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Provo • The Utah Valley Convention Center's interior is still mainly concrete and drywall, but Joel Racker sees something else.
The chief executive of the Utah Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau sees wedding receptions on the fifth-floor terrace, with its stunning view of Mount Timpanogos. He sees business types milling about in glass-walled lobbies outside ballrooms and exhibition floors.
And he sees business meetings that have gone to Salt Lake City coming back — and pumping dollars into Utah County's economy.
"This will be an economic generator," Racker says. "When things are going on here, it will push business into Spanish Fork and into Pleasant Grove."
The $40 million convention center, at the corner of Freedom Boulevard (200 West) and Center Street, is expected to open in May. In fact, meetings are already booked for the 120,000-square-foot building.
The county and Provo entered a partnership four years ago to build the center. The city provided the land and the county is financing the project with bonds covered by restaurant and hotel taxes.
County Commission Vice Chairman Gary Anderson says the convention center is vital.
"It is one of the crown jewels of our infrastructure," Anderson says, along with three planned transportation upgrades: Interstate 15 reconstruction, FrontRunner commuter rail and bus-rapid transit.
Anderson notes the county secured bonds at lower rates, reducing the cost of the convention center, and points to better-than-expected building bookings.
But Joel Wright, who made the project an issue in his race against Anderson two years ago, wants more than promises and projections.
"We need a full accounting," Wright says, "of what was budgeted, when was the building supposed to open and whether it went over budget."
He also wants assurance that county taxpayers will not have to pay a dime for the building's operation or its debt.
Racker insists the budget and construction are on target. Global Spectrum, the company tapped to manage the center, has sold $250,000 worth of bookings so far, with the first meeting scheduled for May 15-17.
The bonds will be paid off through hotel and restaurant taxes, Racker says, meaning that those using the center will pay for it.
Utah County doesn't expect to compete with Salt Lake County for large conventions. Instead, Racker aims to snag the smaller meetings that previously passed over Provo.
The center offers almost 27,000 square feet of ballrooms, which can be subdivided, along with a 20,000-square-foot exhibit hall.
With silver status under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards, the building also will be attractive to green-conscious companies.
John Cockrell, Okland Construction's project manager, says crews achieved the rating through a variety of means. For instance, they recycled waste material and installed glass walls to let in more natural light. They even used recyclable material for the west wall, so it can be easily removed if the building is expanded — something Racker looks forward to.
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More about the Provo center
The LEED-certified Utah Valley Convention Center features 27,000 square feet of ballrooms, including a nearly 17,000-square-foot grand ballroom, and a 20,000-square-foot exhibit hall.
The $40 million building also will house the Utah Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The first booking is scheduled for May 15-17.