The obscene notion that Abravanel Hall should be demolished and "replaced" must be rejected by our community. Already, there are over 42,000 signatures on a Save Abravanel Hall petition (https://www.change.org/p/save-abravanel-hall which centers solely on preserving Abravanel Hall. 

So too should we reject the idea that a billionaire developer will receive hundreds of millions of dollars from a sales tax increase to control and develop 100 acres in our downtown for his financial benefit. Most of us believe our community has far more crucial priorities than tearing down much that is remarkable in our downtown to accommodate a garish "revitalization zone" "imagined" by Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) (see the preceding Update), which has no experience revitalizing a downtown. 

What assurance have we been provided by SEG or our elected officials that Abravanel Hall will be preserved? NONE. In fact, the language used in the SEG website (https://reimaginedowntownslc.com/ makes clear that some sort of "replacement" for Abravanel Hall is part of the plan. Here's what they say:

What would happen to Abravanel Hall, UMOCA, and other Arts Centers? Would performances or exhibits be disrupted?

Smith Entertainment Group, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, and Utah State Legislature are committed to ensuring that our world-class Utah Symphony, Salt Palace Convention Center, and celebrated art and cultural destinations would have a state-of-the-art home within the district. [Notice they don't answer the question about the disruption of performances or exhibits.] 

SEG and the governmental officials falling in line will still not commit to preserving  Abravanel Hall. Rather, they refer to "a state-of-the-art home" somewhere "within the district." No one is informing the community what they really have in mind.

Let's communicate to our City and County mayors and council members that we won't stand for anyone destroying or significantly altering Abravanel Hall. Let's also let them know that we demand a vote on whether there should be a sales tax increase and, if so, what the priorities should be for the use of the revenues.

Please sign and broadly circulate this petition today. Let our elected officials and SEG know how YOU feel!