Deseret News

Ryan Smith has talked generally about how he’d like to see downtown Salt Lake City reimagined around the Delta Center to enhance the experience of attending a Utah Jazz or Utah hockey club game. But an application Smith Entertainment Group filed with the city for a 100-acre revitalization zone under a new state law provided a little more insight into what could happen around the arena over the next few years. It doesn’t include specific plans. SEG proposes to develop the area as a sports and entertainment district with a variety of commercial uses, including retail, restaurants, hospitality, multifamily residential, and other entertainment and cultural uses and parking. It includes remodeling the Delta Center over several offseasons to accommodate both the Jazz and the hockey team. “Development of the project area, including the Delta Center remodel, will require substantial redevelopment, urban renewal and reconstruction, which will likely include the re-routing, permanent closure and/or bridging of certain surrounding streets,” according to the application. | By Dennis Romboy #nhl #utah #redevelopment #saltlakecity

Utah’s Wild West is no stranger to land conflicts. Unlike the days of the American frontier, we are no longer heading into physical combat for land control — that’s not to say it’s any less hostile. Moab, Utah, located on the doorstep of Arches National Park, has approximately 5,300 year-round residents. The small town has seen more commercial development take over its local flair in recent years as tourism continues to grow annually. Arguably, one of the most controversial landscape disputes in the state currently is between the citizens of Moab and commercial developers. The Kane Creek development in Moab involves approximately 580 residential and commercial units spread over 180 acres along Kane Creek Boulevard and up against the Colorado River. The development, managed by Kane Creek Preservation and Development LLC, aims to provide housing and economic diversification but has sparked controversy and opposition from local residents who are concerned for several reasons. | By Emma Pitts #outdoors #development #utah

While the players will be working on the ice, the National Hockey League (NHL) is looking for people to work off the ice during the Utah hockey club’s upcoming season in Salt Lake City. The league is taking applications for off-ice officials to staff home games at the Delta Center. “The National Hockey League seeks to hire off-ice officials based in or near Salt Lake City, Utah. NHL off-ice officials will be assigned to work game days in a variety of roles to support both the home and away teams playing at Delta Center arena. An effective off-ice official will possess a strong hockey background, deep knowledge of NHL rules and understand the intensity, competitiveness, and the high skill level of NHL Players,” according to the posting. Although duties and responsibilities vary based on the position, off-ice officials are generally responsible for the collection, accurate recording and expert interpretation of game statistics, timing, reviewing and recording game results. | By Dennis Romboy #nhl #utah #sports #saltlakecity

A lot has changed since Harvard College — the first university in the United States — was founded in 1636. No longer is secondary education primarily used to train clergymen for the church. Today, universities across the country promise various ways of thinking. American college is one of the country’s most iconic experiences. College football games and Greek life have earned the post-high school years a place in movies and literature, portraying the experience many Americans go through. However, college is not for everyone — and the need for it may even be generational. It’s a common belief that a college education is required for success and the ability to get jobs that pay well. As a result, there has been less focus on vocational trade education and blue-collar jobs in recent decades. But, “we’re finally seeing a more than subtle change within our society,” Robb Sommerfeld, co-founder of the National Center for Craftsmanship, told Axios. “More and more students and their parents see alternatives (to college).” As Generation Z is reaching adulthood, many are choosing trade school over university. Why? | By Emma Pitts #genz #tradeschool #bluecollar

The Operation Conquer Hunger campaign began 10 years ago when a man named Trevor Farnes started a company that sells nutritional supplements and outdoor gear called MTN OPS. Because earlier in life, Trevor and his wife, Jenna, had themselves been recipients of welfare food assistance due to a business deal gone bad, they vowed that when they got back on their feet, they were going to do likewise. When they opened MTN OPS, they made a commitment that for every transaction they would provide a meal for someone in need. They chose students to be the beneficiaries when they learned that 1 in every 4 school kids in Davis County experiences some kind of food insecurity. In its first seven years, MTN OPS produced 3 million meals. In the past three years, as sales have continually increased, it’s produced 3 million more. | By Lee Benson #utahbusiness #donate #charity

Billionaire Ryan Smith burst onto the national sports scene when he bought the Utah Jazz in 2020. After shelling out $1.6 billion for the NBA franchise, the 45-year-old co-founder of Qualtrics and his wife, Ashley, bought Real Salt Lake for about $400 million and revived the Utah Royals of the NWSL for $2 million. He teamed with private equity investor David Blitzer, co-managing partner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils, on the latter deals. Just last week, the Smiths completed a unique $1.2 billion transaction to move the Arizona Coyotes hockey team to Salt Lake City. Owning four sports franchises, including two among the “Big Four” leagues in the country, places Smith in some elite company. Few people own multiple major league teams. As Front Office Sports put it, his company, Smith Entertainment Group, is “already starting to stack up nicely against rival heavyweights in the industry,” including Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (L.A. Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids) and Fenway Sports Group (Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins, Liverpool FC). But is it too soon to call Smith a power broker in the sports industry? | By Dennis Romboy #sports #utah

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If the turnout for meeting Utah’s new National Hockey League (NHL) team Wednesday is any indication of local interest in hockey, Salt Lake City could become a thriving market for another big league franchise. And not only are fans wildly enthusiastic about the club, coaches and players for the former Arizona Coyotes say they are all in as well. More than 12,400 people poured into the Delta Center — hundreds if not thousands more gathered on the concourse and outside — for a raucous celebration of the arrival of the yet-to-be-named Utah hockey club. Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy and stars Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson greeted the players before they took the stage for introductions. Many fans sported the jerseys of their favorite NHL teams and rocked the arena like it was a Jazz playoff game, a roar the players said they’re hoping to hear when the inaugural season starts in the fall. “We are so looking forward to this being the loudest building in the NHL,” general manager Bill Armstrong told the crowd between deafening chants of “Utah, Utah, Utah” and the rhythmic “Let’s go, Utah.” | By Dennis Romboy #nhl #utah

We now live in an age of artificial intelligence and robot automation. And while that comes with creative and educational benefits, some are concerned about AI’s potential to disrupt some career fields, per the U.S. Career Institute. AI is estimated to play a growing role in the U.S. economy in the years ahead. A 2023 report by the McKinsey Global Institute found that up to 30% of current working hours in the U.S. economy could become AI-automated by 2030. And a recent Pew Research Center analysis covered by CNBC found that roughly 1 in 5 workers in the U.S. could have “high exposure” to AI — which could either play a beneficial role in the job or lead to job displacement. | By Paul Hoskin #artificialintelligence #ai #jobsecurity #tech

Utah is a hot spot for entrepreneurs. In fact, starting a small business is encouraged. Last year, the Utah Small Business Credit Initiative was created and federally funded by the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity to support small businesses — specifically in smaller and more rural communities. Living in a smaller town has its benefits when it comes to starting a small business. Lower living expenses, including rent and utilities, due to reduced costs associated with less competition, can make it cheaper to run a business. Also, the close-knit nature of small towns often means that local businesses receive strong support from residents who prefer to shop at stores owned by familiar faces. WalletHub evaluated the business environment of over 1,300 small cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 to identify the best ones for starting a business using a set of 18 critical metrics, including the growth in small business numbers, access to investors and labor costs. | By Emma Pitts #startup #entrepreneurs #utah