Provo may get convention center

PROVO — Empowered by a feasibility study and new legislation that allows them to charge a hotel room tax, Provo and Utah County politicians and business leaders are working on the details of a plan to bring a new convention center to Utah Valley.

Late last year, a feasibility study by three national groups found that despite Provo's proximity to convention centers in Salt Lake City and the existence of space at Brigham Young University and Utah Valley State College's McKay Events Center, a need exists for additional convention space in Utah Valley.

The study suggested a new $29 million building with 80,000 square feet across the street from Provo's downtown Marriott Hotel. A local task force, however, is looking at an alternative — about 50,000 square feet for about $15 million.

A convention-center proposal could be finalized next month and presented to the Provo City Council and Utah County Commission in mid-June.

"There is a need in our community to provide for larger conventions that we're now turning away," said Kelly Ward, a task force member and Zions Bank executive.

The task force is embracing a concept that would add the new space to the Marriott. The addition would be on an adjacent block, but would be connected by an underground tunnel or a skywalk and operations could be handled by Sunstone Properties, which owns the Marriott franchise on Center Street.

"The study suggested a freestanding facility separate from what we have now," said Paul Glauser, director of Provo's redevelopment agency. "Realistically, it makes more sense to make it more of an extension of the Provo Marriott Hotel, though probably not on the same block, but connected."

Funding would come mainly from a transient room tax. In March, the state Legislature passed a bill that allows counties to charge up to 1.25 percent for hotel rooms to pay for projects such as the proposed convention center.

If the tax were implemented today, it would generate about $14 million, Ward said. The task force would seek additional funding from Provo, Utah County and the state.

County commissioners have expressed support for a convention center if it benefits the entire county. Ward said task force members believe the best location is next to the county's only five-star hotel. There has been some interest in building a convention center in the north end of the valley, near Thanksgiving Point or elsewhere in Lehi.