By Conor Shine (contact)

Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013 | 2:46 p.m.

Plans for a new 280,000-square-foot building in Las Vegas could significantly improve the University of Nevada School of Medicines academic offerings in the valley. But building the new space near University Medical Center will come with a steep price tag, the medical schools dean, Thomas Schwenk, told Clark County commissioners on Wednesday.

Currently, the medical schools academic spaces are spread across a series of leased buildings and jerry-rigged classrooms and conference rooms near the UMC, which is owned by the county, Schwenk said.

The proposed $220 million, six-story building, on county-owned land at the northwest corner of Charleston Boulevard and Shadow Lane, would provide a central location for the school that includes classrooms, offices, a library, lecture halls and some lab space.

During his presentation, Schwenk referred to the building as another campus for the medical school, noting that the proposed Las Vegas building covers as much space as the four buildings that make up the medical school campus in Reno.

I believe this is a major campus that establishes the school as a major presence in Las Vegas; its not just another building, Schwenk said. We have very strong clinical programs lots of physicians, medical students and residents but we dont have the academic space. Thats the issue in Las Vegas.

Construction of the building will require a mix of state and donor funding, Schwenk said, which could be a challenge at a time when the state budget is tight.

Planning for the building is still in the preliminary stages, but it will likely be at least five years before it is completed.

The new Las Vegas building would improve the quality of education students receive and also could be a place for UMC staff to receive continuing education, Schwenk said.

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Dean details plans for $220 million medical school building near UMC