Athletes are not the only ones with sights on the Olympics. Sandy, UT, Mayor Monica Zoltanski has a vision to put her city on the map when the Winter Olympics come to Salt Lake in 2034. That vision starts with the new Utah Hockey Club practice facility, but will not stop there, Zoltanski says.

“Creating that space, whether it’s going to be welcoming teams from the practice area, or a gathering space,” she said during a recent panel discussion. “You know, you can get from the airport to Sandy City Hall faster than getting from the airport to Rice Eccles, so [there could] be a great medal ceremony in Sandy.”

The new facility broke ground in August and is scheduled for completion in 2025. It is being constructed by Smith Entertainment Group at the Shops at South Town.

Utah Hockey Club has made it clear that when the team is not using the space, the ice will be open to the public.

“One thing that many of you do or don’t know about hockey that may be different than other sports is when our guys are off the ice, the community is going to be on the ice,” said Ryan Smith, the owner of Utah Hockey Club. “Hopefully, these are your kids, these are your grandkids, these are your friends. Our goal is obviously that not only are we bringing NHL to Utah, but we are truly building out this sport.”

Hosting the Olympics is big business with some studies showing the games boosting regional GDP per capita 3-4 percent relative to national level for the year before and the year of competition.

As part of the broader vision to grow Sandy prior to the 2034 Winter Olympics, Sandy is also updating their outdoor promenade and will use the space for concerts and large-scale community events such as the Fourth of July.

Utah Hockey Club is currently using the Utah Olympic Oval to practice while the new facility is under construction.