Salt Lake Council amends support for Salt Palace expansion plan

The Salt Lake City Council Thursday, acting as the Redevelopment Agency Board, amended its support for the proposed Salt Palace Convention Center expansion plan.

While board members insisted they remain committed to the expansion, they agreed to spend only $170,000 for architecture and designs of a new Salt Palace parking lot. While the RDA Board also allocated another $2.5 million to be spent in equal payments over 10 years, that expenditure was contingent on either the county or the state paying the city back its $2.5 million.

Despite the strings attached to the funding, city leaders say they are keen to expand, which may keep VNU Expositions from moving its coveted semiannual Outdoor Retailer shows from Salt Lake City.

Both Mayor Rocky Anderson and RDA Board Chair Eric Jergensen sent letters to Outdoor Retailer urging them to stay.