"The goal would be to attract non-local events to the area that presently cannot be accommodated by existing local facilities," he said.

Funding for the convention center mainly would rely on existing transient room tax, as well as the 1.25 percent of additional hotel tax counties can levy for such projects.

Nine sites for the convention center were evaluated in the study, and that group ultimately was narrowed to five — all near the Marriott.

"In order for a convention center to succeed, it would need to be in close proximity to the Marriott," Ward said, citing the CS&L study.

The recommended site meets that criteria and also presents fewer potential problems with landowners. Provo now has most of the property at the recommended site under contract, Ward said.

The proposed facility also would have the potential for vertical and horizontal expansion.

Ellertson expressed concern that there would be only one hotel in the area of the convention center.

"We probably need more than just the one hotel," he said. "The Marriott is a very nice hotel, but it seems like one of the limitations you're going to have on being able to attract (events) will be hotel rooms."

Ward said he believes the new convention center would attract other hotels, retail shopping and restaurants to the area.

Three hotel chains already have expressed interest in locating near the convention center at the proposed site, Ward said.

A stand-alone convention facility was also studied but proved more costly — a $42 million price tag and an operating deficit of $321,000 before debt service and capital reserve funding.

Provo's City Council responded enthusiastically to the same presentation Monday afternoon. Council members said they want to move quickly before another city like Pleasant Grove can capitalize on the convention-center need.

"I can't understand why anyone would consider a north county site," Provo Councilman George Stewart said. "NuSkin is here. Novell is here. BYU is here. The study emphasized the need at BYU."

The director of BYU Conferences and Workshops told the council that the university does indeed need more convention space close to the university.

"We take some conferences to Park City, some to Salt Lake City and some to Snowbird because we can't accommodate them," Steven Taggart said.

BYU hosts more than 250 events a year, Taggart said.

Stewart indicated the Provo council's willingness to lobby the county and the state Legislature. He even said the council likely would provide some cash to the project during the next phase of building partnerships.

"Appropriations like that would be strong signal from the city," Ward said.

Ward said the study indicated a new convention center combined with the Marriott Hotel could lure an additional 246 events to Provo each year.

All four council members at the meeting made positive statements about the proposed project, and Ward and Provo Mayor Lewis Billings fueled the excitement by pointing out that the Provo proposal is at least 18 months, if not years, ahead of other proposed convention center projects in Utah Valley.

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Contributing: Tad Walch

E-mail: jpage@desnews.com