Is Utah ready for the big leagues? Group pitches SLC for a new MLB baseball team

John Rogers 

With temperatures hovering in the mid-70s — ideal baseball weather — Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) recently held an outdoor ceremony to break ground on Phase 1 of its Power District Project. Sited where the utility has operated since the mid-20th century, the project includes a new headquarters for the company as part of a 100-acre mixed-use development projected to transform the area, located on the west side of Salt Lake City into a “modern, sustainable and vibrant space for businesses and{mprestriction ids="1,3"} residents.”

But the planned RMP facilities played second fiddle at the event to an announcement made by a who’s who of Utah power brokers before shovels hit dirt.

Larry H. Miller Co. president and co-founder Gail Miller took the microphone to announce that her company, her family and a coalition of Utah leaders have launched an effort to position Salt Lake City as an ideal market for Major League Baseball (MLB). Big League Utah (BLU), a broad-based community organization, believes Utah is the “Future of America’s Pastime,” Miller told the assembly in a parking lot at the RMP campus on North Temple Street. The coalition has targeted a “shovel-ready” site for a new MLB ballpark within the Power District Project.

“We believe in the power of sports to elevate and unify communities,” said Miller. “Larry and I risked everything to acquire the Utah Jazz, and it was a tremendous honor to ensure it thrived as a model franchise. We now have an opportunity to welcome Major League Baseball to Utah and invite all Utahns to join us in this effort.”

The coalition includes Utah’s federal, state and local political leaders; business and community leaders; former MLB baseball players; and potential investors. Among those listed on the Big League Utah website as part of the new organization are Gov. Spencer Cox, all five of Utah’s congressional delegation, Utah state legislative leaders, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson and a number of other political leaders. Sports celebrities included as BLU supporters are former MLB stars Dale Murphy and Jeremy Guthrie, along with Super Bowl MVP Steve Young.

Perhaps as important to the cause of BLU as any, due to the potential cost of fielding a major league team — rumored to be in the billions — a number of Utahns with the financial means to back the effort are also listed as members of the coalition. In addition to the Miller family, the website also lists the Huntsman family, Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith, Nu Skin Enterprises founder Blake Roney, Vivint Smart Home founder Taylor Randal, the Eccles family and many others.

While there have been whispers, BLU’s efforts had been largely unknown until the announcement at the RMP event. Miller and other speakers at the ceremony revealed that the efforts have been ongoing.

“Over the past year, we have enjoyed our ongoing conversation with Major League Baseball and have formally registered our interest in Salt Lake being considered an expansion market,” said Steve Starks, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Co. “We have strong reasons to believe we will be a viable candidate. The response has been universally enthusiastic as we have invited others to join the coalition. Anytime you’re in the running to add a professional baseball team to your market, you jump at that opportunity. Baseball becomes synonymous with great cities across this country. It helps form their identity.”

Big League Utah said that recent data shows that 82 percent of the sports-going public in Utah believe that Utah should be considered a possible expansion market for professional sports and that Major League Baseball is considered the most family-friendly professional sports option for Utahns surveyed.

“Utah has the strongest economy in the country, is a top-30 media market and is the fastest-growing state with the youngest population,” said Cox. “These are the ingredients for a Major League Baseball market. As the ‘Crossroads of the West,’ Utah has successfully hosted large sporting events, like the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and two NBA All-Star Games and is home to thriving professional and collegiate sports teams. We boast of the ‘Greatest Snow on Earth,’ five national parks and 46 state parks. We are on the radar and pushing as hard as we can.”

Starks said Utah has the highest median income of potential MLB expansion markets — like Portland, Oregon, or Nashville, Tennessee — and outperforms other like markets in both ticketing and sponsorship revenue. A family-friendly state, Utah is also a leader in youth sports programs, including the Junior Bees, the largest Minor League Baseball youth program, with 20,000 participants and growing, and the Junior Jazz, launched in 1983, is the longest-running junior NBA program.

“Salt Lake City is distinctly ready to be Major League Baseball’s newest home. The infrastructure we already have in place — from our world-class international airport; to our robust public transit system; our hotel and hospitality sector; and our arts, culture and entertainment community — make us a perfect fit for this evolution,” Mendenhall said. “Our capital city and the residents of North Temple near the Power District are poised for an investment like this, and I welcome the opportunity to keep growing this cultural and economic hub of our great state and region.”

“The Power District is ideally located between the Salt Lake City International Airport and downtown,” said Gary Hoogeveen, Rocky Mountain Power CEO. “A ballpark within our new development will be uniquely situated near I-80 and North Temple, along UTA’s light rail line and have stunning views of the city’s skyline and Wasatch mountains.”

Mortenson Construction, led by General Manager Sarah Narjes, who oversaw the construction of Truist Park for the Atlanta Braves, is the general contractor for the first phase of the Power District.

“For nearly seven decades, Mortenson has been shaping skylines across the country while building a reputation as the best and most respected name in sports construction,” said Narjes. “We understand the high level of skill, knowledge and expertise required to develop and build complex projects. A well-designed and expertly constructed facility can positively influence revenue generation, performance and operations, the fan experience, and create lasting community impact.”

“After playing nearly two decades in the MLB, I know what it takes for a city to successfully host professional baseball. Salt Lake City has it all: a young and growing population, a prime ballpark location, a booming economy and a dedicated community of supporters,” said Murphy, two-time league MVP.

Many cities have been mentioned over the years as possible sites for MLB expansion. While there will always be debates over which markets provide the sustainability in fan base, corporate sponsor pool, media market size and the weather when ballpark designs are open-air, the main factor for MLB will always center on funding.

An article on Forbes magazine’s website gives Salt Lake City a favorable nod as a possible landing spot for MLB.

“The reason to take the Salt Lake effort as serious centers on the Miller family and the Larry H. Miller Co. as the driver,” Forbes said. “Larry Miller owned the Utah Jazz and since his passing, Gail Miller has been the matriarch of the enterprise. Based on the Forbes valuations, she has a net worth of $4 billion, some of which was gained through the Jazz sale that comes in just shy of $2 billion.”{/mprestriction}