Miller Foundation donates $25M for new arts center in South Jordan

Larry H. & Gail Miller Foundation is donating $25 million for construction of a new regional art center in South Jordan in a partnership with Salt Lake County.

In addition to the financial contribution, Larry H. Miller Real Estate donated three acres of land in Daybreak, where the company is building a new sports and entertainment district, including a minor league baseball stadium for the Salt Lake Bees. Miller Sports + Entertainment and Larry H. Miller Real Estate plan to celebrate the final pieces of sod being laid at Daybreak Field at America First Square on Wednesday. The stadium is scheduled to open next April.

The arts center is expected to have an 800-seat proscenium theater, offering a venue for small- to mid-sized performing groups, a visual art gallery and classrooms. This center will provide performance, rehearsal, creation and exhibition space and technical support to meet the needs of the southwest valley.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for January 2026, with the center expected to open its doors in early 2028.

Salt Lake County is proposing to name the venue the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Arts Center in acknowledgement of the donation. The County Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed name Oct. 22.

“We believe that the arts have a profound ability to enrich lives, foster connection and strengthen communities,” Gail Miller, chair of the Miller Family Foundation and co-founder of the Larry H. Miller Company, said in a press release. “This donation is an investment in the future of our community, providing a space where creativity can thrive and where people of all backgrounds can experience the transformative power of the arts. We are honored to work with Salt Lake County to support the creation of this new arts center and look forward to seeing the impact it will have for generations to come.”

Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson in a statement lauded the Millers and said their “unwavering commitment to the arts in our community is inspiring, and this new venue will be a vital cultural hub for the rapidly growing southwest valley.”

The venue will be managed and operated by the Salt Lake County Arts & Culture division, which also oversees Abravanel Hall, Capitol Theatre, Eccles Theater, the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center and the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.

West side initiative

Last week, the Miller Family Foundation launched the Westside Community Grant, an initiative aimed at supporting nonprofit organizations on Salt Lake City’s west side, with an initial $500,000 investment.

The grant initiative supports 501(c)(3) organizations that align with the foundation’s five platforms: health and medicine, shelter and food security, education and skill development, jobs and economic self-reliance, and cultural and spiritual enrichment.

Four local nonprofits — NeighborWorks, University Neighborhood Partners, Comunidad Materna, and the Pacific Heritage Academy — received grants in the pilot phase of the program.

The foundation this year contributed over $3 million to several organizations on the west side of Salt Lake City and the Salt Lake Valley, including Neighborhood House, Guadalupe School, Switchpoint, the Food Pharmacy at the University of Utah’s health clinic in Rose Park, Utah Arts Alliance, Chicanos Por La Causa, The Children’s Center and Proxima.

The Larry H. Miller Company is leading an effort to bring a Major League Baseball franchise to Salt Lake City. A stadium would be part of a $3.5 billion mixed-use development the company is building on the west side near the Utah State Fairpark. Groundbreaking for the project is scheduled for next year.