Salt Lake City Convention Center Revitalization: New Hyatt Regency and Ballroom
The Salt Lake City Convention Center used to occupy the corner, as it looks in this photo. Now a new Hyatt Regency commands the corner, taking some of the space of the CC but providing the “convention center hotel” that boosters have been wanting for many years. Since the pandemic, conventions have changed, with most planners calling for more flexible, wired space and more spaces for socializing. Salt Lake County built an awkwardly designed addition about 10 years ago to accommodate the biannual Outdoor Retailers, who promptly up and left over red-state environmental politics. Of course they came back, cause, you know, outdoors in Utah.
But if the Smith Entertainment Group is allowed to build, well, a big plaza surrounded by flashing signs and billboard (this is entertaining?) then the new addition has to be torn down. @MayorJenny Wilson has stated that we will need to replace that space with a new ballroom. Some convention center ballrooms are 61,000 SF plus more space to go in and out of it.(say, maybe a total of 1.5 acres). She thinks the most straightforward option is to build that ballroom underground on the Abravanel Hall site. Then put a new concert hall ($500million minimum) on top of the ballroom. Unlike Abravanel Hall, a new hall will be more flexible — for a rock concert with big screen video, for example. And of course, it can accommodate a symphony, if we can put one together. Wandering around for 5 years playing in half-baked venues will destroy the current one.
How about we build the new ballroom here, instead and connect it to the convention center with a really spectacular bridge?. Developers of this spot have already planned a big hotel on it. Problem solved. You’re welcome.
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