Research center seeks bonds for expansion

The Board of Regents on Thursday discussed a plan for expanding the Desert Research Institute's facility on East Flamingo Road in Las Vegas.

The DRI had previously asked that the Las Vegas expansion -- the institute also has facilities in Northern Nevada -- be given top priority. Originally the expansion called for a 45,000-square-foot addition that would require state funding of $6.5 million.

Under its new proposal, however, the institute says the facility could be expanded by 48,000 square feet and require only $2 million in state funds.

The DRI, affiliated with the state university system, conducts scientific research around the world. It is asking for permission to request legislative support for the selling of a revenue bond to finance 75 percent of the research facility.

According to the DRI, the 20-year bond would be used to pay for the 38,000-square-foot portion of the building that would hold the U.S. Department of Energy's Nevada Test Site programs.

The DOE portion would include storage for more than 350,000 atomic-age documents, public reading and meeting rooms and storage space for Nevada Test Site artifacts.

DRI's portion would include 10,000 square fee for office and laboratory space for DRI scientists involved in Nevada Test Site programs.

A 20-year guaranteed lease between DRI and the General Services Administration is being negotiated, according to DRI officials.

The lease payments would cover the full costs of the bond, including interest service, and after 20 years the board would own the building and be free to renegotiate the lease with DOE or some other party.

DOE would pay its share of maintenance costs.

DRI would request $2 million through the capital improvement process and would be responsible for maintenance and operations of its portion of the space.

DOE has been DRI's major research contract for over 30 years.

Meanwhile, as the search for a permanent president at DRI continues. Thursday, the board appointed Peter Barber to become interim president when President James Taranik leaves June 30.

Taranik will return to the classroom as the Arthur Brant Chair of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Nevada, Reno, after serving DRI for 12 years.

Barber currently is executive director of DRI's Atmospheric Sciences Center.

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