Building wish list must be slashed

Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2004 | 9:10 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of projects that state agencies say are needed appear headed for the chopping block.

The state Public Works Board on Tuesday started wading through $645.4 million worth of requests for new building projects from state agencies, with more than half coming from the University and Community College System of Nevada.

Of the total request, $505 million would come from the state. But the state has only $156.9 million available in bonding capacity to finance the projects during the next two years. State officials say they may have approximately $35 million in cash to spend on the projects as well.

With $193 million to spend and $505 million in state funding sought, many of requested projects will not get state money, Gus Nunez, assistant general manager of the public works board, said.

It will be up to the board at its next meeting to prioritize the projects and then submit that list to Gov. Kenny Guinn, who will make a recommendation to the 2005 Legislature.

The university system is asking for $347.3 million of which $223.9 million would be in state funds and the rest to come from other sources. The state prison system is asking for $66.7 million and the Human Resources Department is asking for $65 million. The prison and human resources projects would need to be funded completely with state money.

The biggest single projects proposed are a $50 million science and math education center at the University of Nevada, Reno, and the $40 million Hank Greenspun College of Urban Affairs at UNLV. UNLV is proposing to use $16 million in private contributions to pay for part of that. In early 2002, the Greenspun family, which publishes the Sun, pledged up to $12 million for that new building.

The Nevada State College in Henderson, meanwhile, wants $9 million in state money to complete its classroom and lab building. It initially pledged to raise $10 million towards the construction costs of more than $20 million. But it has been able to collect only $1 million in private donations so far and it wants the state to provide all of the rest of the money to cover all the cost.

There's also a proposal from the Community College of Southern Nevada for a $30.4 million learning center, classroom building and library.

Before the $32.2 million, 180-bed new state mental hospital is completed in Las Vegas, the state Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services wants to spend $5.9 million to add a fourth pod with 40 more beds.

Construction on the new mental hospital is to begin early next year.

The state recently opened a temporary facility with 28 beds to take care of those with mental problems who are crowding the hospital emergency rooms in Southern Nevada. And that would be continued in addition to the new projects.

The division also is requesting $25.2 million for an additional 30 beds at the Lake's Crossing center for the criminally insane in Sparks.

State prison officials want to build a 200-bed Women's Re-Entry Center in North Las Vegas similar to the Casa Grande halfway house for men now being developed in Clark County to get inmates ready for their release from custody.

The Military Department is proposing a 94,470-square-foot Las Vegas Readiness Center to house five National Guard units. That is expected to cost about $23 million, with $9.9 million of that coming from the state.

The state Parole and Probation Division wants $23.8 million for a new office building in Las Vegas; the state Department of Administration is suggesting $27 million be spent to replace the Kinkead Building that adjoins the capital in Carson City and the state Department of Human Resources is proposing $20 million for a lease-purchase of a new 240,000-square-foot headquarters to bring its agencies under one roof in Carson City.