State board fields requests for construction projects

Monday, July 27, 1998 | 11:39 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- State agencies and the University and Community College System of Nevada are proposing $635 million in construction projects for the 1999-2001 biennium with slightly more than half going for building in Clark County.

The "wish list" includes $1.6 million for a visitors center at the Mormon Fort in Las Vegas; a $61.3 million addition to the state prison at Indian Springs; $14.1 million to remodel the old library at UNLV into a law school; and $14.1 million to build a dental school at UNLV.

The 1997 Legislature authorized about $350 million for the two-year building program and state Public Works Board Manager Eric Raecke is guessing there will be less than half of that amount available this time around.

Collections from state sales and gaming taxes are coming in lower than predicted and there won't be a big surplus -- such as there was in 1997 -- to use to pay cash for many of the projects.

The biggest request comes from the university and community college system at $308.3 million; followed by the prisons at $104.4 million; the state Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety at $62.5 million; and human resources for $29.5 million.

The state Public Works Board will hear testimony today and Tuesday from agency representatives who are pitching their projects.

Later this summer, the state budget office will reveal how much is available to spend for construction. The public works board must then rate the projects and put them on a priority list.

Some of the 220 requests will be financed; others will be placed on a list for advanced planning during the upcoming biennium; and others will be rejected outright. Final recommendations are due Oct. 1 at the budget office.

After hearing testimony this week, the board will return in late August to make its final recommendations. Close to $50 million will be spent to refurbish and rehabilitate the aging buildings in state government and at the university and community college campuses.

Some of the major UNLV projects proposed are $10.5 million for furnishing the new Lied Library, $8.9 million to demolish and replace Wright Hall and $4.6 million for a student services addition.

A $22.6 million science building is proposed at the Community College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas; $13 million for two high tech centers; and $10 million for a transportation academy in Henderson.

The state Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety wants a $30.4 million new public safety building; a $10.9 million building for parole and probation; and a $16.7 million for a new office building for the Nevada Highway Patrol -- all to be located in Clark County.

The state Department of Museums, Library and Arts is asking for $7 million for a Southern Nevada Office and Records Building. A $12.7 million office building is proposed for the state Division of Employment Security in Las Vegas to replace the one on 8th Street.

Among the requests by the prison system is a $25.6 million Southern Regional Medical Center at Indian Springs. A $6.9 million new mental health crisis center is being suggested by the state Department of Human Resources in Las Vegas in addition to major renovations at the Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Service Center.

Meanwhile Raecke said he should know by the end of the week whether he will be able to negotiate a contract for the start of a new prison south of Indian Springs. Raecke said he has about $89 million for the first phase of the project but the low bid from Sletten Construction of Nevada was $97.2 million.

Raecke said Friday he met with the contractors and developed a list of items in the project that might be excluded to get within budget. But he said he first must meet with Prison Director Bob Bayer to see if he will go along with some of the proposed deletions.

Raecke would like to negotiate a contract rather than going out to bid again. He said that could delay the project for as long as six months and the prison needs more beds now.

The project calls for a core of 1,500 beds that eventually could be expanded to 3,000 beds. The prison wants $61.3 million this time around to add the 1,500 beds.