City remains a premier destination for sports, entertainment, cultural events and tourism.”
Construction starts this summer for the Delta Center remodel, but it will take multiple years to complete, with work being done during the summer when the teams are off-season. The plans also include an east-side entrance to connect with the downtown district, and a new parking garage at the back of the arena.
