If Utah lands a National Hockey League team, it would play in a new arena in downtown Salt Lake City as a key part of an ambitious endeavor to give the city center a dramatic makeover in the coming years.
“It’s the spot for it,” Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, told reporters. “We think the right thing is to bring it downtown and continue that vitality, that excitement and not let our capital city go in … disrepair like we’ve seen around the country.”
Lawmakers will consider a bill that would create a sports and entertainment project area to raise state sales tax .5% to generate an estimated $1 billion over 30 years for construction of a hockey venue. That would push the sales tax rate in Salt Lake City to 8.25%. A committee made up of members appointed by the Senate president, House speaker and governor would oversee the project area.
Titled “Capital City Reinvestment Zone Amendments,” SB272 unanimously cleared the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee on Thursday. It now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
Proponents of the proposal, including Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, say the legislation would be transformative for the city’s downtown.
“This bill is very exciting in how it can transform our downtown and better connect current entertainment offerings,” the mayor told the committee.
Mendenhall, a Democrat, said it would link the east and west sides of downtown, including the Delta Center, Temple Square, the theater district, and the City Creek and Gateway malls.
“We’re not building a hockey arena, we’re building a city,” said Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, the bill’s sponsor. “Think of the capital city that’s economy represents all of Utah.”
SB272 is the second piece of legislation unveiled this week that would increase taxes for construction of a sports and entertainment district.
On Tuesday, a bill came forward that would create a board with taxing authority to generate at least $900 million for…
