Delta Center
40°46′6″N 111°54′4″W / 40.76833°N 111.90111°W
| File:Vivint Smart Home Arena logo.svg | |
 Front exterior entrance (c.2016) | |
 | |
| Former names | Delta Center (1991–2006) Salt Lake Ice Center (2002) EnergySolutions Arena (2006–15) |
|---|---|
| Address | 301 W South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1216 |
| Location | Downtown Salt Lake City |
| Public transit | Arena (UTA station) 701 TRAX Blue Line 704 TRAX Green Line Planetarium (UTA station) 701 TRAX Blue Line |
| Owner | Miller Family Legacy Trust[1] |
| Operator | Miller Sports & Entertainment |
| Capacity | 18,300[5] 7,000 (Nu Skin Theatre) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 22, 1990 |
| Opened | October 9, 1991 |
| Construction cost | US$93 million ($217 million in 2023 dollars[4]) |
| Architect | FFKR Architecture[2] |
| Structural engineer | Ralph L. Wadsworth Engineering |
| Services engineer | Olsen & Peterson Consulting Engineers, Inc.[3] |
| General contractor | Ohbayashi/Sahara |
| Tenants | |
| Utah Jazz (NBA) (1991–present) Salt Lake Golden Eagles (IHL) (1991–94) Utah Grizzlies (IHL) (1995–97) Utah Starzz (WNBA) (1997–2002) Utah Blaze (AFL) (2006–08, 2011–13) | |
Vivint Smart Home Arena is an indoor arena located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The building is owned by the Miller Family Legacy Trust. The arena is the home of the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and has been the home venue for other professional athletic teams such as the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League and the Utah Starzz of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). It seats 18,306 for basketball, has 56 luxury suites, and 668 club seats.
Opened in 1991, the arena was known as the Delta Center, under a naming rights deal with Delta Air Lines, which has a hub at Salt Lake City International Airport. Salt Lake City-based EnergySolutions purchased the naming rights in November 2006, after Delta decided not to renew their 15-year contract due to filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy the year prior. From 2006 to 2015 it was known as EnergySolutions Arena.[6][7] On October 26, 2015, the arena was renamed as part of a 10-year naming rights contract with the Provo, Utah-based home security system provider Vivint.[8]
The arena was also home to the figure skating and short track speed skating competitions of the 2002 Winter Olympics, where it was referred to as the Salt Lake Ice Center.
History
The arena was originally imagined as 20,000-seat home for the Utah Jazz and Salt Lake Golden Eagles to replace the since-demolished arena of the Salt Palace, which had 12,616 seats.[9] Under the leadership and private financing of Utah businessman Larry H. Miller, ground was broken on May 22, 1990, and it was completed on October 4, 1991 in time for late-October basketball games, at a cost of $93 million ($208 million in 2023 dollars.)[10][4]
The first game played in the arena was a Golden Eagles match against the Peoria Rivermen on October 16, 1991, which the home team lost 4–2.[11] The Eagles had also played the inaugural game in the Salt Palace arena when it opened on October 10, 1969.[12] The Eagles, which were purchased by Miller in 1990, lost nearly a million dollars annually and would not long play in the Delta Center.
The first basketball game played in the arena was a Jazz pre-season loss against Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks, 101–95.[13]
The 1993–95 Western Athletic Conference men's basketball tournaments were held at the facility, as was the 1993 NBA All-Star Game. The Delta Center also hosted games of the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals between the Jazz and Chicago Bulls.
In addition to the Utah Jazz and Blaze, the arena has also been the home of the WNBA's Utah Starzz from 1997 to 2002, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles from 1991 to 1994, and the Utah Grizzlies from 1995 to 1997, both of the International Hockey League. Notably, on June 8, 1996, the Delta Center hosted what was then the largest crowd in the history of American minor league hockey: 17,381 fans attended Game 4 of the 1996 Turner Cup Finals.[14] The Grizzlies won 3–2 in overtime, completing a four-game sweep of the Orlando Solar Bears and earning the IHL championship in their first season in Utah.
Dan Roberts serves as the official Vivint Smart Home Arena public address voice for the Jazz. He has been the Jazz's home game announcer since before the arena was built.[15]
Upgrades and renovations
 | This article needs to be updated. (February 2018) |
In 2002, the arena upgraded its super system with ribbon display technology and auxiliary scoreboards from Brookings, South Dakota-based Daktronics.
During the summer of 2010, the Arena was remodeled, which included the installation of Bear's Backyard, a playground for kids, a new dining area for adults and over 500 television screens. On June 17, 2013 the Utah Jazz announced that the arena would receive a new scoreboard and ribbon display technology, including display screens in each corner of the arena. The new scoreboard and display systems were installed during the 2013 NBA off-season.
On September 21, 2016, the Utah Jazz announced plans to renovate and upgrade Vivint Smart Home Arena. The majority of the construction related to the building's renovation, which is estimated to cost US$125 million, will begin at the conclusion of the 2016–17 Utah Jazz basketball season, with anticipated completion of the renovation by fall 2017.[16]
Renaming
During the Salt Lake City Olympics, due to IOC policies about having corporate sponsorship for venues, the arena was referred to as the Salt Lake Ice Center during events.
