SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 12, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Gail Miller, co-founder and owner of the Larry H. Miller Company, announced Wednesday that her company and a broad coalition of Utah leaders are working to position Salt Lake City as an ideal market for Major League Baseball.
She and Big League Utah, the coalition, believe Utah is the “Future of America’s Pastime,” according to a statement released by the company. The coalition has targeted a shovel-ready site for a new MLB ballpark at the 100-acre Rocky Mountain Power District on Salt Lake City’s west side.
“We believe in the power of sports to elevate and unify communities,” Miller said at a news conference and Rocky Mountain Power ground breaking. “Larry and I risked everything to acquire the Utah Jazz, and it was a tremendous honor to ensure it thrived as a model franchise. We now have an opportunity to welcome Major League Baseball to Utah and invite all Utahns to join us in this effort.”
The coalition includes Utah’s federal, state and local decision-makers, business and community leaders, former MLB baseball players, and potential investors.
Miller said 82% of the sports-going public in Utah believe that Utah should be considered a possible expansion market for professional sports, “and Major League Baseball is considered the most family friendly professional sports option. And we are all about families. And I agree, especially when I reminisce about my young family playing under the bleachers at the ballpark.”
“Over the past year, we have enjoyed our ongoing conversation with Major League Baseball and have formally registered our interest in Salt Lake being considered an expansion market,” said Steve Starks, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Company. “We have strong reasons to believe we will be a viable candidate. The response has been universally enthusiastic as we have invited others to join the coalition. Anytime you’re in the running to add a professional baseball team to your market, you jump at that opportunity. Baseball becomes synonymous with great cities across this country. It helps form their identity.”
Gov. Spencer Cox also spoke at the news conference, which also served as a ground breaking for a Rocky Mountain Power’s phase I of the Power District.
“Utah has the strongest economy in the country, is a top 30 media market, and is the fastest-growing state with the youngest population,” Cox said. “These are the ingredients for a Major League Baseball market. As the Crossroads of the West, Utah has successfully hosted large sporting events, like the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and two NBA All-Star Games and is home to thriving professional and collegiate sports teams. We boast of the Greatest Snow on Earth, five national parks and 46 state parks. We are on the radar and pushing as hard as we can.”
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said her city “is distinctly ready to be Major League Baseball’s newest home. The infrastructure we already have in place – from our world-class international airport, to our robust public transit system, our hotel and hospitality sectors, and our arts, culture and entertainment community – make us a perfect fit for this evolution. Our capital city and the residents of North Temple near the Power District are poised for an investment like this, and I welcome the opportunity to keep growing this cultural and economic hub of our great state and region.”
