Las Vegas may be close to deal with Cleveland Clinic

Sito Negron

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2003 | 8:54 a.m.

Las Vegas is close to agreeing upon a contract with the Cleveland Clinic and a consultant who will study whether it makes sense for the health care company to build on former railroad land downtown.

"There will be probably a progress report out in December, but it will take until February or March to complete what's being considered Phase 1 of this effort," said City Manager Doug Selby, who was in Cleveland late last week meeting with the clinic.

He said the Cleveland Clinic is taking the lead in picking a consultant, which could cost $200,000 to $300,000, half of which the city will pay. He said the city is comfortable paying half of the cost of the study because "it will be of interest to other providers" if the Cleveland Clinic deal does not materialize.

Mayor Oscar Goodman has supported a medical complex as the centerpiece of development of the 61 acres of former Union Pacific Railroad property. But he also has been uncharacteristically close-mouthed about the deal, other than to stir the pot every now and then by mentioning the possibility.

"I'm very circumspect about the way I comment on the academic medical center," he said three weeks ago. "To me, that is going to be the legacy of my administration, and I don't want anything to get it off its course."

The city has owned the 61 acres for about two and a half years and spent time soliciting ideas -- receiving proposals for everything from tech centers to major league sports stadiums -- before deciding to handle preliminary development itself.

Several weeks ago the city approved $2.1 million in design and engineering contracts to begin developing the land. It also has approved a preliminary design that places the medical campus on about 18 acres to the north, an "urban village" of about 23 acres in the middle, and a 4.43-acre performing arts center to the south. The remaining acreage would be roads and open space.

The estimated cost for the initial phase of development -- for streets and other infrastructure, landscaping and plazas, and open spaces -- was estimated by city officials at about $23 million.

The academic medical center concept would place the Cleveland Clinic in physical proximity to the University of Nevada Medical School. Some basic planning for the medical school project has been completed, and fund-raising has begun.

School officials have estimated the first phase of a complex, which would include clinics, some research, and academic and administrative space, to cost $65 million over five years.