Utah Senate endorses pitch to bring Major League Baseball to Salt Lake City's west side
This is The Place
By Benjamin Wood @BjaminWood
CAPITOL HILL—Members of the Utah Senate voted Tuesday to formally support the proposed siting of a Major League Baseball expansion team in Salt Lake City's Power District, near the State Fairpark.
In a bipartisan 26-3 vote—all three "no" votes were cast by Republicans—the senate approved SCR3 a resolution that quotes from the film Field of Dreams and touts the state's economy and growing regional significance before endorsing the work of Big League Utah to bring an MLB team to the Wasatch Front.
"Be it further resolved," the resolution states, "that the only appropriate response to the suggestion that another city or state is better prepared than Salt Lake City and the state of Utah for Major League expansion is: 'You're killin' me, Smalls!'"
The MLB organization has made it known it intends to expand into new markets and Salt Lake City is seen as a competitive candidate. Several prominent business owners, elected officials and athletes have led the charge for a Utah expansion, including the identification of a preferred site for a new stadium on North Temple that would anchor redevelopment of Rocky Mountain Power's sprawling west-side campus.
The location is surrounded by highways, but also poised midway between SLC Airport and downtown, served by a Trax light rail line and accessible via bike trails, making it uniquely formatted for an entertainment venue. Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, suggested that the addition of a stadium would help to revitalize the State Fairpark and its surrounding neighborhoods.
"There's going to be a big economic kick from this," Adams said. "it will do more than sustain itself—it will raise the entire area."
Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, was also optimistic that an MLB team could be a catalyst for economic growth on the west side, which she represents. The North Temple corridor is undergoing rapid redevelopment with the construction of dense, transit-oriented housing. But a lack of amenities and community gathering spaces, combined with decades of hostile infrastructure and industrial waste, has held revitalization to a sluggish pace, at best.
"I think this is going to be a state jewel," Escamilla said. "This is huge and the whole state, I think, is going to be excited to be a part of this."
SCR3 will now move to the House for its consideration. While a non-binding piece of legislation, it and bills like it represent the stated opinion of the Legislature on a given issue.
"Whenever it happens, we just want them to know we’re ready, we’re excited," Fillmore said. "Utah is the best place to put an expansion team."
About The Author
Benjamin Wood
Lifelong Utahn Benjamin Wood has worn the mantle of City Weekly's news editor since 2021. He studied journalism at Utah State University and previously wrote for The Salt Lake Tribune, the Deseret News and Entertainment Weekly
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