UNLV to buy property for dental school

Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2001 | 9:44 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- After being turned down two months ago, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, won approval Monday from a legislative committee to buy three buildings off-campus to start its dental school, which will accept students starting in fall 2002.

The Legislative Interim Finance Committee agreed to allow $6 million to be used in state funds toward the $13.5 million purchase from the Employers Insurance Co. of Nevada of the property on Charleston Boulevard near the University Medical Center.

An appraisal of the property put the value at $20 million.

Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, who has championed the dental school, said the approval by the committee was a "good business decision."

UNLV had originally sought to construct a "transitional building" on the campus to be later replaced by permanent facilities for the dental students.

The school estimated the total cost of that project would be $43.7 million, compared to the $29.4 million it would cost to renovate and equip the Charleston Boulevard buildings.

UNLV intends to issue $18.7 million in revenue bonds to help pay for the dental school facilities. The bonds will be paid off with UNLV student fees.

University President Carol Harter told the legislative committee that the Board of Regents has already approved a $2-per-credit capital improvement fee next year, and part of that money would be used to retire the debt.

This concerned Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, who said he supported the dental school. Still, he wondered about all UNLV students paying for the dental school, which is expected to have an enrollment of 300 by 2005.

Harter told him that student fees finance other special buildings on campus.

The three buildings total 185,097 square feet, and 70,000 square feet will be used for other purposes.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said there were a "lot of questions" about the future cost of the dental school. For instance, Harter, under questioning by Raggio, said the school would need $10 million from the state for equipment over the next four years.

Raggio also secured a pledge from Harter that she had no plans to move the medical school at the University of Nevada, Reno, to a talked-about medical complex in Las Vegas.

Harter also assured lawmakers from rural Nevada that the university would set up dental programs in the "cow counties." In some of the smaller counties there are no dentists who accept Medicaid patients.

UNLV intends to sign a contract with the state to treat Medicaid patients statewide.

UNLV should take over the property in March or April, then begin renovating the buildings. If the purchase is completed quickly, there could be a "fully functioning dental school" by fall 2003, university officials said.

Students who enroll next year would be temporarily housed on the main UNLV campus. Clinical facilities at the Community College of Southern Nevada and three existing dental clinics would be used evenings and weekends to accommodate the clinical training needs for the first 75 students.

Besides the $6 million from the state and the $18.7 million in revenue bonds, UNLV expects $2 million from the federal government and another $2 million from the sale of land in Rainbow Gardens.

In other action, the committee approved the use of $95,818 to be used for loans to nursing students. The policy is to encourage students to continue in the nursing program. And if these students stay five years in Nevada, the loan will be forgiven.

The loans will be for $1,700 at the community colleges and $2,000 at the universities. Under the distribution, UNLV will receive $27,000 to loan out, and the Community College of Southern Nevada will receive $25,000 for the program.

The committee approved the distribution of grant money from the state's pollution control account of $1 million to local governments. Clark County Department of Air Quality will receive $815,282.