It's probably a good thing that the old National Guard armory building is being torn down " the buildings on the site have been deteriorating since 2002 in a very visible location.
But what happens to the 11-acre site now? It's a prime location on a busy commercial corridor that's passed daily by thousands of motorists. In other words, it has a lot of potential, especially in a city that has a limited availability of developable land.
Unfortunately, the property will likely sit idle and remain in state ownership. Does anybody think the state, in the throes of an economic crisis, will be putting up any new buildings soon?
Even if a state agency does find a use for the site, one would have to ask if it would be the best use for the land.
The city, which lives or dies based on sales tax revenue, and thus economic development, could surely use the site toward that end. If only the state would sell, something it has resisted.
And the state, last we checked, could use as much income as it can get. If the state does find a need for land anytime soon, it seems to us it has other options, not the least of which could be the Nevada State Prison that has been threatened with closure.
It's possible the state already has a plan for that site. For the city's sake, let's just hope it involves more than tearing it down and letting it sit idle.