Council briefed on $900 million Delta Center participation agreement, 600-foot downtown height proposal and 700 South street vacation
July 2, 2024, 1:00 p.m.
The Council received briefings on the proposed Capital City Revitalization Zone participation agreement with Smith Entertainment Group, which would commit up to $900 million of new sales tax revenue, and on a D-4 zoning text amendment raising allowed height up to 600 feet with design review. It also reviewed a 700 South street vacation, renewal of the Central Business Improvement Area and Capital Improvement Program follow-ups. Council Members Chris Wharton and Alejandro Puy were absent.
From the approved minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · Presentation
Updates from the Administration
Discussed
Staff gave community engagement updates and said the Office of Equity and Inclusion had become the Mayor's Office of Access and Belonging. On homelessness, resource centers were at 99.4 percent capacity, a July 19 resource fair was planned at the Main Library, a Winter Services Task Force faced an August 1 deadline to submit a plan to the state, the micro shelter community was moving to 500 South 700 West, and City attorneys were reviewing the Supreme Court's Grants Pass ruling.
Item 2 · Zoning
Zoning map amendment at 333 West 700 South
No action
The briefing on rezoning the CG portion of a split-zoned parcel at 333 West 700 South to D-2 was removed and will be heard at a future meeting.
- Applicant: TAG SLC, for property owner Bestway Investors, LLC
- Current zone → proposed: CG → D-2
Item 3 · Other
Request to vacate a portion of 700 South near 717 South 5600 West
Discussed
Planning Director Nick Norris presented a request to vacate a portion of 700 South abutting the petitioner's property, made obsolete when a new section of 700 South was built to connect to 5600 West. If vacated, it would be sold at fair market value and converted to private use. Engineering, Transportation and Fire supported it with conditions; Public Utilities wanted to keep full access to utilities there, and Public Utilities and Planning staff recommended against vacating. The Planning Commission recommended vacating with an easement at least as broad as the one in the staff report.
- Petitioner: the applicant, for the property owner
- Recommendation: Planning Commission recommended vacation with an easement condition; Public Utilities and Planning staff recommended against
Item 4 · Taxes and fees
Notice of intention to designate Central Business Improvement Area 25
Discussed
Staff briefed the Council on renewing the downtown special assessment area for April 2025 to April 2028. Established in 1991 and reauthorized every three years, it funds marketing, promotion, advocacy, the Ambassador Program and the Farmers Market on commercial properties, with a separate holiday lighting assessment and a 40 percent protest threshold. A request for proposals would seek a contractor; the current contract is with the Downtown Alliance.
Item 5 · Budget
Fiscal year 2024-25 budget: Capital Improvement Program follow-up
Discussed
Staff identified $1 million from completed projects and $875,000 recaptured from a canceled corridor project near the Sorenson campus as possible added funding; Council Member Puy had suggested using part for traffic calming near the Sorenson Unity Center. Members asked about the 50/50 sidewalk program, Liberty Park greenhouse phases, Safer Crossings ($300,000), a restroom study, Memory Grove repairs and Glendale Park funding. Council Member Sarah Young asked for more attention to residential streets, a title correction to one $480,000 Sugar House Park pavilion, and flagged the traffic signal replacement program; Council Member Eva Lopez Chavez asked for the cost of upgrading signal detection. Council Member Darin Mano asked which projects could move fastest.
- Budget$875,000
- Budget$480,000
Item 7 · Zoning
Sports, Entertainment, Culture, and Convention district zoning text amendment (D-4)
Discussed
Staff briefed the Council on changes to the D-4 Secondary Central Business District: raising maximum height through design review from 125 feet to 600 feet, clarifying plaza setbacks, making stadiums and commercial parking permitted uses (heliports stay conditional), and extending the Delta Center sign overlay to the Salt Palace blocks. Smith Entertainment Group had asked for design review only above 400 feet and for off-premise advertising; staff recommended no off-premise advertising for now. The Planning Commission recommended not adopting the changes without funding renovation of Abravanel Hall in its current form, buffering the Japanese Church of Christ, its garden and the Buddhist Temple, and requiring a community benefit. Council Members Victoria Petro and Sarah Young said Abravanel Hall is a county-owned asset outside the city's purview. The Council had no appetite to go higher than the Planning Commission's 75-foot design review recommendation, according to the minutes.
- Applicant: Salt Lake County petition, with Smith Entertainment Group alternatives
- Recommendation: Planning staff recommended adoption with 600-foot height, permitted stadiums and parking, and sign overlay extension; Planning Commission recommended against adopting without conditions
Item 8 · Development
Capital City Revitalization Zone participation agreement follow-up
Discussed
Mayor Erin Mendenhall said the agreement secures the Utah Jazz and a new NHL team downtown, a renovated Delta Center and revitalization of two blocks. The City Attorney and Smith Entertainment Group's Mike Maughan outlined the agreement under SB 272: a 0.5 percent sales tax, a 100-acre project area, a maximum city commitment of $900 million (an estimated $525 million for the Delta Center remodel and $375 million for district costs), up to a 1 percent administrative fee, and a 10-year completion window. Public benefits include a home game covenant, ticket fees of $1 to $3 per ticket from July 2025 going to a public benefits account for family-sized affordable housing, workforce programs, a $2 million youth hockey and basketball investment, at least $5 million for Japantown and $5 million for public art, and a county lease for the two eastern blocks by July 1, 2025. After Council endorsement, a state Revitalization Zone Committee has 30 days to review before the Council's final approval. Council Member Young asked for updates to the ReImagine Downtown website.
- Contract$900.0 million to Smith Entertainment Group
- Contract$2.00 million to Smith Entertainment Group
- Applicant: Smith Entertainment Group
- Council planned another briefing and possible vote July 9, 2024
Item 9-11 · Appointment
Board appointment interviews
Discussed
The Council interviewed Emily Khan (Human Rights Commission), Steve Bloch and Michael Dodd (Parks, Natural Lands, Urban Forestry and Trails Advisory Board). Council Member Victoria Petro said all three were on the consent agenda.
Item 12-13 · Contract
Written briefings: airport line of credit and UTA addendum
Discussed
Written briefings only, with no discussion: a resolution for an airport revolving line of credit of up to $400,000,000 for the airport redevelopment until the next bond round, likely in 2025; and Addendum No. 8 to the UTA interlocal agreement for 2024-25 frequent transit routes on 200 South, 900 South, 2100 South and 1000 North/South Temple.
- Bond$400.0 million
Other
Closed session motions
Approved · 5-0
The Council voted to enter and exit two closed sessions, for real property strategy and attorney-client matters.
What residents said
Abravanel HallJapanese Church of Christ and Buddhist TempleBuilding height and signs downtownHomelessness