LV rents parking spaces downtown

Thursday, May 6, 2004 | 10:07 a.m.

If you build it and they don't come, rent out some spaces.

The Las Vegas City Council took that route Wednesday with its little-used Stewart Avenue Parking Garage by renting 25 spaces at $1,250 per month to Barrick Gaming for Goldspike casino employee parking.

The action was taken without discussion as part of the consent agenda, items considered routine and passed collectively with a single vote.

The month-to-month contract involves spaces on the third floor of the six-story structure across from City Hall. The rent is $50 per space. By comparison, the general public pays 25 cents for 10 minutes and city employees pay $40 a month for parking in that structure.

City Finance Director Mark Vincent said the cost to Barrick is considered "fair market" and that the public will not be inconvenienced because few people use spaces above the second floor in the garage.

Most days the garage sits practically empty except for employee automobiles and vehicles parked by members of the general public who have to go to 400 E. Stewart Ave., for Municipal Court, City Hall business or to file reports with Metro Police.

In late January, city officials reported that the city-financed parking garages at both Stewart and the Neonopolis entertainment complex -- both charge for parking -- are not making enough money to repay the bonds that were issued to build them. One reason for that: Parking in neighboring hotel parking garages is either free, or free with easily obtained validation at the casino cage.

Vincent said the money received from the Barrick deal will not do much to help pay off the garage building debt but will help defray maintenance costs in the Stewart garage.

The deal came about because Gold Spike employees used to park in the El Cortez garage for free, a practice recently discontinued when Barrick bought the Gold Spike from El Cortez-owner Jackie Gaughan.