Dunk’d: What we feel is missing from Vivint Smart Home Arena’s renovation plans

Vivint Smart Home Arena announced a better look at the renovations undertaking the building and its grounds. The new animation video shows a greater look at the suites and lounges the Utah Jazz will provide its more—well—weathly patrons. There are courtside suites for those privileged to see the game from the arena’s front row, a level four executive club, a level 3 loge box, level 4 suite, the WCF Insurance Loge Club, and Level Six Social Corner.

All these new improvements are improving the suites and lounges for the Utah Jazz. While it’s obvious the Utah Jazz have lagged behind in this department, hopefully, the common fan is not being left behind to corporate sponsors and the richer among us. While they deserved to be catered to, our hope here at SLC Dunk is Utah doesn’t forget it was the 80% of Jazz fans who are upper bowl ticket holders and single or multi-game goers who have supported this team.

It was with this thinking in mind that we went to our staff and had them answer the question: what do they feel is missing from Vivint Smart Home Arena’s renovation plans?

Vivint Arena will unveil new video of upcoming changes

vivintarena.com

If there’s no Crown Burger inside the stadium, you’ve done it wrong.

Jazzyman

Softer seats

The only wish I had for arena improvement was softer seats. That has already been confirmed, so I’m pretty content. Everything else will just be gravy.

DWest

Jerry Sloan Statue

We at SLC Dunk have talked about this before, but I think a statue of Jerry Sloan is in order. We just have to have one. On a more wishful note, I’m hoping for a statue of Gordon Hayward someday. As far as the new renovations are concerned, I like them. If nothing else, they're a further sign that the team is here to stay for a long, long time.

Secondarily, as I mentioned to the staff earlier, my resolve to someday be rich enough to enjoy the new amenities without draining my savings has been strengthened.

Tavan

Functioning Wi-Fi

The new renovations look pretty sweet. A winning team has looked even better. My recommendations: Please turn down the volume on the speakers. Give us normal folk something to be excited about other than seat cushions. I’ve heard/read about Wi-Fi potentially being offered, I just hope it’s actually useable. I also think an interactive app could be cool, which could include everything from tickets, food purchasing with pickup times, polls, in-arena games, etc.

James Hansen

Good food at the top too!

I understand that I have not produced enough monetary value in this life to have access to suites in the arena. I may have spent too much time not being smarter and making the money necessary to have access to the plethora of new suites in the arena. But can you do one thing for me, Utah Jazz arena people? Can you at least give us upper bowl types good food at the top?

Think of it like Roman times when the rich would toss out bread to the heathens. But for this, make it like a gourmet hot dog stuffed with jalapeños and cheese. Or maybe a jalapeño stuffed with a hot dog and cheese. Or, or.. well, maybe this is how I’ve gotten to this point. But don’t just give us popcorn and cheap nachos. Make them gourmet! GOURMET!

Mylo

Museum Dedicated to Utah’s ABA and NBA past

Having lived in Indiana and gone to many a Pacers game, one of my favorite aspects of the Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is how the whole arena feels like a basketball exhibit at a museum. Entering the Fieldhouse you see the entire stadium. On the base floor corridor there is a giant mural showing off Indiana’s ABA and NBA past. It shows great players in its history, defining moments, trophies, and memories.

Indiana’s Fieldhouse feels like it is dedicated to the common fan. Scratch that, it doesn’t make you feel separated from the rich and that there’s a class structure at the game: rich in the suites, poor in the nosebleeds. It feels like all are on equal footing. That’s what I worry with Vivint and the improvements that Utah is making. They are making a lot of improvements to cater to the heavy hitters because that’s where the majority of their revenue comes from. I get that. Purdue MBA grad here gets that more than anyone. But the majority of the ambience that comes from a game—the cheering, the screaming, the passionate fanbase who can relate stories of Stockton/Malone from years ago—that comes from those fans in the nosebleeds or people like me who pay to get lower bowl tickets but only go to 2-3 games a year because I have to drive from Boise to get there.

All I ask of the Utah Jazz is don’t sell out. Remember what got you here. Remember who has backed you. Don’t forget about us little people who stan for you but are limited by middle class problems.

What improvements would you like to see in the new arena?