The city of Las Vegas moved one step closer to rehabilitating the historic Fifth Street School with the awarding of a architectural services contract at a recent City Council meeting.

The Fifth Street School, built in 1936, was constructed using federal funds as part of a building program to alleviate a population boom in Las Vegas. The facility, which is owned by the city, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The city plans to renovate the historic building into a “cultural oasis” in the heart of downtown Las Vegas. A number of local arts organizations, including the UNLV Modern Letters and writers in exile programs, the Nevada School of Arts and the UNLV Downtown Design Center, will be located within the refurbished facility. The converted school will also house performance and gallery space in its former gymnasium.

The Las Vegas City Council – while serving as the Redevelopment Agency - awarded the contract to a local architecture firm to begin the next phase of renovation. Work will include historic restoration on the building’s exterior and adaptive re-use of the interior to accommodate new culturally-oriented uses.

This phase of the restoration effort, which involves interior demolition, is expected to begin in late April. Bids for the final construction are expected to be awarded in December, with the project completion expected in the fall of 2007.