SANDY, Utah (KUTV) — According to the Sandy City Mayor’s Office, no taxpayer money will be used to convert part of the South Town Mall into an NHL training facility.
At a groundbreaking ceremony for the facility on Monday, Mayor Monica Zoltanski announced that her team was working at “warp speed” to close the deal with Smith Entertainment Group.
Although the facility is not scheduled for completion until 2025, Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Hockey Club, and other stakeholders were excited about the prospects of this development on Sandy.
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Many residents believe this is the boost South Town needs.
Longtime hockey fan and Sandy resident Robert Hoffman, who also holds a season ticket for the Utah Hockey Club, shared the excitement.
“I’m just extremely excited,” Hoffman said.
Like many others, he is impressed by how quickly discussions about bringing professional hockey to the state came about, and as a Sandy resident, he is excited about the city’s commitment.
“There is certainly a lot of space in the mall and judging by the photos, construction is underway there to create the ice surfaces,” he said.
Zoltanski was just as excited as he was and said: “We have been waiting for such an exciting project like this at the South Town Mall.”
The city is looking forward to the continued development of the mall. Digital renderings by Smith Entertainment Group illustrate the plans for the old department store’s space.
Jim Olson, executive at Smith Entertainment Group and project leader, said: “We’re going to massively activate the community. We’re going to bring people into the room.”
Olson emphasized that the focus of her plans is on expanding the mall rather than changing it.
“We will not initially touch any of the existing areas of the mall that are currently operating. We will build out of the mall and then use this box here for the hockey offices and other areas,” he said.
The facility will feature two sheets of ice that Olson said will be open to the public on a regular basis – an opportunity that both SEG leaders and hockey fans hope will inspire young players.
“Not only are we bringing the NHL to Utah, but we are really growing this sport in Utah,” Ryan Smith said during the press conference.
Hoffman also emphasized the benefits for youth: “The children’s programs that will be created here on the additional ice surfaces will be fantastic and will hopefully ultimately produce some future NHL stars from Utah.”
SEG officials said this emerging facility should be completed in fall 2025.
Meanwhile, the Utah Hockey Club team is training at the Olympic Oval in Kearns and preparing for its opening game on October 8 at the Delta Center.
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