It seems contractors accidentally built the second floor of the new wing with an upward incline. The rise was gradual--only 7 inches over 50 yards--but it was perceptible, says deputy city manager Steve Houchens. "It wasn't visible to the eye as much as when you walked down the hall, you could feel a little upslope and downslope."
The city asked the builders to level out the second floor, which is to be full of classrooms for training employees. "It was just like what the dentist does," Houchens says. "They grinded the high points and filled in the low points." It isn't perfect, but as staffers began moving into the new building in September, they couldn't blame the floor for any sore calf muscles.
As Las Vegas continues its rapid growth, city hall is trying to keep pace. The most recent expansion adds 30,000 square feet of space, allowing the human resources department to move out of a temporary home set up underneath a freeway. Even that won't be sufficient for long. Plans are to expand the building again within three or four years.
