NLV approves purchase of golf course

Dan Kulin

Thursday, June 17, 2004 | 8:27 a.m.

The North Las Vegas City Council's long-discussed plan to buy Craig Ranch Golf Course and turn it into a massive regional park took a step forward Wednesday when the council voted 4-0 to approve an agreement that calls for the city to pay at least $44 million for the 132-acre parcel.

The city plans to use federal funds raised through auctions of Bureau of Land Management property to pay for the land.

Mayor Michael Montandon said that under a best-case scenario the city could take ownership of the golf course in three months.

The agreement adopted Wednesday says the city will pay Craig Ranch Golf Course LLC either the appraised value of the land or $44 million, whichever is higher.

The BLM requires the agency to pay the appraised value for the land, said Edward Lubbers, an attorney handling this transaction for the city.

If the appraisal, which the city will commission, comes back below $44 million the city would have to decide whether to make up the difference. Lubbers said the contract does not require the city to buy the property if the full funding isn't available.

The BLM has already set aside about $38 million for the purchase, but Lubbers said he expects the bureau would increase that amount to meet the appraisal price.

The city is also waiting to hear back on a request for an additional $20 million in federal funds to turn the golf course into a park, Montandon said. Plans include trails, tennis courts and possibly an amphitheater.

Station Casinos had once planned to build a hotel on the land, but in March 2001 a state gaming review panel killed those plans based on state law that restricts construction of new casinos near residential neighborhoods.