College classes coming to Las Vegas City Hall

College classes are coming to Las Vegas City Hall.

The City Council approved the four-year lease agreement with the College of Southern Nevada on Wednesday.

The state-run college is leasing City Hall space for $5,000 a month under the agreement, which is aimed at providing training and education opportunities for city employees and the public.

The college’s Division of Workforce and Economic Development will have 9,800 square feet on the third floor and access to City Hall training rooms.

The professional training will include classes in such areas as supervisory and safety skills. Other options include high school general equivalency diplomas, courses in English for non-native speakers and, eventually, credit courses. The college also will help businesses with consulting services.

“We know from talking to business owners that they need an educated workforce to succeed,” Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said in a statement. “What better way for the city to help businesses than by partnering with CSN to offer educational opportunities for residents so that they can thrive and our businesses can thrive as well.”

The college expects to be in the space about 10 to 12 weeks after furniture and equipment are in place, college President Michael Richards said.

The college’s course offerings will be flexible, tailored after the needs of city employees, students and area downtown businesses.

“It’s set up to be dynamic,” Richards said.

Much planning remains, which the college is starting now that its agreement with the city is in hand.

The for-credit courses could come as soon as this fall or fall 2014 in a worst-case scenario, said Dan Gouker, executive director of the college’s Division of Apprenticeship Studies.

The leased space is on the third floor of City Hall and not used by any agencies. The city will install cubicle furniture, and the college will reimburse the city for the installation costs.

In addition, the college will have access to seven training rooms on the first floor in about 4,340 square feet of space. Of those rooms, three can hold up to 30 people apiece, two can hold up to 20 people apiece, and two are computer labs for up to 16 people.

The monthly rent covers the college’s costs of utilities, parking, maintenance and help with setting up information technology systems.

The vote was 6-0, with Councilman Stavros Anthony abstaining because he is an adjunct faculty member at the college.

Under the lease terms, the college also gets security services during normal operating hours for the city. If the college has programs that require additional security services at other times, it is required to cover those costs.

Contact reporter Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal. com or 702-455-4519.