Governor proposes LV parking garage

Friday, Aug. 6, 1999 | 11:18 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn says a parking garage may have to be built adjacent to the Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas to free up land to construct more office space for state agencies.

"We can't keep packing people in there," the governor said Thursday as he discussed plans to reduce the amount of space the state leases from private business.

The garage would be built and the present parking could be used for a new building, the governor said, stressing these are ideas and nothing is solid yet.

The state leases 1.2 million square feet statewide at an annual cost of nearly $18 million. Of the total, agencies rent 445,298 square feet in Las Vegas at an average rate of $1.65 and 478,377 square feet in Carson City at a rent of $1.11.

The governor met with Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt, Treasurer Brian Krolicki, Controller Kathy Augustine and Deputy Secretary of State Don Reis, to talk about long-range plans for new buildings on property owned by the state.

Guinn and Chief of Staff Peter Ernaut told the four to come up with a plan within 30 days for eventually relocating their staffs outside the Capitol in Carson City. The offices of the four would remain inside the Capitol but the staffs would be separated.

The governor said planning for new state buildings was under way in Carson City and Las Vegas.

The state spends anywhere from $160 million to $316 million every two years for building projects. The last state office building was the Sawyer complex in 1995.