Goodman sees vote on city hall

Las Vegas officials could be voting on building a new city hall as soon as Dec. 2, Mayor Oscar Goodman said Thursday.

At next week's City Council meeting, he expects an ordinance to be introduced that would allow the city to borrow the funds needed for the new building.

Then, on Dec. 2, city staff members will see what kind of deal the city can get on financing and, if the terms are acceptable, the council could vote to move forward that afternoon.

If not, the council would "continue it until some other time when the market will bite," Goodman said.

Las Vegas officials have tried this once before and weren't able to get a low enough interest rate to make the project feasible.

Since then, though, the Build America Bonds program has started, in which the federal government subsidizes the borrowing costs of local projects.

"The Build America Bonds are out there," Goodman said. "The question is, will they sell?"

In October, city staff estimated that the city would borrow $205 million to build the new city hall on a downtown block bordered by Main Street, First Street, and Lewis and Clark avenues.

Goodman has championed the project as a way to create construction jobs while boosting downtown redevelopment.

It also would raise the city's profile, he said.

"I think the city should be proud of its buildings," Goodman said. "Buildings are important to a city."

Those arguments don't sway the newest City Council member, Stavros Anthony, who has been steadily opposed to the project.

"The argument is, do we build something that we don't need to create jobs?" Anthony asked. "I think we're taking on a project that costs a lot of money that we don't need to spend."

He suggested borrowing a smaller amount, about $60 million, and use it to complete other public works projects that currently aren't funded or are only partially funded.

"We have other projects that the city has decided that we need," Anthony said. "I would prefer to go that route."

Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.