UNLV land bill revived in Congress
WASHINGTON — Nevada would be granted 2,085 acres of federal land near Nellis Air Force Base to establish a North Las Vegas campus for UNLV under a bill that was reintroduced today in Congress.
The satellite campus that has been envisioned by state education leaders would be vastly larger than the 340-acre main campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Maryland Parkway.
The northern campus would focus on research and graduate studies, according to an initial master plan. At a briefing in September, UNLV President David Ashley said portions of the expansive campus could be dedicated to large-scale research on alternative energy technologies and robotics.
The new legislation also would add 40 acres at the intersection of Durango Drive and Elkhorn Road in Las Vegas to the fast-growing College of Southern Nevada, and would expand the Pahrump branch of Great Basin College by 280 acres.
UNLV expansion would take place over decades. The land would be returned to the federal government if nothing is added to the property in 50 years.
Also, before the land could be turned over to the state, regents for the Nevada System of Higher Education and the Air Force would be required to sign an agreement to ensure that university expansion would not hamper military operations at Nellis.
The property would be conveyed free of charge. The state would pay for administrative expenses and environmental studies.
The land bill first was introduced in September near the end of the congressional session, and made no progress. It was reintroduced by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., with other Nevada lawmakers as co-sponsors.
With close to 28,000 students and 3,000 faculty and staff members, UNLV is the nation's fourth-fastest-growing research university, according to the legislation.
"This legislation will give our colleges and universities the land they need to build new, world-class education facilities," Reid said in a statement.
Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.
