Salt Lake may end up sharing Palace project bill

Waddoups' designs come as there is increasing concern from Salt Lake County about Salt Lake City's lack of financial participation in the expansion project.

Wednesday, County Mayor Peter Corroon contacted the City Council and Anderson to set up meetings to talk about the city's financial participation. However, such talk may no longer be needed if Waddoups' bill mandates what entities contribute what monies.

"My bill will pay for the entire expansion," Waddoups said.

Asked if he supports a plan that would force Salt Lake City to pony up, Corroon said: "Obviously, I'd like to see them be a willing participant before any mandate."

City Councilman Eric Jergensen, who also chairs the city's Redevelopment Agency, said the state, Sandy and other benefactors should step up to the funding plate as well. The state, after all, will receive the lion's share of projected tax revenue increases from the expansion project. Dayton said the project is expected to earn the state an extra $2 million in annual tax revenues with Salt Lake City gaining $800,000 and Salt Lake County earning $600,000.

Jergensen, however, said his data shows the state would earn 56 percent of the projected new revenue, the county would gain 29 percent, and the city would get 15 percent.

"There's a lot of other groups that have more benefits from the Salt Palace than we do," Jergensen said.

The Outdoor Retailer convention committed in August to stay in Salt Lake City contingent upon expansion plans. The current convention center is too small for the retailers' summer conventions.

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