Under cloudy skies Monday morning, a large Caterpillar bulldozer marked the beginning of construction on a new downtown arena by scooping up the first bucketfuls of wet earth and dumping them into waiting semitrailer trucks.
The construction began after a lease agreement between the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency and Jazz owner Larry H. Miller's attorney was signed Friday night. The agreement was the last step in a series of events that have delayed construction of the 20,400-seat arena since a groundbreaking May 22.The new arena, which is projected to be booked for events 210 to 220 nights a year, was needed because the Utah Jazz have outgrown the Acord Arena in the Salt Palace. It will be located on 10 acres bordered by South Temple, 400 West, 100 South and 300 West streets.
For officials, who are up against an October 1991 construction deadline for the arena, construction started none to soon.
Tim Howells, general manager of the Jazz, said, "It's in a way a great relief to us all to turn speculation into actual work. I can only imagine that is a welcome turn of events to Larry (Miller). We have spent a lot of time in planning and anticipation. It will be real enjoyable working on something more tangible."
Miller was vacationing and unavailable for comment.
Howells said that part of the relief is that the construction started before June 15. If the project had been delayed past that date, the project may not have been completed by October 1991. Miller's attorney, Dennis Haslam, said Friday that officials were hoping the setbacks wouldn't delay the opening of the arena.
Jim Harper, with Harper Excavating at the site Monday morning, said that the queue of trucks, which began lining up at 8 a.m., will be a familiar sight.
"We have to move 170,000 yards of dirt. We have 59 days to do it," he said.
Tom Mabey, president of the Bountiful-based Sahara Construction, said in an interview in late May that excavation - down to the depth of 30 feet - could take up to 10 weeks. Then the concrete shell is scheduled to appear on the northeast end of the building. A large hole in the southwest end of the building will be the last to be closed, allowing equipment access to the interior of the building. Japan-based construction firm, Ohbayahsi Corp., will jointly build the arena with Sahara Construction.
Miller is financing the arena through a $66 million loan from the Los Angeles agency of the Sumitomo Trust and Banking Co. Ltd. The arena is also being helped by the redevelopment agency, which will donate $20 million worth of land and site improvements including a parking terrace. Miller will lease the site from the redevelopment agency for $1 a year for 50 years.
The most recent setback in construction since the RDA board approved the lease on May 29 was the the discovery of hydrocarbons on property that will be used for the arena parking terrace. Traveler's Insurance, titleholder of the land, agreed Friday with the RDA to put $150,000 in an escrow account to cover costs of any cleanup. Soil contamination is believed to be linked to an old gasoline station.