After Delta Air Lines declined to renew their 15-year naming rights contract, which expired on September 30, 2006, the stadium's owner, Larry H. Miller, opted to sell naming rights to EnergySolutions, a low-level nuclear waste disposal company headquartered in Salt Lake City.[17][18] The new name was unveiled November 20, prior to the Jazz home game against the Toronto Raptors. Two stickers were placed on the court, covering up the arena's old name with the new one.[19] The temporary logos were replaced with official logos on the court sometime in December. EnergySolutions naming rights were set to expire in 2016.[20]
Initial fan reactions to the new name were predominantly negative. Early nicknames for the arena included "the Dump", a jab at EnergySolutions' radioactive and hazardous waste disposal operations.[21] Other suggestions included the Glow Dome, Radium Stadium, Isotope, Chernobowl, Jazzmat, Big Bang, Tox Box, Power House, Hot Spot, Plutonium Palace, Fallout Shelter, Melta Center, and Energy Pollutions Arena.[22]
On October 26, 2015, the naming rights were acquired by the locally based home security and automation provider Vivint in a 10-year contract.[8][23]
John Stockton and Karl Malone statues
Outside the arena are statues of two players widely regarded as the greatest in the history of the Jazz, as well as among the greatest players in NBA history. The John Stockton statue was unveiled on March 30, 2005. The Karl Malone statue was unveiled on March 23, 2006. The Jazz played games on each of those nights but lost both games.
Larry H. Miller Court
| Sporting Events Capacity | |
|---|---|
| Basketball | 19,911 (1991–2017) 18,306 (2017–present)[24] |
| Ice hockey | 14,000 |
| Dirt shows | 15,000 |
| Professional wrestling | 12,000-19,387 |
On April 15, 2010, over a year after the death of Jazz owner Larry H. Miller, the Jazz basketball court was named in his honor.[25] With the announcement of the arena's new name on October 26, 2015, the new official name of the court is Larry H. Miller Court at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
Notable events
Other sports
The facility played host to the 1999 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The arena was also home to the figure skating and short track speed skating competitions of the 2002 Winter Olympics.[26]
In the final of the Men's 1000 metres Short track speed skating event at the 2002 Winter Olympics, veteran Australian Steven Bradbury became the most unlikely winner in Winter Olympic history when he won the race after Apolo Anton Ohno (USA), Mathieu Turcotte (Canada), Ahn Hyun-Soo (South Korea), and Li Jiajun (China) all fell on the final turn and left Bradbury, who was running last and about 15 metres (49 ft) behind the pack, to come through and claim Australia's first ever Winter Olympics Gold Medal.
Vivint Smart Home Arena was the site of the West regional semifinals ("Sweet Sixteen") and championship ("Elite Eight") in the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. The venue also hosted first and second-round games in the 2013 and 2017 editions of the tournament, and it will do so again in 2019.
Concerts
In addition to sports, the arena was intended to host large music concerts. On October 24, 1991, Oingo Boingo became the first headlining act to rock the Delta Center.[27]
In film
The movie Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde was partially filmed in the arena.
Tornado
The arena's roof was damaged by severe winds associated with the Salt Lake City Tornado of August 11, 1999, costing $3,757,000 (equivalent to $6,871,573 in 2023) to repair.[40]
Awards and recognitions
Vivint Smart Home Arena is well known for being one of the hardest places to play for visiting teams in the NBA. According to an NBA Players Poll taken by Sports Illustrated on February 11, 2008, the Vivint Arena is considered "the most intimidating arena in the NBA" with 20% of the vote made up of 240 current NBA players.[41] Many commentators referred to the arena as the "Decibel Center", a play on the name "Delta Center". During Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, a decibel meter installed at floor level had readings of over 110 decibels, close to the noise generated by a jet takeoff. Also, during the 1997 NBA Finals, NBC's Hannah Storm called the then-named Delta Center "one of the loudest places in sports".[42]
References
- ^ Gehrke, Robert (December 28, 2017). "Gehrke: Orrin Hatch was definitely 2017's most significant Utahn — but here are my choices for the *best* Utahn of the year". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
- ^ "Energy Solutions Arena (formerly the Delta Center)". ffkr.com. FFKR Architecture. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ "Wayne Clark Peterson, P.E." (PDF). utahshrae.org. ASHRAE, Utah Chapter. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "Delta Center" (PDF). Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ "EnergySolutions Arena". nba.com. Utah Jazz. November 20, 2006. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ Anderton, Dave; Osterloh, Shelly (November 20, 2006). "Delta Center Renamed EnergySolutions Arena". ksl.com. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ a b Lea, Bill (October 26, 2015). "LHM Sports & Entertainment Introduces Vivint Smart Home Arena for the Utah Jazz". UtahJazz.com. Utah Jazz. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
- ^ Hemphill, Lex (September 29, 1991). "Will Delta Center Pack in the Fans? Ticket Sales Say Yes". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City. p. A6.
