At least that is the advice the council will take with it at its meeting Nov. 4 as city staffers, consultants and a City Council subcommittee have made VIP their top pick. Second in line is a $110 million proposal submitted by Opus Northwest of Bellevue, Wash., which would include a conference center as well as a 12-screen cinema, ice arena and a mix of housing, retail and office space.

The other two proposals have been submitted by M.A. Mortenson of Minneapolis, Landmark Organization of Austin, Texas and the Kalakala Foundation. In addition to the conference center, M.A. Mortenson's proposal includes a 3,500-seat covered stadium with a minor league franchise, as well as some office and retail space. The Kalakala Foundation proposal would put the conference center in a decommissioned art deco ferry that is its namesake. The ferry, which is 276 feet long and 55 feet wide and encompasses about 25,000 sf of space, would be permanently docked on the waterfront at Percival Landing, which is within walking distance of 200 existing hotel rooms.

Funding for construction of the conference center would be covered by a sales tax rebate from the state for new public facilities. To meet the deadline to take advantage of the offer, construction must commence before Jan. 2004.