Salt Lake NHL and MLB News Thread

[bob rulz]

I'm in favor of more pro sports teams, but I am definitely wary of the amount of taxpayer dollars being thrown at it. I'm okay with some amount, because that's just what it takes for it to happen, but this is a LOT of money. And while it is possible for these kinds of stadium redevelopments to be successful, there are more examples of them not getting their money back than there are positive examples.

[RC14]

^
The more I think about it, the more worried I get about the potential consequences of this. As excited as I am about the prospect of two new teams, and those teams being downtown. I worry that the public money we are spending on this is going to be looked back on as a colossal mistake.

Originally Posted by mattreedah

He’s a big time Coyotes fan living in Arizona and doesn’t want NHL to SLC to happen. I totally get it. I live in Arizona now and it would 🞵🞵🞵🞵 to potentially lose the team.

I am also fond of the Phoenix area and I don't want to see them loose the Yotes.

However, a Yotes relocation would speed up the process of us getting a team and I'm excited about the prospect of being able to watch the games soon.

The Yotes name would also make just as much sense in Utah as it does in Arizona, so there's that.

However, I'm starting to really like the "Utah Yetis" name and I think it would be cool if that became a reality.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by mattreedah

He’s a big time Coyotes fan living in Arizona and doesn’t want NHL to SLC to happen. I totally get it. I live in Arizona now and it would 🞵🞵🞵🞵 to potentially lose the team.

I don’t think the Yotes end up leaving regardless of what happens in SLC. Owner doesn’t want to sell, he doesn’t want to relocate and he’s moving ahead here.

So let’s focus on the Utah, the $900M MLB plan has now been stripped of any material funding source as opposition arose against the hotel tax, it’s now left with $6M per year of funding sources from rental cars. Last time I checked this math doesn’t even come close to working. What’s left is a stripped down bill has passed, but they did make it clear that the team name must have Utah in it, so we’re good now! lol

FOS does a good job analyzing these stadium deals, just read up there. This isn’t very convincing that anything gets built at this point. None of the hard parts are done, and they’re just kicking the can down the road when they come up.

…how the bonds would be repaid is now unclear.

Gone is the hotel tax that would have been charged statewide and poured an estimated $38.4 million a year into the project. A tax on rental cars remains, but won’t take effect until Utah gets a Major League Baseball franchise and, even then, would generate only about $6 million a year.”

[locolife]

Originally Posted by RC14

^
The more I think about it, the more worried I get about the potential consequences of this. As excited as I am about the prospect of two new teams, and those teams being downtown. I worry that the public money we are spending on this is going to be looked back on as a colossal mistake.



I am also fond of the Phoenix area and I don't want to see them loose the Yotes.

However, a Yotes relocation would speed up the process of us getting a team and I'm excited about the prospect of being able to watch the games soon.

The Yotes name would also make just as much sense in Utah as it does in Arizona, so there's that.

However, I'm starting to really like the "Utah Yetis" name and I think it would be cool if that became a reality.

Maybe theUtah Jets? Winnipeg could be the next team to use other areas as pawns for public financial support.

https://x.com/jeffschultzatl/status/1762508650185212149?s=46&t=lhsMGrV3YqsvHRSVUGYbvg

[msbutah]

I still have whiplash at how fast we went from balking at the estimated price tag for the Rio Grande Project, something that would meaningfully improve the east/west connection of the city and help people which discussions have been dragging on for a few years now, to shoveling a near similar amount of money at an arena district with less than 45 days consideration.

[jedikermit]

Originally Posted by msbutah

I still have whiplash at how fast we went from balking at the estimated price tag for the Rio Grande Project, something that would meaningfully improve the east/west connection of the city and help people which discussions have been dragging on for a few years now, to shoveling a near similar amount of money at an arena district with less than 45 days consideration.

THIS. (but that's root beer cuz legislature)

[wrendog]

LDS Church is on board

https://twitter.com/LindsayOnAir/status/1763295295243501950?t=6ojQy1Q4tlSiGHOhbgtUjQ&s=19

[locolife]

Originally Posted by wrendog

LDS Church is on board

https://twitter.com/LindsayOnAir/status/1763295295243501950?t=6ojQy1Q4tlSiGHOhbgtUjQ&s=19

They should pay for it then lol

[wrendog]

Originally Posted by locolife

They should pay for it then lol

I mean, they may donate land. Who knows

[mstar]

Wow! If this project get's state tax money, LDS Church money and Ryan Smith money - we could see a pretty amazing project. Let's hope it all comes together!

