SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Smith Entertainment Group, which owns the Utah Jazz and the Utah Hockey Club, launched its multi-year renovation project Wednesday to transform the
Delta Center into what SEG described as "the first dual-use basketball and hockey arena to optimize hockey sightlines while maintaining the proximity of basketball fans to the court using a state-of-the-art retractable seating system designed exclusively for the arena."The latest renovations will be the arena's most extensive to date.
The Delta Center was last renovated in 2024 to accommodate the arrival of Utah's new NHL franchise. Before that, the arena underwent some cosmetic upgrades in 2023 when the partnership between the Utah Jazz and Delta Air Lines was rekindled, and the arena shed the last of its multiple monikers since Delta opted not to retain the naming rights in nearly 17 years prior.
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Upgrades Announced Wednesday
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Increased seating for both hockey and basketball spectators
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New system to adjust seating to account for 12-foot difference between basketball court, hockey rink
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Increased restroom capacity by 12%
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Four new dehumidifiers for ice maintenance
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Construction of a 450-stall parking structure
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New premium spaces on Level 1
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Addition of east-facing main entrance and plaza
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Redesigned plaza and concourses
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Remodeled upper bowl seating
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Redevelopment of Salt Palace property adjacent to Delta Center
The Delta Center hosts hundreds of events each year and attracts approximately 1.8 million visitors annually, according to SEG's statement. SEG expects the changes underway to "increase visitation, bolster existing cultural assets, and create a more activated, connected and family-friendly year-round downtown experience for decades to come."My Thoughts 💭
Public or private money? But not surprised by this project. The area needed upgrades to accommodate the hockey team.