Provo Council backs convention center

PROVO — The Provo City Council unanimously endorsed a proposal for a new downtown convention center during a meeting Tuesday night.

The endorsement signals the city's desire to host the $32 million center, a message meant to encourage the Utah County Commission to agree to be a partner in the project.

Provo council members said last month they are willing to lobby the county for the 80,000-square-foot center on city-owned property. The Utah Valley Convention Center Task Force recommended last month that the center be built on the corner of 100 North and Freedom Boulevard and include a skyway over Freedom Boulevard to connect it to the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.

The new convention center would bring 250 additional conventions to Provo each year worth $10 million to $14 million, according to a study by Conventions, Sports & Leisure International.

County commissioners have said they must weigh the Provo proposal against interest for convention centers in Orem, Lehi and Pleasant Grove.