What amounts to final approval for construction of a new 90,000-square-foot recreation center came Tuesday when Roanoke County's Board of Supervisors officially appropriated just more than $30 million to pay for it.

Construction at a site near the intersection of Interstates 81 and 581 is expected to begin in March 2008, with completion in November 2009.

All but about $2 million of the cost will be financed through a bond issue next spring that will also pay for several other major capital improvement projects.

Although some final details on the construction contract are being negotiated, Tuesday's vote allocates the money and authorizes the hiring of a company to oversee the project, which will be at the gateway to a new upscale business park.

The facility will be modeled closely after one in the St. Louis suburbs that provides a variety of uses, but it is centered around indoor and outdoor aquatic play areas.

The design also calls for two full-size basketball courts, a fitness and exercise area, meeting rooms, an indoor running track, changing rooms and other rec center amenities.

Although county plans have called for a recreation center for a decade, a master plan adopted earlier this year first specifically proposed this type of facility.

Costs for the project rose dramatically from the initial $19 million projection by consultant Leon Younger, but county staff and most of the board believed the higher cost would pay off in both tangible and intangible economic benefits to the region.

Parks, recreation and tourism director Pete Haislip earlier assured the board that he believes the center can pay its operating costs, and perhaps help repay capital expenses, through user fees.

Both he and County Administrator Elmer Hodge have told the board they believe the center will help attract new businesses that will hire younger workers who expect such a facility.

Board Chairman Joe McNamara, who represents the Windsor Hills District, cast the only dissenting vote. In earlier meetings, he had voiced concerns about the long-term financing necessary for the project.

Vinton Supervisor Mike Altizer noted that the only way the county can control expenses on what it believes are timely and essential projects is to make sure "they are built at today's costs. We can't control costs unless we choose to do them in today's money."

The county may be able to refinance the bonds it sells next spring at a later date to create an even more favorable debt service, he said. "But we save money on the inflationary costs of projects" by doing them now. "We're moving forward, doing the right things," he said.

The rec center will be one of a host of projects to be funded primarily by a 30-year, $70 million bond issue this spring.

While the largest single chunk -- $28 million -- will go to the rec center, the rest will help pay for a new county garage, a new library headquarters in south county, a new fire station near Hollins, a digital radio system for law enforcement and rescue squad use, and extension of water and sewer lines down U.S. 220 south of Clearbrook.

The supervisors and staff insisted no money is being diverted from school projects by the large capital improvements schedule because school projects are funded from a separate account unaffected by this bond sale or payments on that debt.

Although no citizens spoke at Tuesday's public hearing on the budget issues, those who wish to address the board for the next 2¹₂ months will have to remember to travel to the former Public Safety Center building -- also known as the old Southview Elementary School building -- at 3568 Peters Creek Road.

Because the board's meeting space at the county administration building off Virginia 419 is being remodeled beginning next week, all of the board's meetings and all of the public hearings of the county planning commission will be held at the Peters Creek Road site through Dec. 4.

The $170,000 renovation will include a series of upgrades to the meeting room's audio and video systems, new fixed seating and cosmetic improvements including paneling and carpeting.