[PHX31]

Originally Posted by locolife

Maybe theUtah Jets? Winnipeg could be the next team to use other areas as pawns for public financial support.

https://x.com/jeffschultzatl/status/1762508650185212149?s=46&t=lhsMGrV3YqsvHRSVUGYbvg

LOL! Imagine if Winnipeg lost the Jets twice and both eyed Utah at the same time.

I don't know what will happen with the Coyotes, but I would be interested to see if they did move to Utah, what would the team name be. Utah Coyotes sounds pretty good, and makes more sense to keep the name than the Utah Jazz ever did/does.

I don't think you could keep the Kachina Coyote uniforms though, which would be a tragedy.

[Atlas]

Hopefully that just means they'll sell one of their massive parking lots for the cause.

The Newhouse block (Block 40) would be fantastic for an arena but that would leave a new gaping hole downtown if the Delta Center was torn down.

[RC14]

It would probably be in the church's interest to do a land swap. Delta Center block for Newhouse. Then the church would have more control over the environment around Temple Square and the Sports district would be built in a more convenient area.

[wrendog]

Arena sales tax legislation has now passed both house and senate. So, the state has pushed through both MLB and NHL tax increases in the last couple days. Bonkers how fast this happened. I know it's been said.

Now, everything is basically set for both leagues to enter the state without much red tape.

[Comrade]

I'm curious to see which one happens first.

[RC14]

I still think the NHL team happens first. It sounds like there is too much that still needs to be sorted out in the MLB world before expansion can happen. (A's relocation or not relocation primarily.)

[mattreedah]

Originally Posted by RC14

I still think the NHL team happens first. It sounds like there is too much that still needs to be sorted out in the MLB world before expansion can happen. (A's relocation or not relocation primarily.)

I’ve been reading about how arenas that lose their teams are MORE profitable without the teams because of the other programming they can get in there. This is true in Glendale with Yotes, Oracle with the warriors, and why the Wizards want a new arena even though they own the old one. The trick is to get public financing for the new arena. I know the current talk is to remodel the existing arena, but I do wonder if the better financial idea for Smith Entertainment is to leave up the existing one that won’t be encumbered by 82 days of events.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by wrendog

Arena sales tax legislation has now passed both house and senate. So, the state has pushed through both MLB and NHL tax increases in the last couple days. Bonkers how fast this happened. I know it's been said.

Now, everything is basically set for both leagues to enter the state without much red tape.

So say you’re a team owner, what guaranteed sources and values of public funds are now available to them? My read is $6M a year on MLB, and whatever the city decides to approve on sales tax increase in SLC for the NHL.

[airhero]

Originally Posted by RC14

It would probably be in the church's interest to do a land swap. Delta Center block for Newhouse. Then the church would have more control over the environment around Temple Square and the Sports district would be built in a more convenient area.

I’m guessing part of the issue with moving the Delta Center is there are stakeholders invested in the area who really really don’t want that to happen. There are some hotels. Perhaps the owners of the Gateway. Ritchie Group’s development on Block 67 is explicitly meant to be tied to the arena. So despite any desire to put the arena somewhere else, the rhetoric from officials involved is to keep it in the area. It makes sense.

Although I think the same thing with the convention center. They just got a CCH built. After 30 years of trying. So it really surprises me to hear they are considering demolishing portions of the convention center to make room for any entertainment district. The only way that could be feasible while preserving contiguous exhibit space is a complete rebuild on the main two blocks or somewhere else entirely—unless there is a good expansion opportunity in another direction, which…I’m having a hard time figuring out where that would realistically be.

[Hatman]

Originally Posted by msbutah

I still have whiplash at how fast we went from balking at the estimated price tag for the Rio Grande Project, something that would meaningfully improve the east/west connection of the city and help people which discussions have been dragging on for a few years now, to shoveling a near similar amount of money at an arena district with less than 45 days consideration.

It is confusing. Good thing I'm the patient type.

At best, this shows that funding can come quickly and unexpectedly when the right groups give their support. Hopefully with the Olympics returning and public support for the RGP growing, we will see a similar rush for the train box in a couple years.