Muni Court awaits new quarters

Malia Spencer

Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2003 | 9:26 a.m.

The North Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday is expected to award a contract to build the city's biggest public works project, Municipal Judge Warren VanLandschoot said.

The winning bid for the $29.7 million Justice Facility Project came from the Las Vegas construction company Clark and Sullivan Constructors Inc., officials said.

North Las Vegas plans to break ground for the new courthouse in September and hopes to have it open by early 2005, VanLandschoot said.

"Everything looks top-notch on this thing," he said.

The 96,000-square-foot justice center will house three courtrooms, judges' chambers, court programs and inmate holding and release areas.

VanLandschoot said the new building will provide welcome relief to overcrowding at the current courthouse is used every day, except Sunday, late into the evening, he said. The additional space will also allow for the addition of two judges.

"We're at max use of the building right now," he said. "The key is more judges for more court time."

If the building is completed by 2005 it would coincide with an election and allow the city to add a new judge, VanLandschoot said. Then, to ensure a staggered term,a third judge could be added two years later.

"(The timing) falls right into place," he said.

Five bids were submitted to the city in July, according to the City Council agenda. VanLandschoot said he doesn't foresee any problems since all the bids were close and all parties were allowed time to ask any questions they had on the process.

The project, which is the city's largest, will be funded by city bonds and assessment fees collected by the court. There will not be any added taxes, VanLandschoot said, adding "that makes me feel good."

Since the court hasn't built anything yet, he said, there is a lot of money in reserve accounts to help cover costs. He said it will cost the court $300,000 a year to maintain the building.

VanLandschoot said he does not expect any problems with the construction and does not anticipate the "nightmare" situation that the county's Regional Justice Center is in. That project has run $15 million over budget and expected to take another two years to complete.

Currently most of the North Las Vegas City Hall complex is made up of temporary buildings and the new justice center will be "the first big beautiful building in the complex," VanLandschoot said.