Plan revived to buy buildings for dental school

Friday, Oct. 19, 2001 | 10:14 a.m.

FALLON -- A plan to buy three buildings to house a dental school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, which appeared all but dead, has gained new life.

The Board of Regents on Thursday gave the go-ahead to UNLV to proceed with plans to purchase the buildings at 1700 W. Charleston Blvd. from the Employees Insurance Co. of Nevada.

UNLV on Nov. 26 will seek approval from the Legislative Interim Finance Committee. The move had previously been blocked.

UNLV President Carol Harter said this was a "tremendous opportunity," as it gives university officials the option of buying the buildings, as opposed to building a $40 million permanent structure on the campus.

The 2001 Legislature authorized $5 million for a "transitional building" to house the dental school on the UNLV campus, plus an additional $1 million for planning.

UNLV presented its plan to the Interim Finance Committee, which would be to scrap the transitional building and buy the property -- 18 acres -- and buildings. However, a legal opinion from legislative lawyers said the committee did not have authority to switch the site of the proposed school.

But, Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, a proponent of the dental school, told regents he has obtained new legal opinion that modifies the original.

The second opinion says the interim finance committee could make an interpretation as to whether a firm site was chosen for the transitional building. If not, committee members could then approve allocating the $6 million for the purchase.

Rawson said the legislative attorneys were asked to review additional minutes of the meetings of the Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee regarding the location of the site.

Ray Alden, provost at UNLV, told the regents the plan calls for using the $5 million, allocated for the transitional building, to purchase the property. UNLV has $2 million for the project, and $2.7 million is available in federal funds.

Alden said that would leave the need for $18.75 million, which would be raised from revenue bonds, to be paid through student fees and Medicaid payments received for the treatment of needy patients.

Alden said the property would cost $13.5 million; renovations would run as much as $11.5 million, and equipment would cost about $2 million.