City May Accept Grant to Rehabilitate the Historic Water Filtration Plant

UPDATE: The Council unanimously voted in favor of accepting this grant!

At tonight's City Council meeting we were excited to see that there will be a resolution where if approved a Grant for $199,880 will be received from the State of Nevada, Commission for Cultural Centers to rehabilitate the Historic Water Filtration Plant. You can see the information from the Agenda Packet HERE to learn more. Back in 2022 the City set aside roughly $300,000 for an estimated repair budget of $500,000 and the counsel at that time instructed staff to find and apply for grant money to help with the funding. This is the results of those efforts.

Bottom line is that this is one of the oldest buildings in the area and it has many needs. Back in 2018 we told you HERE about the needed roof repairs which were then donated by Cooper Roofing and Solar. That was desperately needed at the time as parts of the roof had begun to cave in. Then in February of 2020 the building and its immediate surrounding area including the Reflections sculpture park were designated as a Government Park.

What remains though of this lovely and storied landmark is still a structure with some other tricky issues that need to be addressed. Their is lead paint and asbestos that need to be dealt with, as well as a need for more secure new windows and other structural improvements to be sure that the building is preserved for the long term.

What has been debated and in fact dreamed about is the question of what the building might become. That is a long list and over the years has included ideas for a museum, a brewery, small event center, art center, railway stop (the old tracks ran up to the building) and other ideas. What pretty much everyone in the community agrees is that the treasured building must remain, and be cared for.

Some point out that accepting this money has some strings attached to it. Included in the "Covenant" is the requirement that there be some sort of a 'Public Cultural Center' created out of the space. This agreement lasts for the next forty years, and also requires that once restored that the City invest in maintaining the property - so this will become an ongoing line item to the City budget for the forseable future. The limits do not eliminate a commercial enterprise being created in the building to be run by either a non-profit or for-profit entity.

If you're looking for another example of this type of agreement - a similar one already exists here in Boulder City - that being at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Building, where the City accepted a similar grant with the same types of covenants. That building as we know, is in excellent shape and is the home of the local non-profit Emergency Aid and also stands as a functioning hall for other events in town.

Take the money? We'd say "Yes!" and we'll see what the City Council says tonight. We're just glad to know there are active efforts underway to ensure the long-term viability of this beautiful and unique building - oh the stories she could tell if she only spoke...