Building Nevada Briefs - October 2002

Building Nevada Brief

Las Vegas Firm Receives National Certification

Vegas General Construction Co. is the first trade contractor in Southern Nevada to achieve certification in the National Housing Quality Certified Trade Contractor Program of the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. It was designated a "Certified Framing Contractor" for complying with quality procedures based on the center’s National Housing Quality Assurance System for trade contractors. The Southern Nevada Home Builders Association (SNHBA) is the coordinator in metropolitan Las Vegas of the Research Center’s program, which was launched in late 2001. A total of 63 local trade contracting and home building companies are currently involved in the Southern Nevada program. "This is a win-win situation for the Southern Nevada home building industry and our home buyers," SNHBA President Mark Tomlinson. "The national quality assurance program will provide a higher level of uniform quality assurance standards area-wide, and lead to certification, which is a respected recognition of educational achievement." Vegas General Construction, founded in 1975 as a residential framing contractor, has grown to employ more than 500 workers. It frames more than 10 percent of all single family housing in the Southern Nevada area.

St. Rose Business Park Breaks Ground

Work began recently on St. Rose Business Park, a $30 million Class A project located 1/4 mile east of St. Rose Dominican Hospital’s Siena campus in Henderson. Developed by Park One LLC, the 180,000-square-foot master-planned business park will eventually consist of 12 buildings located on 13.6 acres. Building sizes will vary from 6,500 square feet to 24,000-square-foot, two story buildings with balconies. Phase One, consisting of two buildings with approximately 37,000 square feet of office and professional space, is scheduled for completion in April 2003. The project was designed by JMA Architecture Studio, G.C. Wallace Engineering performed engineering services, and Breslin Builders is serving as the general contractor. Marathon Commercial is marketing buildings in the park for lease and also for lease with option to purchase.

Work Begins on Reno ReTRAC Project

Work began in September on a $264 million project that will eventually lower the existing street-level railroad tracks in downtown Reno into a 33-foot deep trench. The 2.1-mile trench will include two mainline tracks, an access road adjacent to the tracks and reconstruction of 11 street crossings built as bridges over the trench. The Reno City Council voted in August to award the $170.7 million construction contract to Granite Construction. With corporate offices located in Watsonville, Calif., Granite Construction has more than 80 years of construction experience, including several rail projects across the country as well as work on the Las Vegas Monorail. Granite will use the design-build process for this project. Discussions about lowering the tracks have been held periodically in Reno over the last 60 years, and the go-ahead decision by the city council followed six years of studies.

Bellagio Announces Expansion

The $1.6 billion Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip has announced plans to construct a 925-room spa tower to begin construction in mid-2003. The $375 million expansion is scheduled for completion in December 2004. In addition to the new hotel rooms, the project will include a significant expansion of the Bellagio spa and salon, 60,000 square feet of new meeting rooms, 5,000 square feet of retail and a restaurant. The spa tower will be located on the south side of Bellagio’s main pool and courtyard with direct access to the expanded spa and salon. Marnell Corrao Associates has been chosen to perform architectural services for the project, aided by Bellagio’s internal design team, and it will also serve as general contractor.