Provo seeks funds to improve arts center

PROVO — Provo Mayor Lewis Billings hasn't wasted time setting out to accomplish one of his New Year's goals — finding funding for an improved Provo Arts Center.

At Billings' urging, the Provo City Council this week authorized the mayor to borrow $2 million to go toward the hoped-for $8 million transformation of the former city library into a 720-seat performance center.

The project is geared toward providing a venue for Utah Valley performing groups that perform in high school auditoriums or the Provo Tabernacle, among them the Utah Regional Ballet and Utah Valley Symphony.

Provo will repay the $2 million with property-tax increments generated over the next 15 years by Provo City Redevelopment Agency projects.

State law allows those funds to be directed toward public facilities, though this is the first time the city has taken advantage of the provision.

Provo City Council executive director Ted Dowling said the new arts center has been in the planning and proposal stage for two years, with funding the only hurdle left to jump. The former library, 425 W. Center, is used for a handful of events.

"They're using it now, but it's not a very performance-oriented facility," Dowling said.

Coupled with private donations, the $2 million puts project funds at around $5 million.

Provo officials and Arts Council members are looking high and low to find the remaining $3 million needed, applying for government and performing arts center grants as well as soliciting the community.

Provo Redevelopment Agency director Paul Glauser brought the possibility of using the increments to the mayor's attention last fall and says the project would not only provide an arts venue but would help revitalize downtown.

"We see conversion of what's been a former library building into a performing arts center as kind of the bookend of the west end of Center Street, to go along with other projects already done at the east end of Center Street," Glauser said. "That will help convince private property owners that it makes sense to invest in downtown Center Street, so we'll gradually see fill-in of other redevelopment take place."

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