Salt Lake Bees to move to new stadium to be built by 2025 season

Photo: Smith's Ballpark

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 17, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — The Larry H. Miller Company announced Tuesday it will build a triple-A baseball stadium in South Jordan.

The new stadium will be used by the Salt Lake Bees, and also will serve as a year-round entertainment venue.

“The Larry H. Miller Company will build a baseball stadium in Daybreak, a master-planned community in South Jordan, Utah, for its Triple-A baseball team, the Salt Lake Bees,” the statement says.

“The privately financed stadium will serve as a year-round entertainment anchor for the fast-growing southwest quadrant of Salt Lake County. Construction will begin this year, and the stadium will open for the 2025 baseball season. Details, including the location, renderings and surrounding amenities, will be released later this year.”

The stadium will be built on undeveloped property between Mountain View Corridor and the TRAX line, according to a question and answer feature of the announcement. The specific location will be announced at a later date.

The Bees will stay at Smith’s Ballpark until the current lease expires in fall 2024.

“The team is grateful for the long-term legacy of baseball in Salt Lake City and for the incredible fans and surrounding community that support the team,” the Larry H. Miller Company announcement says.

“The Larry H. Miller Company is grateful for the leadership of Mayor Mendenhall and her team for engaging with us as we evaluated potential outcomes in this decision. LHM is excited about the future of Salt Lake City and will continue to partner with community leaders to enrich and reimagine the neighborhood surrounding the current stadium.”

Mayor’s reaction

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said she learned Friday of the final decision to move to South Jordan.

“As a parent and a fan, the decision by the Larry H. Miller Company to move the Salt Lake Bees to Daybreak to anchor a long-planned development there is disappointing,” she said in a prepared statement.

“But as mayor, I’m confident in our City’s future and the incredible possibilities in store for this neighborhood and the 13 acres that were just unlocked.”

Mendenhall said she and her team tried to get the team to stay.

“Over the last 20 months, my team and I worked aggressively and creatively to change their minds about moving to Daybreak and to convince them that Smith’s Ballpark is still the best fit for the future. As disappointed as I am that we weren’t able to reverse their course, I am excited about what this move means for the Ballpark neighborhood and our city.”

Still, she sees the move as a chance for the city to rebuild and revitalize the area.

“This is an incredible opportunity and Salt Lake City is ready to play ball.”

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