Salt Palace - Second Salt Palace (arena)

Second Salt Palace (arena)

The second Salt Palace was an indoor arena in Salt Lake City. It was built on land that was once the "Little Tokyo" area of the city. Construction was pushed by Salt Lake's bid committee for the 1972 Winter Olympics, Gen. Maxwell E. Rich, president of the Greater Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, Gov. Calvin L. Rampton, and Salt Lake Tribune publisher John W. Gallivan. The Salt Palace was completed in 1969 at the cost of $17 million, the 10,725 seat arena, later expanded to 12,666 seats, was the home of the Utah Stars of the American Basketball Association from 1970 to 1975, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles hockey club from 1969 to 1991, and the Utah Jazz from 1979 to 1991. In 1994, three years after the Jazz moved into the Delta Center (now EnergySolutions Arena), the Salt Palace was demolished. A convention center of the same name stands on the site today.

On 18 January 1991, three teenagers were killed at an AC/DC concert at the Salt Palace. The concert was general admission only and when AC/DC took the stage, the crowd rushed towards the stage, trampling the three. Security tried to get the band to stop playing but failed to tell the band that people were being trampled for nearly twenty minutes, although the band stopped playing as soon as they discovered what had happened. Blame was pointed at several different groups, including the fans, the band, the security personnel, and the Salt Palace's festival seating arrangement. The families of the victims sued AC/DC, as well as other groups associated with the concert, in connection with the deaths, although eventually settled out of court.

Capacity over the years for basketball:

• 10,725 (1969-1970)
• 12,166 (1970-1978)
• 12,666 (1978-1982)
• 12,690 (1982-1986)
• 12,212 (1986-1988)
• 12,444 (1988-1989)
• 12,616 (1989-1991)