Monday, Aug. 30, 2004 | 10:51 a.m.
For only $20, Las Vegas may effectively give land next to the infamous Sky-Vue mobile home park to the Salvation Army and Shade Tree nonprofit organizations.
The two groups would get parcels along the "homeless corridor," a strip of Owens Avenue off Main Street, just north of downtown.
The land formerly was the site of the MASH Village homeless shelter, which closed in 2002. The Las Vegas City Council will consider the sales -- for $10 for each plot of land -- at its Wednesday meeting.
"It would really enhance that neighborhood and really change how people would perceive the homeless corridor," said Maj. William S. Raihl, Salvation Army director in Las Vegas. "We really want to change the face of that."
He said the Sky-Vue property plays a key role in the area.
"It has always been our contention that regardless of what the city and we planned, the Achilles heel for development would always have been the Sky-Vue simply because of the blight of the park and the crime issues that went with that," Raihl said.
Sky-Vue, a crumbling mobile home park that was deemed a hazard by health and safety officials, was condemned by the city April 30.
Facing multiple fines and fees from the Clark County Health District and the city for health and safety violations, and looking at the possibility of more costs, the owners, Sandi and David DiMarco, agreed this week to tear it down. They have until 5 p.m. today to present the city with a demolition contract and permits for the work, an urgency fanned by four fires in the past three weeks at the park.
"This last fire, the night before last (Wednesday), caused several thousand dollars in smoke and heat damage," Raihl said. The Sky-Vue is between the Salvation Army's current location and the land it wants to purchase from the city, upon which it is to build 68 apartment units, from one- to three-bedrooms.
"Our master plan, if we could find a generous benefactor, would be to purchase the Sky-Vue," Raihl said. "With the blight of the trailer park moved and additional housing built there, you can see how we'd feel positive about the opportunity to impact that neighborhood.
"We've discussed aspects of it with the city and the county in terms of acquiring the property but finding and locating sources of funds to do that are problematic on both sides," Raihl said.
He said he has talked to the DiMarcos.
"They'd certainly like to sell it to us, but we don't have the capital. It's listed at $1.7 million," he said.
David DiMarco said he would sell the land for less if it were to go to the Salvation Army or a similar group.
"I spoke to them recently and said we'd do everything we could. There's no income on the property and we need to be able to service the loan," DiMarco said. Even though there has been a foreclosure notice filed, DiMarco said, "that can be worked out. The lender, he just wants to get his loan serviced."
He said he's open to all ideas. "I'd do a long-term lease, even a 100-year lease, or an exchange (of property), whatever I can do."
Councilman Lawrence Weekly, who represents Ward 5, which contains the Sky-Vue property and the homeless corridor, said he would like to solve the Sky-Vue problem and help the social service agencies improve their surroundings.
"The corridor is what it is. It provides services for people who need help. It's not going away any time soon so we should help support it," Weekly said.
Shade Tree is requesting about one acre adjacent to its position on the corner of Main Street and Owens Avenue, to increase its parking from 19 spaces to 62. The extra land also will be used for a shaded patio, a playground, and storage sheds to receive donations.
"Because a solid block wall will enclose the entire area, safety and confidentiality for all women and children will be greatly improved," Shade Tree Executive Director Brenda Dizon wrote in a letter to the city. She wrote that the extra space will help reduce people loitering in front of the building, and make it easier for people to access the lot and drop off donations.
Raihl said his organization wants the land to build affordable housing. The Salvation Army received $888,500 in federal funds that are awarded through the county, and is in line for tax credits from the state. The hope is to break ground in January, he said.
"It's really a departure into a new service area," Raihl said. "We have an approach to homelessness (that) we call the continuum of care some of them have drug and alcohol addictions, we have programs to deal with that; some have mental health issues, we have programs to deal with that; some simply lack job skills, for example, we have program with the Culinary that is very successful."
Raihl said housing is the logical next step.
"The problem we find is after they've completed our program and found jobs and been successful they get out in the housing market and there is still a real lack of affordable housing and many find themselves on the streets or in substandard housing that is not acceptable, so it becomes a revolving door for them," Raihl said.
He said it will help the neighborhood by "providing a more stable area of housing and a more stable population. The homeless will always be with us. But if you don't start somewhere and formulate programs and a plan to alleviate homelessness you really don't make any progress.
"What our experience has shown us is that of the homeless, approximately 20 percent are what we would consider the chronically homeless. However, the bulk of the homeless, the other 80 percent, we feel are those who can be helped and who want to be helped and that's where we want to put our emphasis," Raihl said.
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