County OKs $2 million for Cabela's museum

PROVO — For $2 million, Utah County residents will, in effect, own 7,000 square feet of museum space when Cabela's builds a Lehi store.

But the part that taxpayers helped finance won't be so easy to spot — It'll just be a spot here and a spot there in the store.

The wildlife museum planned at Cabela's won't be a separate, stand-alone part of the store. It will be mixed in with the tents, fishing poles and outdoor gear that has made Cabela's a favorite with outdoor enthusiasts.

Utah County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the issuance of revenue bonds they promised to the hugely popular sporting goods store scheduled to be built in 2005.

Last week, the commissioners discussed formal approval of the $2 million in bonds that will be repaid with revenue collected from the recently imposed car rental tax but held their decision until they could see exactly what they're buying.

Grover said he understood from the beginning that the museum would be positioned throughout the 150,000-square-foot store.

"They're going to condominium-ize our portion, so yes, it will be discreet, the same as in their other stores," Grover said.

If plans are realized, the store will have a 30-foot mountain replica, a freshwater aquarium stocked with native Utah fish, taxidermy exhibits and antique gun displays.

Grover said as long as the county is assured a dollar-for-dollar value, he's fine with Cabela's sprinkling the taxpayer-funded display spots throughout the store.

Cabela's announced their decision to come to Utah County in August. They'll be in the Traverse Mountain Development in Lehi, just north of U-92.

Annually, a Cabela's store draws up to 4 million visitors.

Lehi taxpayers also are fronting the cost of building roads, parking lots and water and power lines to the store.

City leaders agreed to issue a bond of up to $9 million for infrastructure.

In return, the city will claim 87.5 percent of the sales tax generated by the store to pay back the bond. It will take 20 years to repay the debt the city will incur as a result of the agreement.

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