ReviewJournal.com - News - POSSIBLE LAND SWAP: LV = planning new city hall

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Apr. 21, 2007
Copyright =C2=A9 Las Vegas = Review-Journal=20

POSSIBLE LAND=20 SWAP: LV planning new city hall

Old building suffering from = space=20 crunch

By=20 DAVID McGRATH SCHWARTZ
REVIEW-JOURNAL

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The Las Vegas City Hall, which opened in 1973, = is=20 starting to have maintenance and energy efficiency problems = as well=20 as a space crunch, city officials say.
Photo by John Locher.=20

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Click image for enlargement. =

The city of Las Vegas is aggressively pursuing a plan to = open a=20 new city hall within four years, hoping to give employees = more space=20 with a $225 million facility.

The City Council agreed this week to negotiate for a new = city=20 hall site, across the railroad tracks from Union Park. The = deal=20 could involve swapping land with a developer, LiveWork LLC, = which=20 wants to build a hotel and casino on the city-owned 61-acre=20 parcel.

Deputy City Manager Orlando Sanchez said the city is = "basically=20 bursting at its seams" at its current location. Las Vegas = has had to=20 rent space throughout the city to house employees and=20 departments.

Councilman Larry Brown, one of the senior members of the = City=20 Council, said the number of satellite offices is starting to = hurt=20 the city's efficiency.

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"I agree we need to do something with City Hall, either = look at=20 expanding the existing site or identifying a new site," he = said.=20 "We're becoming inefficient, not only from a service = standpoint but=20 from a cost standpoint. How much money do you reinvest in a = building=20 closing in on 40 years old?"

The current City Hall, which resembles a 10-story Trivial = Pursuit=20 wedge with a three-story ring around its base, opened in = 1973.

Brown said the City Council will hold a public discussion = soon to=20 determine how to proceed.

The city has over the past few years acquired land across = Las=20 Vegas Boulevard from City Hall, at 400 Stewart Avenue, for a = possible expansion. But those plans were put on hold as the = city=20 looked at building a new complex.

Mayor Oscar Goodman said the current site the city is = negotiating=20 on would be good for downtown's redevelopment.

It would allow the current City Hall site to be used for = a new=20 arena or other development, he said. It also could act as a = bridge=20 between new development on the 61 acres and the old = downtown.

The 6.37-acre parcel that would go to LiveWork is located = on the=20 Union Park land. According to the plan presented to the = council=20 Wednesday, it would be used as a site for a 1,000- room = hotel and=20 casino. LiveWork general partner David Mitchell did not say = who the=20 firm's gaming partner would be in the development.

The 2.57-acre parcel that the city would receive in = exchange and=20 use as the site of the new city hall, is the Queen of Hearts = Hotel=20 at Lewis Avenue and Main Street.

Terms of the exchange will be worked out during 180 days = of=20 negotiation, said Scott Adams, director of the Office of = Business=20 Development.

Land surrounding the city hall site owned by LiveWork = could be=20 developed by LiveWork into a series of office complexes.

Sanchez said City Hall is starting to have maintenance = and energy=20 efficiency problems as well as the space crunch.

It is 250,000 square feet, which includes space for Las = Vegas=20 police offices. A new city hall would be 325,000 to 375,000 = square=20 feet, Sanchez said.

The city is considering options on how to pay for a new = city=20 hall. The most traditional method would be to float a bond = that=20 would be paid off using general fund revenue.

Another option is to put out a competitive bid and have a = private=20 business build the facility. The city would lease space in = the=20 building and have the ability to eventually purchase it.

The Southern Nevada Water Authority's new headquarters = was built=20 using that method. City officials say it would save time -- = possibly=20 a year or more -- compared with the city overseeing = construction of=20 a new city hall.

Sanchez pointed to the newly opened Regional Justice = Center,=20 which suffered cost overruns and delays, as an example of = why it's=20 better for private businesses to take on the risk of large=20 projects.

Leave Your=20 Comment	2=20 Reader Comments
Terms=20 & Conditions The following comments are = provided=20 by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the = authors. The=20 Review Journal does not review comments before = publication nor=20 guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here = you=20 agree to abide by the comment = policy. If you see a comment that violates the = policy,=20 please notify the web = editor.=20
=20 Please enter your = name Name:=20 Please enter your = email Email:=20 Please enter a = comment Comments: =20 You have reached the = maximum number=20 of words allowed Current Word Count: =20 Concerned = wrote on April 21, 2007 11:15 = AM: Trading 6.37 acres for = 2.57 acres=20 means they are giving away 3.8 acres of prime downtown = real=20 estate. All I can say is where is my free 3.8 acres? = Where do=20 I sign up? The last time I checked 3.8 acres of land = downtown=20 is worth millions of dollars! Where do I sign up = again?=20 Linton wrote = on April 21, 2007 05:57 = AM: I get nervous when = politicians get=20 envolved in these land swaps. Why not build the new = city hall=20 on the land the city already owns adjacent to Union=20 Park?

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