Towers on the western horizon

Scott Reeder

Tuesday, Feb. 16, 1999 | 11:27 a.m.

Residents in the southern part of Summerlin may soon have something big on their horizon.

How big?

Four 18-story, 250-foot-high office buildings are on the drawing boards.

Howard Hughes Corp., the developer of Summerlin, will seek permission Wednesday from the Clark County Commission to build as many as four new office towers in the southern part of Summerlin, which is part of unincorporated Clark County.

"These will without a doubt be the tallest buildings in the western part of Las Vegas," said Dale Erquiaga, director of marketing and community relations for Hughes.

Some area residents have expressed concerns about the project, he said.

The office towers will be part of a 1,000-acre region for business development that is bordered by Charleston Boulevard, Sahara Avenue, Hualapai Way and Desert Foothills Drive.

"Aesthetics are certainly a major concern for us," Erquiaga said. "The building would be built from materials that blend in well with the mountains in the background."

But he conceded that some people's views of the mountains would be obstructed. "A single-family home can obstruct somebody's view," he said. "We are very concerned about this issue and are certainly listening to the concerns of the neighbors."

Current county zoning limits buildings in that area to 100 feet in height, but the county planning staff is recommending that the County Commission allow the taller buildings.

County Commissioner Erin Kenny, who represents the area, said she supports changing the development agreement between Hughes and the county to allow the creation of the taller buildings.

She said a study found that the buildings would not significantly obstruct the views for residents in the area. Kenny added that she had not heard any objections to the plan.

Erquiaga said southern Summerlin is far from its development capacity. "We have been very clear with people moving into that area of Summerlin that these are our plans, so this shouldn't be a surprise for anyone," he said.

Currently, about 400 people live in the part of Summerlin south of Charleston Boulevard. When the area is fully developed, it will have as many as 50,000 people, Erquiaga said.

As residents consider moving into the area, they will continue be informed of the plans to build the taller office buildings, he said.

Among the features in the Town Center development, where the office buildings would be located, is a 1 million-square-foot mall along Sahara Avenue. Smaller office buildings already are being erected along Charleston.

But the the 18-story office buildings will likely be built farther to the west, near where the Las Vegas Beltway will be.

"The reason we support the taller buildings is because we do not believe they adversely affect the residential areas," Barbara Ginoulias, an assistant planning manager for Clark County, said.

"These buildings will be built within Town Center, which will be separate from the residential areas," Ginoulias said.

Erquiaga said the first building would likely be built in two or three years. "We aren't going to build this until we have the tenants to fill the buildings," he said. He described the structures as potential "signature buildings" where major corporations could locate their headquarters.

Erquiaga anticipates that much of Town Center will be completed in five years. But the residential component of the southern part of Summerlin will not be completed for about 20 years.

The Town Center concept is part of an emerging trend in community development that envisions residents walking from home to stores, entertainment, dining and work.