Public safety to dominate state’s building wish list

Friday, Sept. 1, 2000 | 9:48 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Another 1,000-bed prison for Southern Nevada, a $66 million new library for the University of Nevada, Reno, and a day-care center adjacent to the state veterans home in Boulder City are among the $765 million in construction projects being sought by state agencies.

The state Public Works Board wrapped up two days of hearings Thursday and will meet Sept. 25 to narrow the list. Perry Comeaux, who is state budget director and board chairman, estimates there may be $250 million available to finance state building during the next two years.

Comeaux said public safety is the first priority and maintaining present structures is second. The list also takes into account Gov. Kenny Guinn's plan to start getting state agencies out of leases for private office space.

One proposal is for a $31 million, 180,000-square-foot office building in Carson City. Agencies leasing about 101,000 square feet of private office space would use this building, saving about $120,000 a month.

The list also includes refurbishing several buildings at the old Stewart Indian School owned by the state. These buildings would be converted into office space.

The prison system wants to build the third phase at the High Desert Prison near Indian Springs. The original estimate was for $59 million, but prison officials trimmed that to $42 million. It was planned for a high-security prison.

But Assistant Prison Director John Slansky said the prison system has enough high-security space to last 20 years. It can build a less expensive prison and still have the same security. The inmates at this prison would be involved in work programs.

Among the top projects proposed for the university system are a $25 million health science building for the Community College of Southern Nevada; $23 million for UNLV's Wright Hall and $36 million for classrooms and a student services complex at the new state college in Henderson. The library at the Reno campus would cost the state $22 million and $44 million would come in private donations. That's the biggest single project on the "wish list."

State Veterans Affairs Director Ray Alcorn told the board the veterans nursing home in Boulder City would be opened sometime after the first of the year. He proposed a second 180-bed veterans home for Sparks at a cost of $29.8 million, of which 65 percent would come from the federal government.

Alcorn wants to construct a day-care center next to the Boulder City home. Offering a day-care center would be a "great advantage" to attract employees, he said.

Plans were also outlined for a new $1.8 million state motor pool facility near the Thomas & Mack Center. Frank Ravell, administrator of the motor pool, said the present location at McCarran International Airport will have to be moved.