Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005 | 7:14 a.m.
Millions of dollars in federal grants for a bus transfer center in North Las Vegas are at risk after a developer decided against selling the Regional Transportation Commission any land in the Las Vegas Boulevard corridor, a top RTC official said.
The commission had planned to build an 8,000-square-foot bus terminal on 18.6 acres that North Las Vegas earlier this month bought for $6.8 million from the Clark County School District.
But the plan was left dangling when North Las Vegas opted in September, before the purchase was final, to sell the land to Site Four LLC for a shopping center.
For 18 months North Las Vegas had planned on acquiring the 18.6 acres for a park and police substation, with 6 acres to be sold to the RTC. When it dropped those plans, the North Las Vegas City Council directed Site Four to discuss with the RTC selling it a portion of the site on the southwest corner of Carey Avenue and Hamilton Street or on an adjacent 13 acres that the developer owns.
But those talks broke down, and the developer now plans on using both parcels for its project, city officials said.
The RTC has three federal grants totaling $9 million earmarked for the transfer center, but General Manager Jacob Snow said the money could be lost if another site cannot be found soon. The agency has obtained a one-time, one-year extension on one of the grants.
"We have lost two years worth of work, and it will be that much longer before we can get a site and get it built," Snow said. "It may put the grants in jeopardy. You have to show you are making progress on the project, and we have to move quickly. If we can't find a site, we are in trouble."
Earlier this year the commission lost out on a $2.5 million federal grant when Henderson voted against a mass transit center on College Drive because of neighborhood opposition, Snow said.
It will be difficult to find another location because land is in short supply in the corridor, Snow said. He declined, however, to criticize North Las Vegas or the developer for contributing to the commission's dilemma.
North Las Vegas City Manager Gregory Rose said it will help the RTC find a downtown location, adding that if none is found, it will reimburse the RTC the $300,000 that it spent on transit center studies.
"I think we are always concerned whenever we are impacting any agency," Rose said. "However, the City Council made a decision on this issue, and they gave us good direction."
The proposed center would be a central point in North Las Vegas for route transfers. Routes would be altered to funnel buses into the transfer center, which would have 14 bays and sheltered covers, a ticket booth and restrooms. It also would offer park-and-ride services.
However, not everyone wants the bus transfer center in the corridor.
"It is not going to hurt my feelings at all (if it's not built)," said Councilman Robert Eliason, who serves as the city's representative on the RTC. "I don't know if it is needed there. No one has proven that to me yet."
Eliason said the developer pulled out of talks to sell a portion of its land because it was not feasible after it had to pay a higher price. North Las Vegas had planned to pay the School District $5.2 million for the site, but the district upped the price when it learned it would be sold to a developer and not be used by a government entity.
The School District paid $2.8 million for the site in 2001, but sold it because North Las Vegas turned down a request for a middle school in 2002.
City officials say the site's commercial use would provide more eating and shopping options, as well as help redevelop one of the community's older sections.
Brian Wargo can be reached at 259-4011 or at [email protected].
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