Terrorism doesn’t deter city’s zeal for high rises

Diana Sahagun

Thursday, Sept. 27, 2001 | 10:02 a.m.

Drawings of a proposed Millennium Tower, which would rise 2,220 feet above downtown Las Vegas, reflected what city officials had been saying for months: The higher the better.

With only 61 acres of city-owned real estate available for development west of downtown, leaders have hailed high-rise buildings as a way to optimize land.

But that was in March, six months before the attacks on the World Trade Center.

The Las Vegas City Council in July chose a different concept for the 61 acres -- an academic medical center, performing arts center and high-density residential development.

But the concept of high-rise buildings on the property -- the likes of the Millennium Tower -- is still fresh in officials' minds. And, despite the recent terrorist attacks, city officials say high-rise buildings -- taller than anything on the Las Vegas skyline -- should be encouraged.

"The taller the better," Mayor Oscar Goodman said last week. "We can't live in fear. If we're going to change the way we do business, then these faceless cowards will have won."

In the coming months the city will re-examine its building and design codes, which are reviewed every three years.

For example, the Lloyd D. George U.S. Courthouse in Las Vegas was among the first federal buildings in the nation to be built according to government-mandated safety requirements, prescribed after the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

The courthouse sits back from Las Vegas Boulevard, making it impossible for cars to park near the front entrance. The building, which opened last year, includes a minimum amount of glass.

Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald, assistant city manager at the time of the bombing, anticipates similar changes to high-rises built in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

"I think what we may see is that there may be some design modifications as it relates to structural issues or setbacks," she said. "But I still believe there's no reason why we should not continue to allow developers to build as tall as they can go. "

American cities reacted to the San Francisco earthquake of 1989 by adopting new codes to strengthen buildings. Locally, the MGM Grand fire in 1980, which resulted in the deaths of 85 people, prompted the state to require smoke detectors and exit ramps in all hotels, Boggs McDonald said.

"Common sense has evolved through the years because of the Oklahoma City bombing and acts of God, such as the San Francisco earthquake," she said. "We should use those as an opportunity to improve and enhance our guidelines and standards."

Paul Wilkins, the city's director of building and safety, said Las Vegas is ready for a high-rise building, such as the proposed Millennium Tower, because stringent building codes are already in place.

Any time a building is constructed the city's building department conducts dozens of checks, inspecting the structural and electrical components of each floor. Certificates of occupancy aren't granted until all city regulations are met, he said.

"For the most part, the buildings in Las Vegas are built well, and they meet the city's standards," he said. "It's not everyday you see high-rises fall down."

Councilman Gary Reese said high-rise buildings are important for the city, because available land is at a premium.

"You can go anywhere and have urban sprawl, but the 61 acres isn't big enough," Reese said. "You have to make every inch count."