Convention center study sought

PROVO — Utah County commissioners want to learn more about how other convention centers in Utah have been funded before committing any money to the construction of such a facility in downtown Provo.

Provo Mayor Lewis Billings and the City Council are seeking a partnership with the county on a proposed $32 million, 80,000-square-foot facility adjacent to the Provo Marriott in downtown Provo.

In August, the Provo City Council unanimously endorsed the proposal, but the county commission has been reluctant to make such a commitment. Commissioners have said they must weigh the Provo proposal against interest for convention centers in Orem, Lehi and Pleasant Grove.

Billings and members of the City Council joined Commissioners Larry Ellertson and Jerry Grover — with Commissioner Steve White participating by conference call — at a joint work meeting Monday morning to discuss the proposal.

Bill Kruger, a consultant from Conventions, Sports & Leisure International, reviewed the work that went into the November 2005 feasibility study and the consulting firm's recommendations for a conference center in the county seat.

"It was a chance to answer questions and decide what to do next and if we want to try and move this whole project forward," said Paul Glauser, director of Provo's redevelopment agency.

At the request of county and Provo elected officials, Provo city staff will examine the funding sources of comparable facilities in the state, such as the Davis Conference Center, that have been built in recent years, Glauser said.

"We hope to have that information in a couple of weeks," Ellertson said. "At that point, we'll readdress the issue of a resolution (on the proposed partnership)."

The new convention center could bring 250 additional conventions to Provo each year, generating an annual countywide economic impact of between $10 million and $14 million, according to the CS&L study.

The proposal calls for the conference center to be built on the corner of 100 North and Freedom Boulevard, complete with underground parking facilities and a skywalk connecting the center to the Marriott.

---

E-MAIL: jpage@desnews.com