Work on Utah County convention center set for fall

Work on Utah County convention center set for fall
Provo » Officials say facility will help boost economy of the area.

By Donald W. Meyers
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated:02/19/2010 08:11:15 PM MST


As Utah County Commissioner Gary Anderson sees it, the county is riding a "perfect storm" with its proposed convention center.

First, due to a down economy, the county was able to get a low interest rate on the bonds for the project, and bids for the work are coming in below engineers' estimates.

And, with construction slated to begin on the $45 million project this fall, the Utah County Convention Center should be ready to take advantage of an upturning economy. Businesses should be ready to spend money on conventions and conferences when it opens in the spring of 2012.

"The thing I think is best about it is that it is not our taxpayers who are going to pay for it," Anderson said. "It is the tourists." The county will use tourism tax money to pay off the bond and cover its operating costs.

The county announced Friday that construction will begin on the project this fall and unveiled architectural renderings of the center prepared by Salt Lake City architect MHTN and Kansas City, Mo. designer Populous. The center will be built on the corner of 100 North and Center Street, occupying space now used by Atchafalaya bar, the Food and Care Coalition and Mountainland Community Health.

The county and Provo officials entered into an agreement to build the center. Provo purchased the clinic and the food bank buildings and in turn sold them to the county for the convention center. The city will also provide parking for the convention center.

The brick-and-glass building is designed to harmonize with the city's historic downtown. The front of the building would include a plaza to serve as a downtown gathering place.

Inside, the center would feature a 21,000-square-foot exhibition hall on the first floor, an 18,000-square-foot ballroom and space that can be partitioned into meeting rooms.

Anderson and Joel Racker, president and chief executive of the Utah Valley Convention and Visitor's Bureau, said the center will be a boon for Utah County as it will hopefully attract large conventions to the city and keep meetings in town that would otherwise go north.

"It won't be the Salt Palace or the South Towne [Exposition] Center, but we will be able to keep Nu Skin and other big people down here," Anderson said.

Racker said the ballroom at the Provo Marriott is not large enough to accommodate Nu Skin's annual conventions, which go to Salt Lake County. He sees the center extending the county's reach to Salt Lake City and possibly beyond.

"We are going to be able to compete with some groups regionally for conferences," Racker said. "This will allow us to host many regional events."

dmeyers@sltrib.com