Historic building seen as homeless shelter

Diana Sahagun

Thursday, July 26, 2001 | 10:57 a.m.

Although the city has looked at the U.S. Post Office downtown as a potential site for a park or arts school, the Rev. Joe Carroll has a different view. He plans to turn it into a homeless shelter.

For the past two years Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has kept an eye on the historic building -- the city's first federal courthouse -- next to City Hall. And, with the help of Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., Goodman had it declared surplus and fit for public disposal.

Goodman, who has an expansive view of the Las Vegas Valley -- including the post office -- from his 10th floor office, has expressed hope of turning the neo-classical building into an art museum, music college or city park.

Carroll, though, has applied, along with the city, to acquire the post office from the federal government.

In a letter to the U.S. Division of Property Management for the General Services Administration, Carroll said he wants to turn the building into a shelter for the homeless. The facility would be similar to MASH Village, which provides transitional housing, shelter and outreach services, according to the letter.

Carroll could not be reached for comment this morning.

Before Carroll made his request the City Council approved spending up to $75,000 to hire JMA Architecture Studios to analyze the building for another use. The company is in the process of determining the building's condition and assessing costs associated with buying and renovating it.

In addition to its historic value the post office is also in the city's redevelopment area, near the Fifth Street School -- where the city has offices and UNLV classes are offered. The post office is also near a proposed arena that would play host to hockey games, concerts and trade shows.

Goodman said this morning that he was unhappy with Carroll's request, but he declined to elaborate.

Carroll and Goodman clashed publicly in May, when the reverend threatened to close the 108-bed shelter if the city did not turn over the land on which the shelter sits.

When the mayor refused, Carroll became upset and threatened to close the shelter. Carroll decided to keep the shelter open after a flurry of protests over the closure.

Carroll, however, has been unable to keep the shelter's winter tent open during the summer, which in recent weeks has sparked protest by homeless advocates in recent weeks. MASH Village representatives have said they cannot afford to keep the tent open because it will cost an estimated $600,000 per year to operate and retrofit with air conditioning.

The purchase of the post office from the federal government, though, would be costly. Goodman has said it could cost millions to acquire and renovate the old building.

The two also disagree about how to handle the homeless problem in Las Vegas. Carroll supports the "homeless corridor" on Main Street, where a number of services and shelters are located. Goodman, though, says other area governments, such as North Las Vegas and Henderson, should share the burden of the homeless problem and that services should be dispersed.

At a meeting Wednesday Goodman asked city staff to review the feasibility of moving the homeless corridor to Jean, Nev., site of the vacant Southern Nevada Correctional Center.

Goodman said local homeless people could live together at the jail and have access to services such as medical care, food and shelter.