Utah Jazz announce plans to build new practice facility in Sandy | News, Sports, Jobs

Ryan Smith and the Smith Entertainment Group announced Tuesday that the company will build a new practice facility for the Utah Jazz at the Shops at South Town in Sandy.

SEG purchased the entirety of the Sandy mall in August 2024 as the first step in what will now become a large sports campus to house the NHL’s Utah Mammoth, the NBA’s Jazz and SEG corporate offices.

“We’re building an amazing sports campus here with the Jazz practice facility connected to the Utah Mammoth practice facility, including the opportunity for the teams to cross-collaborate and support each other’s development,” said Ryan and Ashley Smith in a news release. “By also incorporating our business offices, this campus will promote efficiency, innovation, and collaboration, continuing to focus on bringing the best experiences to our fans.”

Provided maps show the Jazz facility will be a new addition to the south end of the mall, with SEG headquarters taking up the south end of the original mall, connecting the Mammoth and Jazz facilities.

The Jazz facility will feature two basketball courts, a team locker room, workout and training spaces, a performance kitchen and amenities “designed to foster player development and team connectivity,” the team says.

It’s a big move for the franchise. The Jazz have called the Zion’s Bank Basketball Center its practice home since 2003, located at 1414 South 500 West in Salt Lake City. That current home reopened in 2017 after a major renovation that doubled the space; at the time, the team touted it as the largest practice facility in the NBA.

The Jazz say most of the new building, including the main courts, will have large windows facing east with a view of the Wasatch Mountains, meant to inspire wellness and a connectivity to the state.

“SEG continues to invest in the Jazz, showing our players and fans their commitment to building a world-class organization,” said Austin Ainge, president of basketball operations for the Utah Jazz, in a news release. “They are constantly looking at innovative ways to help our players achieve their potential. This will be a state-of-the-art facility and a tremendous environment where our players and coaches can work, train, and develop.”

Ryan and Ashley Smith led a groundbreaking event Tuesday morning, joined by all Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth players and coaches, front office personnel, and other SEG employees.

Construction is expected to begin soon. The Salt Lake Tribune reports it should take less than two years to complete, but not likely in time for the Jazz 2026-27 preseason, and that Ainge will be involved in the design.

This new facility comes on the heels of two other major SEG projects.

The Mammoth moved into their new practice home just recently, ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season, and the Delta Center is halfway through a full renovation to retrofit the building for full use of its capacity in both basketball and hockey setups. The new lower bowl of the Delta Center opened this month for the start of the Mammoth season.

The Shops at South Town are located at 10450 South State Street.

SEG says it’s using three Utah firms for the project: Babcock Design for architecture, Okland Construction for the build, and Ezra Lee Design + Build for interior design.