Renovations begin for Health District building set to open this year

By Jackie Valley

Thursday, July 23, 2015 | 2 a.m.

A vacant Target in a half-empty shopping complex near Meadows Mall will be buzzing with activity in a few months — this time as the new headquarters for the Southern Nevada Health District.

Dr. Joseph Iser, the county’s chief health officer, donned a hard hat Wednesday morning and swung a mallet through an interior wall to signal the start of renovations of the 110,000-square-foot facility located at 280 S. Decatur Blvd., just south of U.S. 95.

“We are very excited to be moving into a new, permanent facility,” Iser said. “This location allows us to consolidate certain services and provides our clients with easy freeway and public transportation access.”

The wall-breaking ceremony symbolized the Health District’s victory in its quest for a permanent location, which has involved two lawsuits between Clark County and the Health District. Those suits — about the Health District’s right to own property and a squabble over money — were settled in March 2014.

That paved the way for the Health District’s purchase of the $6.5 million building in December. With roughly $10 million for renovations and moving costs, the total price tag shouldn’t exceed $17 million, officials said.

The move will free up about $2.8 million the Health District spends annually on leases at its Valley View Boulevard and Shadow Lane locations, Iser said.

City leaders hope the Health District’s presence at its new location, which is within a designated redevelopment area, will inject life into the once-thriving shopping center that’s now littered with empty storefronts.

The Health District draws a steady stream of visitors seeking immunizations, nursing clinics and food handler safety training, among other services.

“We’re hopeful this will lead to something of a resurgence for this whole corner,” said Las Vegas Councilman Bob Beers, the incoming chairman for the Board of Health. “It’s kind of a win-win all around.”

Architecture firm PGAL designed the remodel, adding solar-tube lighting to brighten the space and make it feel more welcoming, said Christopher Larsen, principal of PGAL.

Martin-Harris Construction is handling the renovations necessary to repurpose the former big-box store.

The Health District expects to move into the new building by the end of the year, Iser said. Health District clinics in Henderson, East Las Vegas, Laughlin and Mesquite will remain open.