City of Sparks Redevelopment Agency to Consider Using Restricted Funds to Purchase Land for New City Hall

Contact: Withanee Milligan
Communications Coordinator
[email protected]
775.686.3103

Sparks, NV - Using restricted Redevelopment Area 2 (RDA 2) funds, the City of Sparks Redevelopment Agency will consider purchasing approximately eight acres of land in the Sparks Marina district for a new City Hall campus. The proposed purchase price is $10 million. The Redevelopment Agency will consider the potential purchase on August 25, 2025, immediately following the Sparks City Council meeting.

With the property owner open to selling and market values on the rise, City staff sees this as a timely and strategic opportunity to acquire the land.

In 1999, the City of Sparks established RDA 2, an area within the City that includes the Sparks Marina and surrounding areas. Redevelopment areas are special districts where a portion of property tax revenues-specifically the increase in value over time-is reinvested locally to spur economic development, infrastructure, and revitalization.The goal of RDA 2 was to transform that area, a once-flooded quarry, into a vibrant mixed-use district with housing, businesses, and other development. The RDA 2 Plan specifically identified a new City Hall as a potential land use in the area. Since then, the Sparks Marina district has seen significant development, including more than 1,100 new residential units and 1.4 million square feet of commercial space.

Redevelopment funds are legally restricted. Under Nevada law, these funds can only be used for specific projects, including public buildings, that implement the RDA 2 Plan. Redevelopment funds are meant to directly benefit a redevelopment area by encouraging new development, creating jobs, boosting local revenue, and drawing more activity.

"If approved, this will be a long-planned success story that makes the best use of public funds," said City Manager Dion Louthan. "Our community has been investing in RDA 2 for more than 26 years and we are thrilled to have the chance to use these funds to build an efficient City Hall campus that shows the pride we have in Sparks and will help us serve the public for decades to come."

The current City Hall suffers from chronic maintenance problems, inadequate security, and overburdened, obsolete office and meeting spaces. Significant structural improvements would be required to update the current City Hall complex, and ongoing maintenance of this aging facility uses scarce general fund dollars that could be better invested to maintain and improve services for the Sparks community.

The site within the Marina district would give the community the flexibility to build a modern facility that may house multiple city services in one efficient and accessible location. If the purchase is approved, the City will explore all design and construction approaches to control costs and ensure the process continues to be transparent.