Pleasant Grove only has 2.5 acres for its new recreation facility, but the newly hired architect plans to begin designing a facility that will require almost twice that much land.

Even though architect Mark Wilson has been told by the city that all of the land for the project has not yet been acquired, he said he has been directed to design a facility that will be between 3.5 and 5 acres. Under those specifications, Wilson said he will proceed and hope the land becomes available.

In the June election, 66 percent of voters approved a $5 million bond for the building, which will be in the city's Gateway area near the Interstate 15 interchange. Two and a half acres have been donated to the city for the center and the city is now negotiating for additional land, said Mayor Mike Daniels.

"We are fairly certain that the additional land can be obtained," Daniels said. "Our staff is proactively anticipating the additional land and is preparing a design for that scenario."

The city plans to build the facility in three phases, he said.

The design of the first phase will use approximately 80,000 square feet for a recreation/community center that will consist of gymnasiums, a multi-purpose area, classrooms, locker rooms, a track, exercise areas and an aerobics room, Wilson said.

The second and third phases of the facility, which are not be included in the 80,000 square feet, will consist of an indoor aquatics center with both leisure and lap pools, and an arts center, he said.

"This building is going to look a lot more commercial," Wilson said. "We are going to use materials in such a way that we can get the most bang for our buck. It will ultimately have all the features and will be an aesthetically pleasing building."

Wilson said he anticipates the city will begin construction on the new recreation facility in the spring, with phase one being completed by spring 2008.

The new recreation center will replace the existing facility that was erected in 1908 and still serves almost 1,200 participants in programs offered by the city's recreation department.

In addition to the $5 million bond, the city has saved an additional $2 million toward construction of the project, said Jason Burningham, the city's financial advisor.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A8.