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Salt Lake City library employees voted to form a union this week after a two-year organizing process.

Utah has its first union of public library employees.

Salt Lake City library workers voted overwhelmingly, 92% of eligible employees to be exact, to form a union this week. The election caps a big week for public union organizers in the Beehive State after a referendum effort to overturn a bill that would prohibit public-sector collective bargaining gathered enough signatures to qualify for the 2026 ballot.

“We, as workers, are looking forward to negotiating our first contract,” associate librarian Christina Ordonez said in a news release. “We’ve always been here for our community, and we finally have the tools to advocate for ourselves and for each other.”

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The library union will affiliate with the national American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or the AFSCME, which also represents some other Salt Lake City staffers. The union election comes after the City Council approved guardrails for the unionization process in February.

Back then, it was unclear how exactly HB267, the anti-collective bargaining bill passed by the Utah Legislature, would shake out.

Now, it’s likely that law will be put on hold once the clock runs out for referendum opponents seeking to get signers to take their names off of the petition.

Some Salt Lake City librarians first announced their intent to form a union in April 2023. Organizers say they’re looking for more sway in library decision-making on safety concerns, health care benefits and wages.

Under the resolution paving the path for unionization, full- and part-time library employees will be eligible to join.

The union will start negotiating its first collective bargaining agreement next. Library leaders have previously said they expect the agreement on working conditions to be hammered out by fiscal 2027.

County clerks in Utah have verified more than 140,000 signatures gathered by a coalition of labor groups in support of putting HB267 to a statewide referendum.

“We are moving forward in the hopes that Utahns will vote in the best interests of their public workers,” local AFSCME President Jerry Philpot said in a news release. “This isn’t just about union rights — it’s about protecting the people who serve our communities every single day.”

AEG Presents has announced its acquisition of The Complex, a major live music venue in downtown Salt Lake City. The move marks the entertainment giant’s first owned and operated venue in Utah’s capital, underscoring its commitment to supporting the region’s growing live music market.

Located at 536 West 100 South, The Complex has been a cornerstone of Salt Lake City’s music scene since opening in 2010. The venue features several event spaces, including its largest indoor hall Rockwell (2,500 capacity), The Grand (850 capacity), and The Lot, an outdoor area that can accommodate up to 4,000 guests for summer shows.

“The Complex is the backbone of live music in Salt Lake City,” said Don Strasburg, President of AEG Presents’ Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest Regional Offices. “We’re thrilled to bring AEG Presents’ knowledge, relationships, and resources together with the management team to enhance the already stellar artist and patron experience.”

Over the years, The Complex has hosted a diverse range of top-tier acts including Billie Eilish, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, Slayer, Megan Moroney, and Macklemore. Beyond concerts, it has served as a venue for private events, fundraisers, weddings, and even television broadcasts, welcoming over 2 million visitors since opening.

The venue will continue operating under its current leadership, with Xavier Frey booking shows as Talent Buyer for AEG Presents and Paul Brucks staying on as General Manager.

“After 15 years as an integral part of the Salt Lake City music scene, we’re looking forward to taking things to the next level as an AEG Presents venue,” said Brucks. “This will allow us to expand on our mission to provide an exceptional live music experience for our community.”

The acquisition comes as Salt Lake City’s live entertainment landscape continues to grow, with increased demand for both emerging and established touring acts.

More information and upcoming events can be found at The Complex’s official website.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Complex is getting a big new owner.

AEG Presents, a section of the global entertainment giant Anschutz Entertainment Group, announced Thursday that it has acquired the large Salt Lake venue located just west of The Gateway at 536 W. 100 South. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the new owners say existing staff will be retained, while it will help book future shows with a few other booking agencies.

"The Complex is the backbone of live music in Salt Lake City. We have always loved promoting shows at the Complex and are so thrilled to bring AEG Presents' knowledge, relationships and resources together with the entire management team," said Don Strasburg, president of AEG Presents' Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest regional offices.

The Complex debuted in 2010. It currently offers two indoor stages, as well as an outdoor venue space, which have brought in some of the top music artists since opening. It also serves as a venue for weddings, fundraisers and other events, such as an NBA on TNT broadcast site when Salt Lake City hosted the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend festivities.

It now joins AEG Presents' portfolio, which consists of nearly 50 venues nationwide, including notable concert halls like Terminal 5 in New York City, the Masonic Temple in Detroit, and the Ogden Theatre in Denver. The company also oversees major tours from leading musical artists and comedians.

However, AEG Presents is part of a much larger conglomerate with arenas, venues and events all over the world, even operating major festivals like California's massive Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. The overarching company also owns massive entertainment districts in Los Angeles, London and Berlin.

While it's unclear what's next for the Complex, Strasburg added the company is "diligently reviewing every opportunity to enhance the already stellar patron and artist experience" to provide "even better world-class experiences."

"We're looking forward to taking things to the next level as an AEG Presents venue," said Paul Brucks, general manager of the Complex. "We've always been focused on providing the exceptional live music experience for our community, and this will allow us to expand on that endeavor."

