After nearly a decade of rising towers and astonishing growth, downtown Salt Lake City has added two new driving forces likely to accelerate that pace of change. Boosters of the business and cultural sides of Utah’s urban core say with the prospect of a new sports and entertainment district around the Delta Center and news the city will host the 2034 Winter Olympics , downtown is on the cusp of even more profound transformation. The buzz of growth is an all but customary theme, but this year’s “State of Downtown” — a snapshot on the status of the city center produced by the Salt Lake Chamber’s Downtown Alliance — is more upbeat and visionary than usual, while also highlighting major challenges to making the heart of Utah’s capital more livable.
“As long-term downtown residents,” said Kristen Lavelett, business development manager for the alliance, “we feel like the city we know and love now is going to look radically different in two, three, five and 10 years.” “And we want to make sure,” Lavelett told downtown supporters at a celebratory event Thursday, “that the people who live, work and play in Salt Lake City are part of that process and can have an impact, to make sure the city serves them.” Here are key takeaways on where downtown is headed: New residents and more visitors are bringing lots of change (Ryan Smith via X) Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith posted this rendering of the proposed downtown sports and entertainment district on X in Februa.