LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Instead of renovating the Grant Sawyer Office Building in downtown Las Vegas, state officials are looking at moving somewhere else.
According to Gov. Joe Lombardo's office, they're looking at the McCarran Center on the south end of Harry Reid International Airport, in between Warm Springs and the 215.
The proposal said state officials will purchase an existing office complex and turn it into a large state office headquarters. The project is expected to cost $263 million dollars for the 835,000-square-foot complex with the money coming the Governor's general budget.
State officials add that while that sounds like a lot of money, moving to a new facility would actually be nearly $170 million cheaper than trying to renovate the Grant Sawyer Office Building. According to the proposal, in order to remodel that building and build a new tower at the Sahara complex, it would have cost $470 million for about 470,000 square feet of space.
The governor's office said that building had suffered from multiple issues over the years that has caused some government employees to even quit their jobs.
RELATED LINK: Former employee says government building made him sick
In the past, that has included faulty pipes, leaking sewage, mold issues, heating and air conditioning issues, water bugs, and indoor pollutants.
"The ongoing infrastructure problems at Grant Sawyer have been documented for years and it's well past time to address this unsustainable office space," said Jack Robb, Director of the Department of Administration.
The Grant Sawyer Building opened in 1995.
