Major Sporting Event Venue Zones (MSEVZ)
The Major Sporting Event Venue Zone Act (“MSEVZ,” S.B. 333) was adopted in the 2025 general legislative session to encourage the redevelopment of aging venues, the development of new venues and supporting infrastructure, and the increased use of public transportation.
MSEVZ enables a creating entity to capture a portion of incremental tax revenue growth over time to accommodate the costs of an Olympic or professional sport venue project and system infrastructure.
Contact us at [email protected] to learn more and request access to the MSEVZ application portal.
Key Information
A Major Sporting Event Venue is a venue that has been or is proposed to be used for the Olympic Games, as confirmed by the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, a venue where an international competition or a professional athletic event takes place, or supporting or adjacent structures associated with the event.
The Major Sporting Event Venue Zone Act establishes the following objectives:
- Redevelopment of existing but aging major sporting event venues
- Development of new major sporting event venues
- Development of infrastructure supporting a major sporting event venue
- Increase utilization of public transportation when accessing a major sporting event venue
- Improve efficiencies in parking and transportation with the goal of increasing walkability between a major sporting event venue and a public transit station
- Improve commercial development, or mixed commercial-residential development, in areas near a major sporting event venue
- Improve air quality by reducing fuel consumption and motor vehicle trips
- Increase tourism activity
In addition to the listed objectives, MSEVZs should demonstrate how the zone will:
- Ensure sufficient traffic control
- Provide multiple avenues for spectators or participants to access the zone, including public transit
- Promote increased visitation to and recreation in the zone.
Interested parties creating entities are encouraged to consult UCA 63N Chapter 3 Part 17 on how to develop a major sporting event venue zone plan that meets statutory requirements prior to official submission.
The statutory requirements of a major sports event venue zone proposal are outlined in 63N-3-1703. The requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Confirmation that the tasks required before the submission have been completed (see Proposal Timeline below)
- An executive summary
- An outline of how the proposal demonstrates the statutory objectives outlined in 63N-3-1702(1)
- Maps, visual renderings, or other visual aids for the zone, and if applicable, the secondary project area
- Identify development impediments and strategies for addressing them
- Development or refurbishment plan, including estimated costs
- A summary of a status quo or market-driven plan vs. the proposed major sporting event venue zone plan
- Establish the collection period or periods to calculate the tax increment
- If applicable, establish the timeline to levy additional taxes
- Describe projected maximum revenues generated and the amount of tax increment capture from each taxing entity
- Other available sources of revenue that can be used to reduce the finance gap, including private-public partnerships
- A finance schedule
- A pro forma, including a comparison of the type of development or redevelopment that could occur without the major sporting event venue zone funding vs. the proposed zone funding provided in the proposal
A Major Sporting Event Venue Zone (MSEVZ) proposal can include plans for capturing various tax increments, specifically: 1) property tax increment, 2) local sales and use tax increment, and 3) the implementation of a transient room tax and/or a resort communities sales and use tax.
BEFORE SUBMISSION: The following tasks must be completed prior to submission:
- Public meeting: A public meeting must be held by the legislative body of the creating entity (i.e., the applicant) to approve a zone and provide notice to the public
- Owner consent: Secure the venue owner(s)' consent for zone creation via a participation agreement (to be attached to the application)
- School district feedback: send proposal and discuss requirements with the relevant school district - allow 30 days for response or feedback (to be attached to the application)
SUBMISSION:
- Proposal Submission: The creating entity submits MSEVZ proposal to GOED via the application portal. Contact us at [email protected] to request access to the MSEVZ application portal
- GOED Review: Within 14 days of submission, GOED reviews the proposal and provides notice to the impacted taxing entities
- GOED Consultation: GOED, in consultation with the county assessor, county auditor, and the State Tax Commission, will evaluate the feasibility of administering the tax implications of the proposal and provide findings to the creating entity proposing the major sporting event venue zone
- Applicant Review: Applicant reviews the findings from the consultation and chooses to amend the proposal or move to the committee
- MSEVZ Committee Meeting: Following presentations and discussion, the MSEVZ committee votes to approve as-is, approve with conditions, or deny
- Notice Requirement: It is the responsibility of the municipality to provide notice within 30 days of approval, as outlined in 63N-3-1705
The submission of the proposal creates a major sporting event venue zone (MSEVZ) committee. The committee consists of 11 representatives from interested parties, including taxing entities.
The composition of each MSEVZ committee will vary depending on the taxing entities associated with the proposed MSEVZ and the type of venue in the MSEVZ proposal (Olympic or non-Olympic).
- One GOED representative
- One representative from the creating entity
- One representative, depending on the type of venue included in the proposal:
- If the proposal addresses a venue that will be used during an Olympic Games, one member of the executive committee for the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games
- If the proposal does not include a venue that will be used during an Olympic Games, one individual with expertise in the professional sports industry, appointed by the governor
- One representative from the Office of the State Treasurer
- Two representatives designated by the president of the State Senate
- Two representatives designated by the speaker of the State House of Representatives
- Two representatives from the affected school district
- One representative from the next largest participating taxing entity (after the creating entity and school district)
The committee will review the proposal, and the applicant will present it during the committee meeting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A "creating entity," which is the term used for the proposer of a Major Sporting Event Venue Zone (MSEVZ), must be either a municipality or a county and can be proposed by one or more creating entities.
This means an MSEVZ can be proposed by:
- A single municipality
- A single county
- Multiple entities (one or more municipalities and/or counties) are jointly proposing the MSEVZ