The revised estimate is up from $15.6 million and covers work needed to make the building available for lease, including replacing the roof, installing a sprinkler system and upgrading restrooms.

Demolition is estimated at $3.8 million. County officials noted that building a replacement facility would cost tens of millions of dollars more, but commissioners have not yet made a final decision on the building’s fate.

The uncertainty has frustrated local businesses. Many tenants have left, and some remaining business owners had expected rehabilitation to begin by now. Monica Gresser of Brazen Architecture, one of the last tenants, said the building has distinctive value even as it needs substantial upgrades.

“We don’t have those kind of buildings all over Vegas,” Gresser said. She also described the repeated debate over whether to renovate or demolish as disruptive, saying the center had lost many business neighbors.

County commissioners discussed a relocation plan for small businesses affected by the process. Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick called for the county to complete and carry out a grant process by the end of the year, saying businesses need clarity. Commissioner Tick Segerblom said a final decision could come in the next couple of months and that he had not heard support for tearing the building down.

The cost increase puts the preservation choice in sharper focus: rehabilitation would require a larger upfront investment than demolition, while demolition followed by construction of a new facility would bring additional costs. For the businesses still tied to the site, the county’s next steps will also determine how and when they can relocate.