Now the numbers are approaching 30,000, and city workers are feeling cramped.

But not for long. Relief will come, starting in 2008, as the city starts building a new civic center. Included in the plans: new homes for firefighters and police officers.

City Council members are "doing what they think is best for the city," says Mayor Gene Mangum.

The city recently released the concept plan for putting in three new buildings.

A combined police station/municipal court/city office will be built just south of the current city building. Nearby, a fire station could rise up at the corner of 100 West and Center streets. A new library will be built at the southeast corner of Center and Main streets.

The fire station and the civic center, estimated to cost at least $17.6 million, will be first to rise. The city's plan, according to spokesman John Gleave, is to pay for it with cash on hand. That means no new taxes or floating bonds.

"They have been saving since the last bond was defeated five years ago," Gleave says, pointing out that there is enough money in the bank to cover phase 1.

However, if the city decides to go ahead with the library - it will cost a minimum of $8 million - the city would have to consider bonding, Gleave said. If voters again say no, the library can remain in the old city center.

Mangum and Fire Chief Phil Whitney say the new facilities are not luxuries but necessities. The cramped quarters make it difficult to retain employees, Mangum maintains.

The current civic center, at 21,000 square feet, is roughly half the size it should be. The plan is to build a 68,000-square-foot building for city offices, police and court functions. Officials hope it will handle the needs for a city with 60,000 people - Springville's build-out point.

Whitney said the fire station, located across Main Street from the city offices, was fine 40 years ago. But even with one addition, it's still too small for a burgeoning population. Plus, the building has serious problems, such as broken pipes that once leaked into a computer room. The new station actually will be smaller than the current station, Whitney said, because a substation might be built in the city's southeast quadrant.

That not only would reduce fire-department activity in downtown, but it also would improve response time to the fast-growing east side.

dmeyers@sltrib.com