- ^ Sandomir, Richard (October 21, 1991). "Truss Erection System Scores at Utah Arena". Engineering News-Record vol. 226. p. 16.
- ^ Kragthorpe, Kurt (October 17, 1991). "Eagles Disappoint". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City. p. C1.
- ^ Rosetta, Dick (October 17, 1991). "Golden Eagles Jazz up Delta Center". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City. p. C1.
- ^ Luhm, Steve (October 24, 1991). "Knicks Win to Spoil Jazz Debut". Salt Lake Tribunelocation=Salt Lake City. p. D1.
- ^ Turner, Tim (June 9, 1996). "Orlando Ousted in OT". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ Fricks, Patti T. (May 11, 1991). "Palace Earsplitting But Not Deafening". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. A1.
- ^ "$125 Million Arena Transformation to Begin". Utah Jazz. September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
- ^ "Delta Center's Out, EnergySolutions Arena Is In". The Salt Lake Tribune. November 20, 2006. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ Cortez, Marjorie (November 21, 2006). "Marjorie Cortez: EnergySolutions Arena? It's a mouthful". Deseret News. Salt Lake City. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ Koreen, Mike (November 21, 2006). "Utah Understands Hoffa". The Toronto Sun.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|subscription=ignored (|url-access=suggested) (help) - ^ "Sports Facilities Reports" (PDF). leg.wa.gov. Washington State Legislature. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 16, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Gorrell, Mike (November 21, 2006). "Arena's new name a winner, Miller says". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ Sandomir, Richard (November 29, 2006). "In Utah, the Half-Life of Arena Naming Rights". The New York Times. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ "LHM Sports & Entertainment Introduces Vivint Smart Home Arena for the Utah Jazz: Vivint signs multi-year naming rights agreement for downtown facility". businesswire.com. San Francisco: Berkshire Hathaway. October 26, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ "Open for business: Utah Jazz officially christen renovated Vivint Smart Home Arena". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ "Jazz honor late owner Miller, rename home floor". NBA.com. National Basketball Association. Associated Press. April 15, 2010. Archived from the original on May 4, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Official Report of the XIX Olympic Winter Games (PDF) (Report). Vol. 1. Salt Lake Olympic Committee. pp. 93–4. ISBN 0-9717961-0-6. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ Butters, Lori (October 24, 1991). "Elfman Makes Delta Center Roll in Rock-Concert Debut". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City. p. D1.
- ^ "DMBAlmanac.com²". www.dmbalmanac.com. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ "DMBAlmanac.com²". www.dmbalmanac.com. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ Hiatt, Brian (July 31, 2001). "A.J. Needs More Time, Backstreet Boys Delay Return". MTV News. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on August 2, 2001. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Hannah Montana adds second Salt Lake tour date". Deseret News. October 19, 2007. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
- ^ Iwasaki, Scott (November 23, 2008). "Coldplay keeps crowd guessing". Deseret News. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
- ^ Iwasaki, Scott (October 1, 2009). "Sickly Cyrus still entertains". Deseret News. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn (October 1, 2009). "Miley Cyrus Stricken With Strep During Wonder World Tour". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
- ^ "Salt Lake City concert rescheduled". Elton John. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Elton Daily: Salt Lake, Denver & Portland Rescheduled". eltonjohnnews.blogspot.com. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
- ^ Iwasaki, Scott (July 17, 2010). "Carole King, James Taylor enthrall Salt Lake crowd with string of their hits". deseretnews.com. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
- ^ "Pink". thetruthaboutlovetour.com. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
- ^ "Garth Brooks breaks his own record for EnergySolutions Arena ticket sales". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
- ^ Woolf, Jim (August 10, 2000). "A Real Twister: 1 Year Later: A Whirlwind of Memories; Salt Lake City Recalls Devastating Tornado that Changed Lives Forever". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City.
- ^ "Si Players Nba Poll". Sports Illustrated. February 11, 2008. Archived from the original on March 26, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2016 – via web.archive.org.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ NBA on NBC Intro - 1997... on YouTube [dead link]
External links
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Home of the Utah Jazz 1991 – present |
Succeeded by current
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| Preceded by | Host of the NBA All-Star Game 1993 |
Succeeded by |
| 20th century |
|  |
|---|---|---|
| 21st century |
NOTE: During the Olympic Games, venues that have naming rights sold may not use their name during the Olympic Games. | |
| 20th century |
|  |
|---|---|---|
| 21st century | ||
- Arena football venues
- Basketball venues in Salt Lake City
- College basketball venues in the United States
- Indoor arenas in Salt Lake City
- National Basketball Association venues
- Sports venues in Salt Lake City
- 2002 Winter Olympics venues
- Olympic figure skating venues
- Olympic short track speed skating venues
- Utah Jazz venues
- Utah Starzz venues
- Sports venues completed in 1991
- 1991 establishments in Utah