On Tuesday afternoon, the University of Utah announced its plans to unveil a new basketball arena.
According to a university press release, the Utes are planning to relocate the Huntsman Center, among several other updates.
“On March 11, the university’s Board of Trustees approved the Campus Physical Development Framework for planning a campus of the future that will match President Taylor Randall’s audacious growth goals. Ideas include: transforming campus from commuter-focused to residential, centering student life and ‘college town magic’ at the southeast corner of campus, innovating sustainable transportation and parking solutions to ease access to campus, and moving the Jon M. Huntsman Center.”
“This is the highlight of this new plan and the largest change—a focus on building a college town not only for students, but also for faculty and staff, where we can engage together and build community in a very different way,” Randall said. “Let’s roll up our sleeves and start executing now.”
The largest and most notable change in the announcement is moving the Huntsman Arena, which has “anchored the southeast corner of campus for 55 years.”
Utah athletic director Mark Harlan wrote a letter to fans this week that assured the preservation of the long-standing traditional monument for the Utes, but also carve out an exciting new future for the Utes.
“This marks just the beginning of what will be a very thorough and comprehensive journey to identify the ideal location for a new arena,” Harlan said. “This gives us the opportunity to explore a completely reimagined in-venue experience to serve our athletics programs and our great fans who support those teams.”
Here is an attached link providing a presentation, courtesy of the university, that shows the new plans in place.
