Orem goes to bat for stadium

OREM — Although largely funded by private donations, Utah Valley State College's planned baseball stadium will receive a significant donation from the city of Orem.

In a letter obtained by the Deseret Morning News, Mayor Jerry Washburn said the City Council is supportive of paying $250,000 toward the bond repayment that the school seeks to fund stadium construction.

City residents need not worry, though. Taxes are not going up, City Manager Jim Reams said.

Washburn said the city will use funds allocated for recreation projects to pay for the new stadium, which is likely to cost at least $3.4 million. The city used similar recreation dollars to build the recently opened SCERA Park pools.

If all goes well, the city might not have to shell out the quarter million from its own pocket. Orem officials are actively pursuing donors to help cover the offer.

"We're still talking to people," Reams said. "We're trying to find somebody to cover that $250,000."

At least two donors have pledged a combined $1.9 million toward the stadium, which will house UVSC's baseball team and the Provo Angels, a minor league baseball team.

That includes a $1.7 million donation from the owners of Parkway Crossing, a large student apartment complex in Orem. That hefty gift secured naming rights to the stadium for the group.

The school will likely issue a bond through Utah County. Like a mortgage on a house, the school can obtain a lump sum up front to pay for the stadium and pay it back over the years through bond payments. Val Peterson, UVSC's vice president for administration and external affairs, said he will send a letter to the County Commission this week seeking approval for the bond.

County Commissioner Gary Herbert said the county is also considering pledging additional funds to help build the stadium.

"That depends on what they need," Herbert said. "If they want $1 million from us, it probably can't happen. If they want $50,000, that's probably something that could happen.

"If they can raise it all privately, they may not need any money from us."

UVSC will spend $250,000 to pay off a portion of the bond, Peterson said. The school is currently trying to secure another quarter-million-dollar donor, which would put the total donations at $3.25 million. Another donor has pledged in-kind construction help valued at nearly $300,000 for the stadium, Peterson said.