Provo's community recreation center has been patiently waiting its turn in line behind an arts center and a convention center.

Now the city is looking for a consultant to update its feasibility study and move the rec center forward. The council moved $50,000 into the budget three years ago, but nothing has been done with it yet.

"The mayor kind of felt very strongly that our focus needed to be on the arts center," said Parks and Recreation Director Roger Thomas.

The reason for a new community center is two-fold:

• The buildings being used are old and in constant need of repair. Thomas says the recreation center is in its 30s, while the Eldred Senior Center is in its 40s and The Center, which was once the Teen Center, is in its 50s.

• The city maintains multiple buildings that could essentially be merged into one multifarious structure. Running three centers costs the city about $750,000 a year.

"That's one of the things we're asking them to look at. Is it better to have all those things located in one spot?" Thomas said.

Consolidation is something Councilman Steve Turley would like to see.

"All these satellite facilities are extremely expensive to maintain," he said.

The city wants to see the consultant's results by Aug. 1, including general plan, amenities, prime location and cost estimates. As of now, there are no official cost estimates.

"At this point I really wouldn't even venture a guess," Thomas said.

The city will also be running a parallel task force looking at many of the same things as a point of comparison come August, he said.

Once the plans and numbers are out, it will likely be up to voters to decide whether it's worth it.

"Our hope is we can get that study updated and then start looking at the way to provide better services for Provo," Turley said. "If that means a new facility for a community center, let's turn it over the voters and find out if they want to pay for it."