Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) has begun work on an ambitious project to transform Delta Center into a dual-sport venue that can host both the NBA’s Utah Jazz and NHL’s Utah HC.
Delta Center has served as the home of the Jazz since 1991, and the 2024-25 NHL campaign marked its first season as home of Utah HC. SEG, which owns the Jazz and Delta Center, acquired the NHL team formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes in April last year and rebranded the franchise as Utah HC.
Delta Center underwent initial modification work ahead of Utah HC’s debut season, and in October Salt Lake City Council members voted in favour of helping to fund a major redevelopment of the arena.
Renovation work has now officially commenced and will include the implementation of a retractable seating system that maintains “close-to-the-action” seating for Jazz fans and offers full views from every lower-bowl seat for NHL games.
Once the project is completed, Delta Center will debut a new main entrance and outdoor plaza. The multi-year transformation will mark the most extensive and innovative renovation of the arena since it opened.
The retractable seating system will accommodate a nearly 12-foot variance in elevation between rink and court endlines to offer optimal views for fans of the Jazz and Utah HC. Every seat in the lower bowl will have a complete view of the ice for the start of next season, with the new NHL configuration also adding capacity behind the goals and above and around the event tunnels.
For basketball, the riser system will feature 29 rows of retractable seats that extend over 28 feet from the Level 3 concourse down to the court behind each baseline, ensuring the arena maintains its steep slope.
The seating capacity for NHL games will increase from 11,131 to around 17,000, with NBA capacity to rise from 18,206 to nearly 19,000 seats. SEG has contracted Michigan-based StageRight to fit the retractable seating system.
SEG is lengthening the arena bowl by around 12 feet at each end and raising the floor two feet. This will aim to improve views along the sidelines, in the corners and throughout the upper and lower bowl. It will also enable future upper-bowl renovations.
Other modifications taking place this year will aim to update building infrastructure and create new entertainment opportunities. New premium spaces will be fitted, while the arena’s restroom capacity will increase by 12%. Four new dehumidifiers will also be installed, while work on a 450-stall parking structure will begin.
Major interior and exterior construction will continue during future NBA and NHL offseasons. These plans include adding an east-facing main entrance and plaza, redesigning the existing plaza and concourses, and remodelling upper-bowl seating.
SEG has appointed Utah-based Okland Construction as the general contractor, SCI Architects as the lead design firm, and CAA Icon as a strategic advisor.
Ryan and Ashley Smith, co-founders of SEG, said: “Adding an ice rink inside an existing basketball arena is an unthinkable feat given that an ice rink is nearly double the size of a basketball court. We are excited for the challenge as we kick off this never-before-done renovation project.
“This transformation will create the most compelling, welcoming, and exciting experience for hockey fans, while also allowing us to maintain the steep vertical seating for basketball that has made Delta Center such a dynamic venue with its loud atmosphere that energises our players night after night.
“By taking such significant steps to transform Delta Center into a world-class facility for both professional basketball and hockey, the Jazz and Utah’s NHL team will become anchors of downtown Salt Lake City for decades to come. And fans will be further immersed in the game-night experience both inside and outside the arena as we work to reimagine the downtown experience of Utah’s capital city. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for the 2025-26 seasons.”
The start of the arena renovations also marks the official start of SEG’s large-scale effort to reimagine downtown Salt Lake City through the creation of a new sports, entertainment, culture and convention district. This district will reconnect the east and west sides of the city’s downtown core, and it has been reported that SEG will invest $3bn (£2.25bn/€2.65bn) into the project.
