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In business community new building gives LGBTQ center heightened presence By Mark Adams staff writer After two decades of providing programs and services for the LGBTQ community of Las Vegas, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada finally has a home all its own. The nonprofit organization unveiled its downtown location, the Robert L. Forbuss building at 401 S. Maryland Parkway, on April 6 after initially opening the doors of the new facility last month. "Having this sort of presence in the community, I think, will make our business known to more people who haven't been able to access services through the center before," said Mel Goodwin, program director at the center, which served more than 30,000 Las Vegas residents in 2012. The $4 million project was aided in part by donations from prominent local corporations, organizations and residents, including MGM Resorts Inter- FORWARD TOGETHER #1 SBA 504 LENDER IN NEVADA - U.S. Small Business Administration Bruce Hendricks Chief Executive Officer 2/13 12 20130422_VI12_F.indd 12 702.248.4200 bankofnevada.com Bank of Nevada is an affiliate of Western Alliance Bancorporation John Guedry President and Chief Operating Officer national, Steve and Andrea Wynn and Zuffa LLC, which owns and operates the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The redesign of the center includes improvements on programs and services, such as a library, social and support groups and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. transportation new transit center for unlv called a key to future growth TM By Richard N. Velotta senior staff writer Dignitaries and transportation planners say a new $3.45 million UNLV Transit Center is a slam dunk. In a March Madness-themed kickoff to the center's construction, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid and UNLV President Neal Smatresk said the transit center will be key to future growth. "Southern Nevada needs a modern infrastructure and transit system that enables long-term growth," Reid said in prepared remarks for the groundbreaking ceremony. "This new project will become a major hub that will support UNLV students and staff and those in the surrounding community." Regional Transportation Commission officials say the Centennial Express line will serve the center and take passengers directly to the downtown Las Vegas Bonneville Transit Center, where they'll be able to get connections to any stop in the valley. The Centennial Express currently serves the UNLV campus with six-stop service from the Centennial Hills Transit Center in northwest Las Vegas that runs more than 20 times a day on weekdays from about 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., ending at a street stop at Maryland and Del Mar Drive. The new transit center, scheduled to open in August, will be a 6,460-squarefoot, open-air facility with bicycle racks and an outdoor waiting area. It's across the street from Greenspun Hall and within walking distance of UNLV's Student Union building, the Thomas & Mack Center and the Cox Pavilion. The project is mostly funded with federal transportation dollars. A Federal Transit Administration Bus and Bus Facilities Livability Initiative Grant is paying 80 percent of the cost, with the remaining matched by the RTC. | 22 APRIL 2013 | 4/18/13 2:16:17 PM