Park City Chamber sees Salt Lake’s downtown overhaul as boosting tourism

Park City Chamber sees Salt Lake’s downtown overhaul as boosting tourism

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“When Salt Lake gets stronger, the state gets stronger, and Park City gets stronger.” Jennifer Wesselhoff, president and CEO of the Park City Chamber/Bureau, delivered that verdict as Salt Lake City unveiled plans for a multibillion-dollar transformation of its downtown core. The vision, released by Smith Entertainment Group alongside Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, would carve a three-block sports, entertainment, culture and convention district between the Delta Center and City Creek Center—a project officials project will draw 5 million visitors each year.

The Park Record reported that Wesselhoff sees the development as a rising tide that lifts both destinations. “Our two destinations have always worked as a team, and most of our visitors already fly into Salt Lake,” she said. “Someone who comes for a convention at a reimagined Salt Palace, a concert, or a Mammoth game at the Delta Center is suddenly about 40 minutes from our mountains, our trails, and Main Street. Our job is to turn that visit into an extra night or a return trip with the family.”

A Concert Venue, a New Salt Palace, and a Pedestrian Paseo

The specifics, detailed by Deseret News and Visit Salt Lake, paint a picture of a district built for foot traffic and year-round activity. A 6,000-seat Live Nation venue would host between 80 and 120 concerts annually. The Delta Center’s entrance would pivot east to face a new paseo—a pedestrian walkway lined with artwork, a large musical note honoring the Utah Jazz, and a mammoth sculpture for the NHL’s Utah Mammoth—that would stretch from West Temple to 300 West, breaking down what Mendenhall called the “wall” the Salt Palace once created between City Creek and the arena.

Park City Chamber sees Salt Lake’s downtown overhaul as boosting tourism
Photo: deseret.com

The Salt Palace Convention Center would lose its northwest side to make room for the corridor, but gain flexible meeting rooms and new exhibit halls designed to host several major conventions at once for the first time. A new hotel, residential buildings, offices, retail and restaurants would fill the blocks, while 400 feet of active loading docks along Japantown Street would be replaced with shops, offices and murals. The Japanese Church of Christ and the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple would remain in place. Smith Entertainment Group is putting $3 billion into the project, while a Salt Lake City sales tax increase contributes another $900 million, according to Deseret News. The development was approved in 2025 through the sale of 6.5 acres of Salt Palace and county land, Visit Salt Lake reported.

From Rival to Regional Partner

In August, before the district’s unveiling, Park City Councilor Tana Toly listed Salt Lake City among competitors within an hour’s drive of the mountain town. “Salt Lake City is becoming really cool,” Toly said during a City Council meeting at the time. “It’s actually, like, a fun place to go. There’s great stuff. There’s great restaurants. There’s great bars.”

Reimagining Downtown Salt Lake City

Now Toly frames the investment as complementary rather than competitive. “Investment in our capital city and throughout the region is something to celebrate,” she said in a prepared statement provided to The Park Record. “At the same time, we need to recognize the changes happening around us. Park City has always offered something different, and that’s our strength. Our mountain town character, history, and sense of community are what make this place special, and it all starts with Main Street. We need to keep investing in it and elevating it so it remains the crown jewel of the Wasatch Back.”

Turning Convention Visitors into Mountain Guests

Wesselhoff outlined a strategy to capture spillover tourism from the new district. Beyond conventions, she pointed to concerts and sporting events as draws during Park City’s shoulder seasons. “Bigger concerts and sporting events downtown also give our own guests more to enjoy during their stay,” she said. “A modern convention center… more meeting planners looking seriously at Utah, and we want Park City to be their first call for pre and post tours, offsite events, and executive retreats.”

The timing aligns with preparations for the 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Wesselhoff noted that the downtown investment “strengthens the story our whole region gets to tell the world,” though she emphasized that regional transportation remains critical to moving visitors between the city and the mountains sustainably. The Chamber/Bureau plans to work closely with Visit Salt Lake to present a unified regional story, she added.

“Park City offers something you simply can’t build in an urban downtown,” Wesselhoff said. “People come here for the snow, the outdoors, and the small town feel of Main Street. An urban entertainment district and a mountain town are two very different experiences, and together they make Utah a more complete destination. The more people who discover Utah, the bigger the pie gets for all of us.”

Demolition Begins Early Next Year

Deseret News reported that demolition of existing buildings between 200 West and 300 West and parts of the Salt Palace will begin early next year, with construction starting shortly after. Smith Entertainment Group expects to complete the district before the 2034 Winter Games, while the final phase of the Delta Center renovation is scheduled to finish before the 2027-28 basketball and hockey seasons.

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