City likely to impose fines over late work on garage

Jeffrey Libby

Tuesday, July 17, 2001 | 10:35 a.m.

The Henderson Municipal Parking Garage should open to city employees by the last week of August, about 40 days behind schedule, the city's construction manager, John Simmons, said Monday.

If the original deadline was still intact, the $7.2 million garage would be opening Wednesday.

"The delays are due solely to the general contractor and the subcontractor. They are late. They didn't meet their deadlines," Simmons said.

The city will likely impose a $3,000 penalty for each day the project runs past the July 18 deadline, Simmons said.

Contractor Korte-Bellew and Associates, through public relations firm Ballard Communications, offered no official comment. When complete, the 4 1/2-story garage should provide 457 parking spaces for city employees and customers.

Many employees and residents have been parking in a temporary lot at the corner of Basic Road and Water Street, a short walk from City Hall. On most business days, the 232 parking spaces at City Hall are full. About half of those spaces have been occupied by construction equipment since contractors broke ground in November.

The new garage will free up a portion of the Basic Road parking lot for temporary facilities for the Nevada College of Pharmacy, a three-year doctoral school that plans to open modular offices there in August.