Courthouse construction on track

Kim Smith

Friday, July 23, 1999 | 11:12 a.m.

Construction on the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse is right on schedule despite the heavy rains that hit Las Vegas a few weeks ago.

"If it (bad weather) is early on in the project, it usually won't have an impact on the completion date," said Mary Filippini, a General Services Administration spokeswoman based in San Francisco.

Moreover, it is doubtful the rain could have damaged the ongoing construction, Filippini said.

"They are in the process of enclosing the building right now and so what is out there right now is capable of handling the weather," Filippini said. "The rain may have stalled work for a day or two, but that's not weeks."

Filippini said crews are putting up curtain walls and working on electrical duct work at the moment.

"Once the building is completely enclosed, we will start on the tenant phase," Filippini said. "They will start working on the walls and the ceilings, various wood-working projects and the stone work in the lobby and elsewhere."

The $90 million, eight-story building is expected to be completed in late spring 2000, Filippini said. It will contain 10 courtrooms and judicial chambers for the U.S. District Court and U.S. Magistrate.

Filippini said there will be 90 parking spaces underneath the building for judges and other tenants. An additional 200 parking spaces will be located outside, however it is unknown at this point how many of them will be for public use.

Construction began in October 1997.