UNLV has reached an agreement with Employer's Insurance Company of Nevada (EICN) for the purchase of EICN's three buildings and 18 acres of land at 1700 W. Charleston Blvd. for $13.5 million. The deal is expected to close on Dec. 21.

"With 185,000 square feet of space, a parking lot with more than 700 spaces, and a central-valley location just off I-15, this will make an ideal location for UNLV's School of Dentistry, and will provide space for some of our other programs as well," President Carol C. Harter said.

"We are very grateful to Gov. Guinn and the Legislature for their support of the Dental School during the last legislative session, and to the Interim Finance Committee, which recently allowed us to revise the scope of the project to take advantage of the opportunity to purchase the EICN property and buildings," Harter said.

The School of Dentistry will occupy 110,000 square feet of space. UNLV will spend $11.5 million to renovate the buildings, and will lease a portion of the property back to EICN until the end of April, according to Tony Flores, UNLV vice president for finance. EICN will cover the cost of operation and maintenance for the leased space for the duration of the lease.

UNLV is a doctoral degree-granting institution with more than 23,000 students and more than 700 faculty members. More than 180 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees are offered. Founded in 1957, UNLV is located on 335 acres in dynamic Southern Nevada. The university has been ranked in the category of Doctoral/Research Universities-Intensive by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Employers Insurance Company of Nevada is a full-service workers' compensation mutual insurance company, providing claims management, loss prevention consulting, underwriting, and care management services to Nevada businesses. Employers Insurance Company is the leading writer of workers' compensation insurance in Nevada, with offices in Las Vegas, Reno, and Elko. For more information call 888-682-6671 or visit the web site at www.eicn.com.