In news confirmed by the Larry H. Miller Company today – the Salt Lake City bees are set to leave their Smith’s Ballpark home in Salt Lake City. The Triple-A baseball team parent company issues the following press release this morning:
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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 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 Bees look forward to commemorating the next two seasons at Smith’s Ballpark before 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 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.
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The move had long been rumored, with a September story in the Salt Lake Tribune explaining the current arrangement between the sports team and the city, “Under terms of the current lease, the Bees pay $15,000 in rent per year, which includes the parking lot to the north across 1300 South, according to the website Building Salt Lake. The Bees must also pay all operating and maintenance expenses, which would be the biggest burden on the city if they leave and a new tenant can’t quickly be found. But, the baseball team keeps 100% of the gate revenue. The city, meanwhile, is responsible for all capital improvements, including replacing the roof or the turf. Most of that money comes from the city’s 40% share of the stadium naming rights revenue, which is $270,000 per year over a five-year contract.”
The team, purchased by LHM in 2006, will now leave Utah’s capital city at the end of the 2024 season, in a purpose built stadium ready for the 2025 season.
At the time of press Salt Lake City officials have now stated what will happen next for the Smith’s Ballpark stadium, but Ben Winslow of Fox 13 writes, “Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall has called a news conference for Tuesday morning, where she is expected to announce the next steps for the 14-acre property that is Bees stadium.”