Plans for college building reduced

Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006 | 7:57 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The first building at the Nevada State College in Henderson is shrinking.

When first approved in 2001, it was to be 100,000 square feet, a plan later reduced to 86,000 square feet. Now it is down to 42,000 square feet.

And some state legislators questioned setting aside space for teachers' offices in lieu of more classrooms.

College President Fred Maryanski told the Legislative Interim Finance Committee this week that plans call for six classrooms, five science labs and 45 staff offices.

Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, said he was "startled" at the plans for only six classrooms.

Maryanski said the college will continue to use the Dawson Building that it leases from Henderson for $1 a year and private space for classrooms. He said many professors and teachers share office space.

Maryanski said the new building is being designed so that offices can be converted into classrooms.

The 2001 Legislature approved $13 million for the project with the condition that $10 million be raised in private donations. But the college raised only $1 million, scrapping the scheduled 2003 groundbreaking.

The 2005 Legislature authorized $9 million from estate tax collections to complete the building.

Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said she was concerned about the fees being charged by the Public Works Board to oversee the project.

Although the building's size has been cut by more than half, the board is now charging double to manage the construction.

Evan Dale, the board's deputy director, said $350,000 was spent on designs and other plans for the original building. But after the site was changed and the design altered, he estimates that it will cost $762,000 to review the new design, inspect the construction work and oversee the project.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, told Dale and Gus Nunez, assistant manager of the Public Works Board, that if the board keeps redesigning the building, there will not be any money left for construction.

Bids for the project are to be opened in mid-2007, with completion now scheduled for summer 2008.

Cy Ryan can be reached at (775) 687-5032 or at cy@lasvegassun.com.