State construction projects may get early OK

A legislative subcommittee requested a bill draft Thursday that would authorize the state's Public Works Board to move ahead on four construction projects - including a fourth wing to a new psychiatric hospital in Southern Nevada.

Other projects include replacing crumbling and improperly laid tile on the Grant Sawyer Building in Las Vegas, construction of an emergency operations center in the state's capital and expansion of the state's computer facility, also in Carson City.

The Assembly-Senate subcommittee didn't include a $400,000 request to prepare for bidding to construct the Las Vegas Readiness Center, a nearly 95,000 square-foot complex that will be home to five National Guard units.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, called the project an "unreadiness" center because the land for the complex still has not been acquired and the current price tag for the total project may be $4 million too low.

"I'm at a loss to see how we're going to fund this early in this state," he said, adding that he thought the state would have to pay only 25 percent of the $23 million cost. The split now has the state paying $10 million and the federal government providing $13.2 million.

Negotiations to obtain the land are ongoing, Public Works Board manager Dan O'Brien said, adding that the $2.2 million to buy the land may be able to go for construction if a land trade can be arranged. Clark County owns most of the land area, which it received from the Bureau of Land Management, and the rest is held by a developer, who may trade his land to Clark County, which would then transfer the land to the state.

That scenario also would lead to the possibility that the project could secure more federal funding, O'Brien said.

The additional $11.3 million "pod" in the new Las Vegas psychiatric hospital, scheduled to open in May 2006, would provide 40 additional beds for patients, bringing the total to 190 beds. Clark County has been short on beds for psychiatric patients, causing a backup in emergency rooms. The overload led Clark County to declare an emergency last July.

The Public Works Board also requested an additional $2 million to offset increasing materials costs for the $8.5 million state emergency operations center, which will house state agencies that need to coordinate during emergencies or disasters. The center must be constructed by September 2006 and a contract must be signed by April 1 or the state will lose federal funding.

Legislators were worried about inflating materials costs, and also had concerns about whether the tile on the Sawyer building should be replaced with more tile that may just fall off again.

The state has been dealing with a construction defect with exterior tile on the building. More than 50 of the 12-inch by 12-inch tiles, which weigh a pound apiece, have fallen off in the past two years, creating a hazard for passers-by.

While the state is currently in litigation with companies involved in the construction of the building, the board requested about $8.5 million, in addition to $1.5 million already approved by the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee, to finish stripping and replacing the tile.

Legislators were told that the adhesion was the problem and that if installed properly it won't fall off again.

O'Brien said the early bill, if approved, won't provide immediate funding for the projects, but instead will give authorization for them to move ahead sooner and will ensure that when payment time comes, the funds will be available. Otherwise, authorization may not come until July, and funds wouldn't be available until fall.