When the city of Las Vegas was drafting its master plan, residents complained at public gatherings about the lack of open space in the city center.
“People want clean, family-friendly environments to socialize and play,” the city’s website summarizes the community’s feedback.
Downtown Las Vegas has about 38 acres of public space, about 1.3% of the area that 22,000 people live in.
“If we are to continue promoting downtown residential development, we need to offer these types of amenities,” said Jorge Cervantes, Las Vegas City Manager.
Last week the Las Vegas City Council listened to presentations from three architectural firms bidding to design a new downtown building and plaza on Main Street between Bonneville and Clark Avenues and across from City Hall.
The city owns the property, which is used as a temporary parking lot.
“It’s centrally located where everything happens – the Fremont Entertainment District north of us, the Arts District south of us,” said Cervantes.
Part of the project is the construction of a new town house to accommodate the city’s offices. Most department heads have offices in City Hall at 495 S. Main St., but other staff and clerks have offices in separate locations.
About half of the city’s Human Resources department is located in an old library building at 833 Las Vegas Blvd. Some of the Parks and Recreation Department employees have offices in Dula Gym at 441 East Bonanza Road.
“The intent is to bring these people back so we can centralize everything. Part of the scope is to create a new building that can accommodate these people with more capacity, ”said Cervantes.
Construction could lay the foundation in about a year with an estimated budget of $ 47 million to $ 50 million.
The city council will vote on a draft proposal on July 21st, leaving about a month for community feedback. You can view design presentations and vote for your favorite on the city’s website.
Steelman Partners, one of the firms that came up with a design, envisioned a space for concerts and events.
“The entertainment capital of the world deserves more than a traditional town square,” said Paul Steelman. “We want to make this another point on the tourist map.”
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