Warehouse plans get upgraded, sent back to planning commission

With a few columns reminiscent of the Legislature and the red coloring of a nearby building, state officials hope design plans for a downtown warehouse will garner approval today from the Carson City Planning Commission.

The design for the Legislative Counsel Bureau's proposed downtown warehouse drew complaints last month from its potential neighbors and planning commissioners.

Lorne Malkiewich, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, said he always intended to work with city committees, such as the Redevelopment Authority Citizen's Committee, on the design and landscaping of the building. Stopping short of calling the building ugly, planning commissioners demanded to see a better looking proposal before they agreed to a 9,600-square-foot warehouse in the midst of the city's redevelopment district.

"We wanted to work with these groups on design and landscaping. We just met with them before (planning commission) approval instead of after," Malkiewich said.

The building will now have columns about every 20 feet to "get a little depth and shading," Malkiewich said, as well as wainscoting and a tan color complimenting the nearby state Sedway office building. The building, with landscaping and parking around it, was also moved to the northeast corner of the lot one block from Carson Street and bounded by Fall and Plaza Streets and Sixth and Seventh streets.

The warehouse will replace the Capital Arms Apartments, which were recently demolished, on the lot, and will replace about warehouse space off Highway 50 East. Malkiewich has said the warehouse will be temporary -- five to 15 years -- while the state finds funding for a permanent office building on the site. Planning commissioners in April were concerned that despite promises, the building wouldn't be temporary.

The state had a $500,000 budget to rehab the old apartments, but they were considered unsalvageable, and the remainder of the money after demolition costs is being spent on the warehouse. However, conceding to design changes will likely make the building more expensive than the state had hoped, Malkiewich said.

"Basically it will mean doing some things ourselves rather than contracting for it," he said.

If you go:

What: Carson City Planning Commission meeting

When: 3:30 p.m., today

Where: Community Center's Sierra Room, 851 E. William St.