Contract awarded for airport buildings

Wednesday, May 5, 2004 | 10:15 a.m.

Clark County awarded a $53.5 million contract to Las Vegas' Flagship Construction Co. to construct two buildings at McCarran International Airport, part of what will be the new baggage-screening system for the airport.

"This bid is for the second phase of our in-line baggage-screening system," Airport Director Randy Walker told the board. "This will move all of the screening out of the lobby to the back of the house."

Since the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, McCarran and other airports around the country have screened checked bags individually in bulky security points in the lobby. Moving the screening areas out of the lobby will provide more room for passengers, airport officials say.

The county commission approved the contract 6-0 despite a protest from Las Vegas commercial builder Clark and Sullivan Constructors Inc. Kenneth Robinson, a Clark and Sullivan representative, said Flagship failed to meet the airport's 8 percent "self-performed work requirement."

Flagship denied the charges, and Walker said the Clark County District Attorney's office had cleared the way for the company's bid. Self-performance clauses are designed to ensure that the company is performs some share of the work directly.

Robinson said Clark and Sullivan would not take the company's protest to the courts.

The total cost of the new security screening system, including miles of conveyors to move checked baggage around, has been pegged at $125 million.