Gov. Mike Leavitt, wielding a pair of scissors, snipped a ribbon and officially opened Sevier County's first convention center Tuesday evening.
The governor flew to Richfield to participate in the officials opening of the new $5.3 million center and addressed the public and members of the Richfield Area Chamber of Commerce at the organization's annual banquet.The convention center is on the campus of the Sevier Valley Applied Technology Center. During his remarks, Leavitt discussed issues ranging from a need for cooperation and negotiation among factions that disagree about management of Utah's federal lands to his always "feeling at home" in southern Utah.
The new convention center will enhance the area's ability to host conventions, says Carl Albrecht, president of the technology center's governing board. The building also includes additional classrooms for the technology center.
The 32,000 square-foot facility, with a seating capacity of 1,000, is just one phase of an expansion program at the technology center. Construction of an information technical services center at the technology center is also under way, as well as a student housing facility in Richfield's downtown business area. The technology center will also provide backup for the state government's computer system.
A performing arts center, which will seat up to 1,500, is in the planning stages, and officials are working on obtaining contributions. It is anticipated that legislative funding will ultimately help build that center. A cooperative effort between the city and Sevier Valley Technology Center has seen other projects developed and completed.
A new street development near the technology center, a parking lot and construction of four new ball fields were completed through cooperative projects. Richfield officials have provided water for campus improvements and obtained funding through the Utah Community Impact Board, but the city is not responsible for financial obligations.
The struggle for financing of projects at the technology center has been a long and difficult process, particularly in putting together a financial package, according to Kim Blackburn, assistant superintendent of operations. It has stretched over several years, requiring constant efforts by the technology centerand city personnel to get enough money for special programs, especially for classroom expansion and the convention center.
The first proposal for $3.4 million in funding was denied by the Community Impact Board in April 1992, followed by another presentation in May of that year. Pledges were made to raise some $400,000 locally. A $2.2 million grant was authorized by the Utah Legislature and a similar amount obtained from the Community Impact Board. But that left the project still lacking $600,000. The 1993 Legislature allowed the center to bond for that amount.
The Utah Legislature gave applied technology centers the same bonding capabilities as higher education institutions. Legislators were not particularly fond of revenue bonding for technology centers and the bill required officials to show sufficient future revenue to amortize the bonds.
A $435,000 grant was also authorized to be applied toward the road and parking lot projects at the technology center. These were completed in the fall of 1994.
The Sevier Valley Applied Tehnology Center has a higher utilization of usage than the averages of the state's applied technology centers. Those average about 60 percent while the tech averages more than 70 percent, the institution's officials noted.