Carson resident LeAnn Saarem speaks during public comment at the Board of Supervisors retreat on Friday.
Photo by Scott Neuffer.
Weighing facility needs, the Carson City Board of Supervisors on Friday directed staff to move forward in exploring a public-private partnership for a new 60,000-square-foot city hall and adjacent parking garage at East Musser and North Stewart streets.
No formal action was taken on the item, and supervisors stressed the design concepts and agreement and financing details are all preliminary.
“This gives us options that we otherwise wouldn’t have, so there lies the discussion,” said Supervisor Lisa Schuette.
The project would be part of the Hop and Mae Adams Foundation’s proposed estimated $250 million revitalization effort downtown, behind the Nugget, including a conference center, two hotels, housing, a plaza, the new city hall and parking garage — with an estimated $200 million in private investment. The city would only be looking at the city hall and parking garage portions and would need to coordinate with the state of Nevada that owns part of the area.
In a proposal that was distributed for Friday’s meeting, HMAF proposed establishing a nonprofit entity, Carson City Development Corp., to create a land partnership with the city and state.
More than 15 people spoke on the project on Friday with varying opinions on the small-town character of Carson and what the project would mean.
Resident LeAnn Saarem said residents are serious about keeping Carson’s small-town feel and argued nobody involved the public in the proposal — a concern shared by resident Joy Trushenski, who claimed it was “taxation without representation.”
In contrast, Carson City School Board Trustee Molly Walt, speaking as a resident, praised the work HMAF has done in the community and said of the project, “It’s time the city invest in that area.”
Steve Neighbors of Boise, a trustee for HMAF, said he’s not a pied piper and provided examples of HMAF projects downtown like the mixed-use building at 308 N. Curry St., that replaced a 1960s-era Citibank building. He said HMAF projects have been open to public input and that would continue under the current proposal.
Lucia Maloney, resident and former supervisor candidate, said there needs to be more public trust and wondered about “guardrails” should the project prove infeasible. Mayor Lori Bagwell replied the guardrails would be affordability and stressed nothing in the plan was in stone.
The HMAF proposal, as presented, shows a new city hall (with four floors) costing an estimated $27.5 million and the parking garage costing $15 million in phase 1, “with only $36 million financed based on land contributions from the partners, CCDC, and HMAF.” HMAF proposed the city lease the new city hall and 300 spaces in the parking structure for $2.1 million a year.
“If the city completes the lease term for the entire debt payoff period, the city will own the city hall,” reads the initial proposal.
Friday, city officials put the city’s cost at $24 million for a new city hall and at $12 million for the parking structure. They estimated a $36 million debt issuance over 30 years, at 5 percent interest, would equal approximately $2.3 million in annual debt service, which could be paid from redevelopment funds the first three fiscal years then from the general fund, according to documents for Friday’s meeting.
City officials proposed the following departments and elements be housed in the new city hall should the project move forward: assessor’s office, board member offices, a new board room, clerk-recorder’s office, city manager’s office, community development, development engineering, finance, human resources, parks administration, public defender, public guardian and treasurer.
In agreeing to pursue a $15.3 million remodel of the Carson City Courthouse — to make room for a third justice of the peace when the population surpasses 60,000 — supervisors agreed the clerk-recorder’s office currently in the courthouse should be relocated. That might mean temporary relocation before a new city hall is ready.
Clerk-Recorder Scott Hoen said he currently has 7,000 square feet and would need 8,000 to 9,000 square feet “to do it right.” He told supervisors his office would need to be moved by December before the next election cycle in 2026.
Supervisors also directed staff to move forward with a $12.7 million remodel of the city’s juvenile detention center, which they agreed is a priority.