Time frame extended on City Center study

All parties involved in the proposed City Center Project for downtown Carson City have agreed to extend the deadline for a feasibility study on the multimillion dollar project.

Carson City, P3 Development and the Hop and Mae Adams Foundation have mutually agreed to extend the September deadline to give P3 adequate time to gather all the information needed to present a complete study to the board of supervisors, said City Manager Larry Werner.

Two of the important elements are on schedule, however, he said.

The June 30 community input session was well-attended, and all public comments from that session can be found on the city's website, www.carson.org.

Also on schedule is the meeting in front of the Library Board of Trustees at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the Sierra Room of the community center. This presentation will include information about the public library component of the project.

Library Director Sara Jones said the board will be shown the preferred plan for the project. It includes the library as the project centerpiece, as well as its placement near Stewart Street with a public plaza between it and the Laxalt Building.

According to the meeting agenda, P3 and designer AC Martin will talk about the vision for the library, site integration and the master plan, sustainability and local climate, creating a destination and new landmark, the plaza as a community living room, and public amenities such as art programs with integration of retail shops and services.

Meanwhile, a July 21 letter from the governor's office written by Deputy Chief of Staff Lynn Hettrick to project consultant Mark Lewis says, "Though the proposition of a more attractive downtown core which generates jobs and business is very appealing, our concerns regarding adequate parking and measurable cost savings remain unaddressed."

Werner said he just got a copy of the letter Tuesday morning.

"I'm still trying to digest it and kind of waiting to see what Mark Lewis' reaction is. I'm not really sure what either of their positions is," he said.

The issue is likely to come up at the Thursday meeting, however, he said.

The cost of the study is $166,365, with $75,000 coming from the Redevelopment Authority, $75,000 from the Mae B. Adams Trust and $16,365 from the Carson city Library Gift Fund.

With the exception of the plaza, library and infrastructure, the City Center Project would be privately funded if the board of supervisors accepts the feasibility study.