Buildings feel a squeeze

Diana Sahagun

Monday, June 5, 2000 | 10:55 a.m.

While the North Las Vegas Police Department struggles to make use of every nook and cranny at its aging headquarters, city staff is making plans to build a larger facility and an expanded City Hall campus.

The police department will eventually vacate its headquarters on 1301 E. Lake Mead Blvd., but the city's "City Hall Campus Master Plan" shows that move is at least two years away.

In the meantime, the city will spend $80,000 to remodel portions of the vacated Justice Court, which is attached to the police department, to free up more space. Auditors call the remodeling a short-term fix, but police officials say there isn't any other immediate option.

According to the preliminary expansion plan, the City Hall campus will be built in phases, take up to 10 years to complete and cost $44.5 million.

Assistant City Manager Michele Richardson said the city is determining what will be built first -- a new Municipal Court or a new police headquarters. Funding options are being researched, she said, adding that the money could come from the city's general funds or through federal grants.

The City Council moved forward with plans for expansion last month, voting to spend $3.2 million to purchase a 8.25-acre parcel next to City Hall -- at the southeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Civic Center Drive.

The preliminary plan shows the City Hall campus stretching from Las Vegas Boulevard to Lake Mead Boulevard and bordered by two three-level parking garages by the time it is completed.

Phase one as outlined would be the building of a new two-story court within two years, costing $8.3 million. But Richardson said that because the police headquarters is such a pressing need, it may be built first.

Phase two would include a two-story police headquarters, a two-story detention center with administrative offices, a three-level parking garage and a one-story City Hall expansion. An off-site police substation at Washburn Road and Allen Lane is also included in phase two, which carries a price tag of $22.7 million.

Phase three, not yet scheduled, would include a second parking garage and a two-story community center at a cost of $13.5 million.

Police spokesman Lt. Chris Larotonda said the remodeling of Justice Court for police space is the only solution for keeping up with the growing police force, which is expected to grow by eight officers next month.

"Although I do hate to see them putting money into a building that does need some help, we don't know what else to do," he said. "We're really growing."

Because the building was built in the 1950s and is open around the clock, it gets triple the amount of usage of other city buildings, Larotonda said.

An audit conducted in January showed the headquarters "lacks the most basic requirements for a modern office facility for either public or private use." It pointed out the building's poor air circulation, lack of natural light and deteriorated internal condition.

"Looking back, nobody had any idea when these buildings were built that the city was going to grow like it has," Larotonda said. "These facilities were built for a much smaller force, and it's showing some signs of wear and tear."