Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

The 2034 Winter Olympics may nearly be a decade away but Utah County leaders and stakeholders already are thinking about how to prepare for the world’s premier sporting event.

Provo, a solidified venue city, hosted athletes during the 2002 Winter Games. The International Olympic Committee has listed Peaks Ice Arena once again as a facility in 2034 for ice hockey.

But much has changed over the past two decades in the Beehive State, not least of all Utah County’s significant growth.

With a burgeoning population, booming tech sector and infrastructure developments, officials are exploring ways to elevate Utah Valley’s role during the 2034 Games outside of Provo.

On Friday, as the opening ceremonies for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris were underway, Utah County mayors, county commissioners, the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce and members of the business community gathered at Topgolf in Vineyard to deliberate readiness for Utah’s next Olympic adventure.

Rick Bowmer, Associated Press

They discussed current preparations, potential venue/event site locations and the newly formed Olympic Task Force, led by Utah County Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner.

The task force will rally support among various stakeholders to make the most out of the 10-year planning window to build and grow together.

“We’ll hopefully liaise with the (Olympic) organizing committee and see what things we can do to support them and their efforts but really highlight Utah County in the process,” Powers Gardner said.

At its core, the task force aims to enhance transportation infrastructure to accommodate new growth and visitors; highlight the economy, workforce and innovations; and build on the unique character of each community as the county continues to shape its future, according to a press release.

In 2002, much of the focus during the Winter Games was throughout Salt Lake County and in Park City. “At the time, Utah County was kind of an afterthought,” Powers Gardner said. ” Other than the Provo venue, we were kind of a flyover county, where you get to Provo, then Salt Lake and nothing in between.”

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

For 2034, the hope is to utilize future developments to boost tourism and events in Utah County.

“​​I would love to see another venue here,” Powers Gardner said.

That’s something Lehi Mayor Mark Johnson also is thinking about. “Well, we’d love to be considered for a venue,” he told the Daily Herald.

Twelve of the existing venues used during the ’02 games are slated to be utilized again in 2034, though one temporary venue for big air snowboarding will need to be built, according to an IOC commission report.

Lehi officials have identified six property sites ranging from 10 to 37 acres where a potential practice venue could be built, offering new opportunities for the 2034 Olympics.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

One location Johnson mentioned would be an undeveloped area near the new Lehi Family Park that’s set to open this fall.

Johnson said he’s been approached by short-track speed skaters about what building a practice venue in Lehi could look like. That interest sparked due to the success of Lehi’s temporary ice skating rink the city tested out last winter.

“And we think if we can get a venue here, it’s going to stay busy long after the Olympics is here,” Johnson said.

He also believes the city’s continued growth and geographic location makes Lehi a prime spot for world-class athletes.

Recent census data showed Lehi as the fastest-growing city in the state, now with over 90,000 residents.

Further south, officials project Utah City, a mixed-use development in Vineyard that currently is under construction, will become Utah County’s downtown hub, according to a press release.

With walkable spaces, future hotels, housing, access to transit and Utah Lake, and expansion plans at nearby Provo Airport, Vineyard leaders believe Utah City could be an epicenter for athletes and visiting families.

“People that are visiting can take advantage of those opportunities,” Vineyard City Manager Eric Ellis said. “So I would just encourage us to work with our transit folks and others to really develop that public transit system.”

The Mountainland Association of Governments has listed several plans to accommodate the county’s growth, from expanded freeways to broader rail and transit systems, to alleviate congestion by 2050.

By the time Utah’s Olympic sequel arrives in 2034, the state will have doubled in population since the 2002 Winter Games, according to the Kem C. Gardner Institute.

And Utah Valley may have a lot to do with that growth, leaders believe.

“Utah County is growing faster than Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties combined,” Powers Gardner said. “And we have space, so we will be the economic engine and the growth engine of the state by that time.”

The Utah County commissioner said she plans to collaborate with city leaders to identify ways to attract more eyes and events to Utah Valley and work with state leaders and the Utah Olympic planning committee to acquire the needed resources and funding.

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