Las Vegas NowBattle Brews Over New City Hall

Battle Brews Over New City Hall

Emotions boiled over when the City of Las Vegas decided to build a brand new multi-million dollar city hall. Some say the decision is irresponsible and could cost jobs, but the city says it will have just the opposite effect by creating work.

It was far from your normal City Council meeting as a heated shouting match started over the new city hall project which city leaders hope to finance with a multi-million dollar bond.

But Culinary Union spokesperson Chris Bohner says with people losing jobs, they don't support a project this size, "If they want a city hall, let's put in on the ballot and let the people decide in June."

The new city hall would be built on Main and Lewis by a private investor. The building be leased back to the city with an option to buy.

City council and the mayor say this project will spur downtown development, including the building of a new hotel and casino. The mayor believes tax revenues from those developments could help pay for the project.

Culinary members don't like that idea, "They would divert money that would go to our schools to pay for new city hall. That is a fact."

But Mayor Goodman says a new hotel and casino could mean jobs for culinary members, "Their job is not to impede city potential jobs when they are being laid off left and right in different places. That was totally irresponsible."

For now, the city moves forward and the Culinary Union promises they will continue to fight.

City leaders still have a number of steps to go through to get approval. If all is approved, the new city hall is expected to be ready by 2011.