Mayors in SLC, South Jordan, discuss Bees baseball moving to Daybreak

SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake Bees announced Tuesday that the team is moving out of the capital city and relocating to the Daybreak community in South Jordan by opening day 2025. 

But until then, Bees baseball will remain at Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City at the existing stadium at 77 West 1300 South.

In response, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall has opened a design competition for the future of Smith’s Ballpark site. The competition will be open to residents, post-secondary students and development professionals. She said there is $30,000 in prize money available and it breaks down like this:

“Up to $5,000 will be awarded for one resident’s concept proposal, up to $10,000 will be awarded for one post-secondary student’s concept proposal, and up to $15,000 will be awarded for one development professional’s concept proposal.”

Find out more details about what’s next at Ballpark NEXT Design Competition.

The Ballpark NEXT Design Competition application window will begin Jan. 17, 2023 and will be open for 60 days, closing on Friday, March 17, 2023 at midnight MST. Winners may be announced in May.

“Salt Lake City is so ready,” Mendenhall said, “and we are not going to waste any time. The competition starts right now. It’s open for 60 days, and we will take submissions till that point. Winners will be awarded sometime in May.”

The team owner, The Larry H. Miller Company, said the new stadium will become a year-round entertainment anchor for the fast-growing southwest quadrant of Salt Lake County. The company also said it was “grateful for the leadership of Mayor Mendenhall and her team for engaging us as we evaluated potential outcomes in this decision.”

Bees buzzing away

” I understand that this news is unnerving for the city, community, and the ballpark neighborhood in particular,” the mayor said Tuesday during a press conference.

Mendenhall added that her staff will be in the Ballpark neighborhood this week speaking with business owners and residents about the team’s move. And she said they’ll talk about the plan moving forward.

“My promise to the neighborhood is this: This site will not become an empty pit or public safety risk. As I said, we have been waiting to pull the trigger on investment that is transformational for this neighborhood for three years,” Mendenhall said.

The mayor said the Bees have always been about baseball and not economic revenue.

“We have contributed $45 million since 1993 in direct contributions,” she said. “We’ve netted a revenue of just over $4 million in that same amount of time.”

Mendenhall also added that the stadium is only used 25% of the year, and her top priority is to have the 13 acres used year-round.

The mayor added that Smith’s Ballpark provides the best view for watching baseball in the state.

“It’s just incredibly gorgeous. So hopefully whatever’s activated here, we’ll take advantage of this,” she said.

South Jordan mayor issues statement

Tuesday afternoon South Jordan Mayor Dawn R. Ramsey issued a video statement, regarding the Bees moving to the Daybreak community.

“Ultimately, it was a business decision by the Larry H. Miller Company to move the team to South Jordan,” she said. “Given that decision, we will work with them to ensure that the project is successful.”

Ramsey says the stadium will be privately funded. 

“And we applaud the Larry H. Miller Company for making a private investment that we believe will be a strong anchor for this fast-growing region.”

Ramsey is excited for the future of the community.

“We’re excited to see the future of the 1,300 acres of undeveloped land in the Daybreak community,” she said. 

Related reading:

Salt Lake Bees baseball relocating to new field in Daybreak in 2025

 

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