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Sunday, June 7, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Sun Archives
- Group pursuing Henderson museum has its first meeting (4-30-2009)
- Space & Science Center preparing for blastoff (3-26-2009)
- From high desert to high culture (3-25-2009)
- Henderson's museum plan assumes rebound (3-15-2009)
- Science museum vision to become clearer (3-9-2009)
- Museum in Henderson a step closer to reality (3-2-2009)
- City adopts plan for new museum (2-23-2009)
The Henderson City Council, which has had to trim the ranks of employees and dip into its reserves to make ends meet, will decide Tuesday whether to spend as much as $25.4 million on the planned Henderson Space and Science Center.
However — before fiscally conservative residents get the pitchforks — it must be noted that the money would come from a city fund that cannot be used for operations or payroll.
The money would come from a “land fund” filled with the city’s profit from selling real estate. The money can be used only to buy property, make infrastructure improvements, build capital projects and create long-term master plans.
Much of the $25.4 million in the fund — including proceeds from the sale of land along St. Rose Parkway that’s now home to Cashman Equipment — has been earmarked for the museum project.
The council will vote to transfer the money to a nonprofit organization that the city formed to oversee the design and construction of the museum.
No council members have expressed serious reservations about building the museum.
The vote comes at the last meeting for Mayor James Gibson and Councilman Jack Clark, two of the museum’s biggest supporters. Both must step down because of term limits.
The council could decide to transfer only part of the fund.
Councilman Andy Hafen doesn’t want the city losing control of millions of dollars.
“I think the elected officials really need to have more of a say over the funds of the city,” said Hafen, the mayor-elect. “I’m afraid it gets transferred and we give up the oversight.”
Hafen said he’ll raise that issue Tuesday.
If the nonprofit were not to begin construction of the museum in the next seven years, the money would revert to the city.
The council would get quarterly updates on the fund and the money could be used only for construction, furnishings and equipment.
Henderson plans to spend $61 million to build the science museum on a 150-acre city-owned site along the east side of U.S. 95, between Sunset and Russell roads.
The museum would be part of a mixed-use development that could include other museums, retail stores and condominiums.
The total cost of the development could be $250 million. However, the only city-funded project would be the museum.
The museum project is being launched even as the city faces a $50 million budget shortfall caused by falling sales and property taxes. But supporters of the project say now is a perfect time to plan, so construction can begin when the region pulls out of the recession.
The city is working on creating a master plan for the site adjacent to Central Christian Church.
The council appointed a nine-member board in March to oversee a nonprofit foundation given responsibility for design and construction of the project.
The board includes elected officials, UNLV professors and city staffers.
Why not? They've blown 33 Mil on Lake Las Vegas, so why not p*ss away more money on another foolish idea? How much have they wasted on downtown Tijuana, oops downtown Henderson? Maybe they can have a graffiti contest at the new museum to make it stand out by the freeway. It will be needed, since Henderson isn't exactly known as an Air and Space hotspot, except for the rocket fuel explosion in the 80's. Sorry, sorry pols now led by a lifetime hack, Hafen. We get what we deserve...
The museum is a great idea but they won't need that money for years. In the meantime the city loses the interest on the money. And the money could be used to build a city building now and create some good construction jobs. Wait to transfer any money to the museum till they really need it.
I like history museums, space museums, science museums, archeological museums. They are great and I really enjoy them.
Put poor people and people who do not like these things should not be forced to subsidize my enjoyment of these services. I should be forced to bear the full cost when I attend (paying the admission ticket).
Not tax dollar subsidies should be used.
Patrick--you work for a tax exempt organization. Do you understand that your organization's tax exempt status is in effect a tax subsidy?
Hafen is correct...the City should maintain control of the fund at least until the economy warms up...something better may pop up in the meantime.
Also, since the funds can only be used to design and build the museum, how will the operating money be generated? Will there be a return on the City's investment...where will paying customers come from...Central Christian Church?
A Friend of Henderson
I think this museum is an idiotic waste of money. There is a museum like this in Toronto which was popular when it was first built, but is now a ghost town except for bored school kids dragged through it when school is in session.
How about using the money to improve the infrastructure at many of Henderson's overcrowded, traffic jammed intersections?
How about planting more trees along major public streets to improve air quality?
How about building more neighborhood parks, for kids to play in?
How about building more soccer fields and baseball fields?
How about setting the money aside in case yet another, deeper second water pipeline for Henderson, from the river, is needed?
How about building neighborhood libraries, instead of closing them?
How about building some low income senior citizens housing?
How about using the money to pay off infrastructure bonds already issued, where the developers will default or have defaulted, besmirching Henderson's credit rating?
How about building something nice in the center of the city's population, rather than in a hot h@ll hole east of the 95, where most Henderson residents refuse to go?
Sorry, CynicalO, the City of Henderson is controlled by multiple public dopes, both conservative and liberal, who think that it's OK to let developers tear up a city at will. I live on Black Mountain, and it's a GD disgrace. All work has stopped on any commercial and residential properties. So we have thousands of lumps of solid waste, empty buildings and stripped land void of any construction. Miles of it. Yet we just elected another Public lifer-Andy "Dandy" Hafen who will continue this insanity. Jesus, if I'd known that I'd be living in a redneck stupid hell, I never would have moved here from Texas. And they're really stupid in Texas, where they think Spelling is a TV star. So this is amazing. Luckily, our taxes are low because our children are beyond dumb, and nobody cares. Especially their parents...