The Complex ownership made headlines a few years ago when they were federally charged in a drug money laundering scheme. The venue's founder, Gabriel Elstein, was ultimately sentenced to three years of probation earlier this year, along with two other defendants in the case, the Park Record reported.

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In the quiet after midnight of early Thursday, residents across the Salt Lake City and Heber areas of Utah were awoken, not by the usual calls of the night but by the Earth's stirring beneath their feet. A 3.9 magnitude earthquake was felt broadly, its vibrations reaching from the quake's epicenter located near Independence, Utah, as confirmed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). According to FOX Weather, the tremor was detected barely two miles northwest of the town, rattling the region just after midnight.

Reports of the shake didn't wait for dawn as locals turned to their devices, with trembling hands perhaps, to recount their nocturnal surprise. KSL TV, as part of these shared narratives, received multiple reports from as far north as Sandy, despite the USGS reporting, as KSL TV recorded, that the quake's impact spread to a minimum distance of 30 kilometers. The depths of the Earth had also felt the quake’s movement, having reached 11.3 kilometers down into its crust, signifying a potent reminder of the forces that lay unseen below our feet.

Communities such as Springville, Provo, Orem, and sections of Salt Lake City experienced the shaking, which was felt across both the Utah and Salt Lake Valleys. The earthquake, occurring about 5 kilometers west of Independence, was reported by the seismograph stations at the University of Utah, according to FOX 13. Residents have been encouraged to submit their experiences to the USGS, adding data points to the ongoing collection and analysis by scientists and local authorities.

The Utah Hockey Club wrapped its first season in a temporarily modified Delta Center in Salt Lake City this year. Now, Smith Entertainment Group, which owns the state’s NHL franchise, unveiled how it would remodel the arena to permanently accommodate hockey and basketball.

One of the main events in the transformation is the implementation of a retractable seating system in the Utah arena’s lower bowl “that accommodates a nearly 12-foot variance in elevation between rink and court endlines to offer optimal sightlines for both the NBA and NHL,” according to a news release. It’s a first of its kind in a dual-use arena, Smith Entertainment Group said of the feature.

With the hockey configuration, there will also be added capacity behind the goals and above and around the event tunnels on the north and south side of the lower bowl. For basketball, the riser system will have 29 rows of retractable seats that are able to extend over 28 feet.

Ryan and Ashley Smith, co-founders of Smith Entertainment group, said in a statement that while adding an ice rink inside an arena designed to host basketball is challenging — since the rink must be nearly double the size of a basketball court — they are excited to get started on the challenge.

“This transformation will create the most compelling, welcoming, and exciting experience for hockey fans, while also allowing us to maintain the steep vertical seating for basketball that has made Delta Center such a dynamic venue with its loud atmosphere that energizes our players night after night,” the Smiths said.

Utah Legislature passed 2024 bill to create sports, entertainment district in SLC

With these renovations, the Delta Center is expected to increase its seating capacity from 11,131 to about 17,000 for hockey, and from 18,206 seats to nearly 19,000 for the Utah Jazz.

This is a major part of what Senate Bill 272, a 2024 bill that created a sports and entertainment district in Salt Lake City’s downtown, intended. The legislation allowed the city to start collecting a 0.5% sales tax increase for 30 years to raise about $900 million for the arena’s renovations as well as redevelopment for three blocks of the neighborhood.

Smith Entertainment Group estimates that $525 million will be used on the remodel of the Delta Center and $375 million will go to cover costs to develop the district. While the deal with the state and the city includes a participation agreement in which the company committed to fund programs and spaces for the public, Salt Lakers remained divided on whether taxpayer dollars should be used for this endeavor.

Ultimately, the city signed onto the agreement. And, after the 2025 legislative session, the state created more tools to fund renovations to the Salt Palace Convention Center, also a landmark of the downtown district.

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On Tuesday, the Salt Lake County Council voted unanimously to approve selling 6.5 acres of county-owned property — between South Temple and 100 South, and 200 and 300 West — to Smith Entertainment Group.

The area hosts an exhibit hall space at the convention center and it’s surrounded by the Delta Center, Japantown, Abravanell Hall, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art and City Creek Center, according to a release.

“This is more than a land transaction — it’s a catalyst for long-term growth, a stronger downtown, and significant benefits to residents across Salt Lake County,” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said in a statement. “The redevelopment of this property will generate millions in tax revenue, attract major national and international events, and ensure Salt Lake City remains a premier destination for sports, entertainment, cultural events and tourism.”

Construction starts this summer for the Delta Center remodel, but it will take multiple years to complete, with work being done during the summer when the teams are off-season. The plans also include an east-side entrance to connect with the downtown district, and a new parking garage at the back of the arena.

Utah News Dispatch, like the Idaho Capital Sun, is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Utah News Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor McKenzie Romero for questions: info@utahnewsdispatch.com.

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