The previous UPDATE provided a summary of the Salt Lake Tribune’s description of The Point, a 600-acre repurposing of the old Utah prison site in Draper. In a 12/17/2023 article entitled “Keep an eye on The Point, so that it lives up to its promise“, the Tribune Editorial Board provided their opinion of the risks that may endanger the outcome envisioned. That cautionary tale was introduced by pointing out that Walt Disney’s original vision of the EPCOT center was to be a futuristic community for people to live, work and play. We forget that EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow. Now six decades later EPCOT is regarded as a huge success, but as an amusement park rather than the city of the future,
The Tribune Editorial Board calls for the Utah legislature, the city of Draper, the news media and the public to provide transparency and oversight to make sure the public benefits being promised stay in place. They see those benefits as a long-term boon for the area and for the state of Utah, environmentally and economically. They caution The Point of the Mountain State Land Authority to make sure that any desire for short-term private profit never overpowers the long-view public interest. They also recommend that the substantial profit envisioned from state investment should be put into more affordable housing or other public needs. They see the high-tech office component as something to be cautious about and point out that what this part of Utah needs most, far more than any more glass towers or business incubators, is way more affordable housing. The Editorial Board also recommends the managers of the Point not poach businesses and institutions from other parts of the Wasatch Front. They single out the current speculation that the Utah Jazz NBA team may be looking to replace the 32-year-old Delta Center in downtown Salt Lake City with a new venue, those cautionary statements are already moving into the spotlight as Utah is working to attract Major League Baseball and Major League Hockey.
A 1/25/2024 Salt Lake Tribune article by Andy Larsen entitled “Jazz owners unveil bid to build new arena, bring NHL team to Utah”, says that the Smith Entertainment Group has formally submitted its bid to bring major league hockey to Utah: those plans include building a new arena forecast to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and designed for professional and Olympic hockey, After two years of discussions, the NHL has recognized Utah as a legitimate candidate for either an expansion franchise or being a landing spot for a relocated one. Utah is the youngest state in the US with a median age of 32. The state has a second Olympic bid nearing final approval for the 2034 Winter Games and a long-standing reputation as one of the greatest sports capitals in the world. Utah’s young population has a reputation for being passionate sports fans and is seen as being very receptive to major league hockey and baseball. The Smith Entertainment Group enquired about putting an arena at The Point and was told by The Point they could follow the process in place to gain consideration. The Tribune Editorial Board was informed of that discussion and in the near future the Board’s recommendation that professional sports belong in or near downtown Salt Lake City is sure to be tested.