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Nevada advances plan for new Southern Nevada forensic psychiatric hospital; land clearance project required first
Summary
State public works and DHHS presented a $382 million plan to build a 300‑bed forensic psychiatric facility in Las Vegas and a separate $38 million land‑acquisition/demolition project to clear the Desert Regional Center campus. Lawmakers pressed officials on timing, bed mix, use of existing buildings and funding for furnishings.
State public works and the Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday outlined plans to build Nevada’s first purpose‑built forensic psychiatric hospital in Southern Nevada and a companion project to clear land on the Desert Regional Center campus for construction.
The governor’s recommended capital construction request lists project CO1 as a $382,000,000, state‑funded proposal to construct a four‑story, 300‑bed forensic facility to serve mentally disordered criminal offenders. Separately, project CO2 is a $38,000,000, state‑funded request to demolish several Desert Regional Center (DRC) buildings and provide the land needed to build CO1; public works staff told lawmakers CO2 is required to allow CO1 to be built on the proposed footprint.
Public importance: Lawmakers and agency officials described the projects as a large, multi‑year investment intended to relieve capacity pressure at existing state facilities and to provide treatment‑focused design not available in converted buildings.
Project details and timeline: Brian Walker, deputy administrator of professional services for the State Public Works Division, said CO1 would be a 327,000‑square‑foot hospital with three patient wings and an administrative wing and that design allows adding a fourth patient wing later. Walker and renderings presented to the committee show CO1 configured to provide 30 intake/assessment beds, 60 long‑term beds, 30 high‑risk beds and 180 competency‑restoration beds. Walker said a later fourth wing would add about 90 beds.
Drew Cross, the statewide forensic program coordinator for DHHS, told the committee the state currently operates about 239 forensic beds: 86 at Lakes Crossing (Northern facility) and 53 at Stein Hospital, for a total of 239 state beds when combined with other capacity. Cross said Lakes Crossing will remain open after the new hospital comes online, but Stein and an identified building called “3A” would cease operations once CO1 opens. DHHS and public works officials said Stein and 3A are not ideal facilities for current needs and that demolition of those existing structures has been discussed as part of campus planning.
Dependency and sequencing: Walker said CO2 and CO1 are “sister projects” and that approval of CO1 is contingent on CO2 because CO2 provides the land. Public works staff said they intend to start construction on CO2 as early as summer/fall of the next biennium so the buildings are cleared ahead of CO1 construction.
Costs beyond construction: Committee members asked whether furnishings, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) are included. Mike Brown, chief of planning for State Public Works, said the current CO1 request does not include FF&E and that historically Nevada requests FF&E in a subsequent session to avoid holding funds for several years. He estimated FF&E roughly at 10–15% of construction cost and gave a preliminary figure “penciled in” near $28,000,000 subject to refinement during design.
Capacity and interim mitigation: Lawmakers asked whether the 300 beds will be sufficient when the hospital opens (estimated in testimony to be in the late 2020s). Cody Finney of DHHS said agency analysis and ongoing community programs give the agency confidence that 300 beds, together with existing capacity and purchased community services, should be sufficient while the state retains flexibility to add a wing later. Finney and Cross described interim strategies DHHS is using now to reduce wait times and manage demand, including purchasing community services, partnering with county jails for dedicated units, and adding staff.
Design risks and site conditions: Walker and Will Lewis, administrator of State Public Works, said design‑level work revealed that staying inside the originally envisioned footprint would have required a high‑rise building; designers opted for a four‑story massing and demolition of DRC buildings to remain under high‑rise requirements and reduce life‑cycle costs. Walker said early design programming identified the need for demolition.
Open questions and follow‑up: Committee members asked the Governor’s Finance Office whether bond authorities or other funding sources (for example, conservation bond authority previously allocated to museums) could be repurposed; Curtis Palmer, deputy director of the Governor’s Finance Office, said he would provide additional information later. Agency staff also said they will refine FF&E and escalation estimates as the design progresses.
Outlook: Officials told the subcommittees CO1 and CO2 are state‑funded and that the projects will require continued legislative approvals through the design and construction process. DHHS and public works said they will return with additional details as planning advances.
