A million here, a million there and pretty soon you're talking about a new rec center.

Such a center for Provo could cost upward of $16 million, but it is still one of the most popular items on the mayor's proposed 2007-08 city budget.

On Tuesday morning, Provo Mayor Lewis Billings proposed a $1 million down payment for a new recreation center in Provo. During that budget presentation, the mayor's proposal received thunderous applause from Municipal Council members, neighborhood chairpersons and various city department heads.

Where it will be, what it will cost and what facilities it will house are still question marks.

The current center was built in the 1970s and doesn't meet Provo's needs, said Roger Thomas, director of Parks and Recreation.

In 2000, the city conducted a feasibility study of a new rec center. Back then, the estimated cost was between $13.5 and $16 million. The Municipal Council has authorized $50,000 this year to update that study.

Thomas said the study is expected to be conducted sometime this summer and be completed in the fall.

Among the topics that need to be addressed are whether the city will need to buy new land, the size of the facility required, if an old building can be retrofitted for the project and current construction costs.

All these questions leave the cost of the facility unknown and entirely dependent on the scenario the city chooses for developing the center.

The current rec center is home to a 10 racquetball courts, a cardio/weight room and a pool. Thomas said that more facilities and amenities are desperately needed. The center is home to a senior citizen's aquatic aerobics class as well as numerous other health programs for people of all ages.

The No. 1 request received by Provo's Parks and Recreation department is for a larger, better equipped rec center. Thomas said that people often reference the disparity between the rec centers in other communities and Provo's rec center.

The building sits next to Provo High School -- the only high school in Provo when the building was constructed. Since that time, the population of Provo has more than doubled to over 113,000 people.

For the 2005-06 fiscal year, the Provo Rec Center had 72,998 patrons with revenues of about $189,000, according to Sherman Miller of the center.

Nathan Johnson can be reached at 344-2543 or at njohnson@heraldextra.com.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C1.