Council takes first step toward new city hall

Las Vegas city leaders took a tentative step Wednesday toward building a new city hall, a proposal that's part of a complicated downtown development plan that could include a land swap, a new casino and a makeover of the corner where city hall now sits.

The city council's action was procedural, voting 6-1 to accept a report naming a 2.8-acre plot on First Street between Lewis and Clark avenues as the best site for a new city hall.

The nay vote came from Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian, who said she wanted more time to study the proposal. In light of tight city budgets, a tanking economy and a wide range of existing city needs, she said, it's not the best time to be considering a $145 million building.

"I represent a ward ... where there is such a need for direct assistance to our constituents," she said. "I can't see putting this before them."

Mayor Oscar Goodman said the council will revisit the subject on March 19.

"Nothing is simple about what's being proposed here," Goodman said. "It could fall apart quickly and easily, but I hope it doesn't."

A city press release referred to the project as the "Civic Center Commons." It has several components:

• City offices would be relocated to a new, 251,000-square-foot building at the First Street property, home to the closed Queen of Hearts Casino.

• City hall would essentially be an anchor tenant in a five-block development by Live-Work Las Vegas LLC and Forest City Enterprises that's slated to include retail and office space, and a public transit center.

• In exchange for the city hall property, Live-Work Las Vegas would get a tract in the 61-acre Union Park development, which is city-owned land.

• Plans call for Live-Work to build a 1,000-room hotel-casino on that plot.

• The move would open the current city hall site at Las Vegas Boulevard and Stewart Avenue, adding to 12 acres the city also owns at that intersection. The total would be about 17 acres available for development, and those proceeds could offset the cost of a new building.

Mayor Pro Tem Gary Reese said it's "imperative" to get Live-Work Las Vegas' project going so that efforts to revive downtown Las Vegas don't stall. "We need to keep it going," Reese said.

Goodman said the council has an opportunity to participate in a legacy project.

"When you have a building that is architecturally beautiful, it says what a city is all about," Goodman said. "We're going to redevelop an area that is muffler shops and tire shops. That's not what downtown is all about in a great city."

The existing city hall was finished in 1973 and also houses the Metropolitan Police Department. Plans for the new building do not include space for police offices.

City estimates say the existing building will run out of space within six years.