Editorial: No need to rush sale of city-owned land

Monday, Dec. 20, 2004 | 9:13 a.m.

Former Las Vegas Councilman Michael McDonald, 1 1/2 years after leaving office, wants the Las Vegas City Council to sell him 18 acres of vacant land that the city owns near Decatur Boulevard and Vegas Drive. McDonald says he is willing to pay $8 million for the land in order to build a senior center and apartments.

The city, since 1999, has spent about $7 million buying and accumulating parcels that now comprise the 18 acres that McDonald wants. The reason the city purchased the parcels of land, according to Deputy City Manager Steve Houchens, was to help clean up the blighted area. Several years ago the city did make a formal request for offers to buy the land, Houchens said, but no acceptable responses were made. The city doesn't have a plan to develop the land, but Councilman Gary Reese said at one time the city hoped to build senior housing there.

Reese told the Sun's Dan Kulin that McDonald's $8 million offer seemed fair. If the city were to sell the land, Houchens said that typically an appraisal would be done first. Given how recently McDonald was a member of the City Council, and if the city eventually tries to sell the land, it would be crucial to make sure that a truly independent, rigorous appraisal were performed.

It also is important to keep in mind that since real estate prices have skyrocketed in much of the valley, there might be much more interest by developers in this city-owned land than there was a few years ago. The City Council, therefore, should send out another request for offers to see if there are other interested buyers before it starts negotiating with McDonald. And while there is a need for more affordable senior housing in the Las Vegas Valley, the city should see what other developers might plan on doing with the land. Further, depending on the level of interest, the city should consider holding an auction to sell the property. Whatever ultimately should be done with the land, it is obvious that the city shouldn't be in a rush to get rid of it.