Builder given shot at Metro project

Sito Negron

Thursday, July 8, 2004 | 9:32 a.m.

Las Vegas gave J.A. Tiberti Construction and KGA Architects an exclusive opportunity to develop a plan for a new Metro Police headquarters on the site of the County Courthouse at 200 S. Third St.

Tiberti, which has built in Las Vegas for more than 50 years, came up with the idea and proposed it to the city, Deputy City Manager Betsy Fretwell told the Las Vegas City Council members. The private companies have a year to complete the plan.

It would involve the county giving up ownership of the site to the city or the developer. If it gave the site to the city, the city could use redevelopment authority funds to offset the construction cost by giving the land to the developer or offering tax increment financing monies.

If the land went to the developer, the city still could help with tax increment financing.

In either scenario, the developer would own the property, which would go back on the tax rolls, and would lease it to Metro.

"The question comes up -- why are we interested?" said Mike Leavitt, the Tiberti lawyer who appeared before the council Wednesday.

"Yes it's a development opportunity and there's money to be made," he said. However, Leavitt said, "sometimes it's just time for a project."

He said that now was the time because of the financial savings Metro would get from consolidating eight functions from 16 different offices, the benefit to downtown Las Vegas, and the opportunity to create a striking building.

Police have said they spend half a million dollars annually on leases. Leavitt said the savings would be accompanied by an influx of workers to downtown. He said that initially 525 employees would relocate, but that number eventually could swell by 1,000 as the building grows.

Mayor Oscar Goodman said the proposal "gets better every time I see it."

He said that "unlike the Regional Justice Center ... where the taxpayer is subject to risk," this project would require no tax dollars because the developer would carry the burden of financing.

Goodman did have one request, which was that the council have the right to shoot down the project if the members don't like the architectural design. He mentioned the County Government Center and the George Federal Building as examples of what he hoped to see.

"I want this to be iconic," he said.