Columnist Jeff German: County closer to getting RJC’s keys

Friday, Sept. 17, 2004 | 5:26 a.m.

Jeff German's column appears Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays in the Sun. Reach him at german@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4067.

WEEKEND EDITION

September 18 - 19, 2004

This is not a dream. Call it the end of a nightmare -- maybe.

At the county courthouse they're actually talking about moving the court system soon into the Regional Justice Center, that $130 million boondoggle that is 32 months behind schedule.

Miracles can happen, even at this taxpayer-financed "project from hell." But most courthouse employees will tell you they'll believe it when they see moving vans lined up along Bridger Street.

Before we get too excited, County Aviation Director Randy Walker -- who has been assigned to keep tabs on the project's general contractor, AF Construction -- says there's still plenty of unfinished business.

Walker says he's been told AF Construction plans to complete its primary work on the 17-story building by Sept. 30. But, while that sounds encouraging, the county has found itself pressing the company to redo a lot of work that isn't in compliance with the construction contract.

There are dozens of examples that fall into that category, such as uneven floors that have to be leveled and leaks in windows that must be plugged.

Teams of county inspectors also are starting to scour the 17 floors, like when you do a walk-through in a new home, to put together a "punch list" of additional items the contractor needs to correct. That should be a long list, as well.

And then there's the catch.

Trying to get AF Construction to fix things is a never-ending struggle, Walker says.

"They're never consistent," he explains. "They tell you they're going to do things, and they don't do them. They tell you they're not going to do things, and they do them."

Even with the uncertainty over how AF Construction will finish the job, Walker has made a shaky prediction that the county will be able to take control of the building from the contractor in November.

That would allow court officials to dust off newly bought furniture that is sitting in storage and, if they're lucky, start the 4-6 month moving-in process.

If that happens, no one will be happier than Walker who, for 2 1/2 years, has struggled to light a fire under the slow-moving AF Construction.

"It's been a very miserable assignment for me, quite honestly," Walker says. "It's unfortunate that we've had a contractor that was not prepared to take on the magnitude of this kind of a job, in my opinion."

AF Construction has blamed the lengthy construction delays on a poor design plan submitted by the county and persistent troubles with subcontractors.

Just who's really responsible for the delays will be decided in court, long after the public reaps the benefits of a justice system that has room to breathe. Both sides already are in arbitration to resolve millions of dollars worth of disputes, and the county is withholding a whopping $11 million in payments to AF Construction because of sloppy work.

The concept behind the Regional Justice Center was to consolidate the court system into one location and relieve the overcrowded courthouse, which today is bursting at the seams.

Las Vegas Municipal Court, Las Vegas Justice Court, Clark County District Court and the Nevada Supreme Court, all will be housed in the new high-rise, along with the district attorney's office and the city attorney's office.

Construction began in April 1999 and was supposed to have been completed in January 2002.

Though no one knows for sure when the moving vans will be rolling, the powers that be at the courthouse can see light at the end of this dark tunnel.

"It's going to be a great relief," says District Court Administrator Chuck Short. "This has been a long journey for everyone."

The journey's not over yet.