Downtown move suits law firm

Diana Sahagun

Tuesday, May 8, 2001 | 9:40 a.m.

Las Vegas officials are trying to keep downtown law firms from heading to the suburbs and are succeeding with Mainor & Harris.

Construction began about 10 months ago on the law building, and the redevelopment agency is now negotiating with Mainor & Harris on a deal that would help cover costs for a parking lot adjacent to the building at Gass Avenue and Fourth Street.

Under the proposal, the redevelopment agency would provide up to $390,000 to demolish the existing structure on the site and to landscape the parking lot. The city would have free after-hours access to the parking lot.

Lesa Coder, the city's director of business development, said the redevelopment agency is reserving the right to construct a parking garage at the site if needed. She said the project is beneficial to the city because it will turn a former blighted area into something attractive and useful.

The 27,000-square-foot, three-story law office is expected to be completed by the end of the year and will house 12 lawyers and 55 staff members.

Randall Mainor, a partner of Mainor & Harris, said the firm had been using temporary space in Summerlin after its prior downtown location it was leasing at Bonneville Avenue and Sixth Street became too dilapidated.

While Mainor looked at other locations in the suburbs, he and his partner decided to stay downtown because of the goals being set out by the City Council to help rejuvenate the area, he said.

"I wouldn't have chosen to move downtown had it looked like it did six to seven years ago," Mainor said. "But I think the new project is in keeping with some of the positive things that are going on downtown."