Land buy OK’d for prison

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Wednesday, July 14, 2004 | 8:30 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- The state Board of Finance on Tuesday took another step toward making the Casa Grande, a halfway house in Las Vegas for prison inmates who are close to release, a reality.

The board approved a resolution to acquire the six acres of land. A final OK for the $20.3 million prison's financing package is expected in September.

Casa Grande would be designated as a prison to be located on Quail Avenue and Russell Road with the cross street at Wynn Road.

Developer Irwin Molasky has been chosen to build the center and then lease it back to the state. The state will own the building after 27 years.

The state Board of Examiners earlier Tuesday approved a $285,000 contract for the state Department of Corrections to hire KGA Architecture to help design the prison.

The halfway house is expected to have 200 inmates when it opens next year and an additional 200 in 2006. The inmates will be within four months of their release and will be expected to get jobs and return to the center at night.