Proposals to be sought on former school

Dan Kulin

Monday, Sept. 19, 2005 | 10:09 a.m.

Las Vegas is expected to formally seek proposals during the next two months for the use of the former Fifth Street School. It could cost more than $8 million to clear out and renovate the school.

Mayor Oscar Goodman has long said he hopes the former school, which is across Las Vegas Boulevard South from the George Federal Building, will become a cultural center for artists and intellectuals.

"We've imploded too much history around here. History is supposed to be preserved," Goodman said about the school, which was built in 1936 is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The exterior of the former school is being kept, but the interior is being gutted to make way for new uses.

The City Council is expected to vote Wednesday to seek proposals for the future use of the building. Proposals are due by Nov. 18.

The council is also scheduled to vote on spending $705,312 for the second phase of the interior demolition. The city has already spent about $600,000 on demolition, said Scott Adams, director of the Office of Business Development.

Adams said the total cost of demolition and renovation could be $8 million to $10 million. But he said it is unclear how much of that cost may be borne by the city because parties responding to the request for proposals might offer to pay for some of the renovations.

But the mayor said the potential cost of preserving the building isn't a deterrent to him.

"In order to get something, we've got to pay for it," Goodman said, adding that preserving the school is priceless.