Henderson business owners react to development plan

Valerie Miller

Thursday, April 13, 2000 | 10:56 a.m.

Downtown business and property owners voiced their opinions Wednesday on the proposed tripling of Henderson's downtown redevelopment area.

About 15 of the 50 business owners who were invited showed up at the Henderson Convention Center to gather more information from the redevelopment agency and city staff members on the possible expansion of the redevelopment area from 1,300 acres to more than 4,000.

Most had questions about details -- when the expansion would occur and how it would affect their property -- and some took the opportunity to praise the concept.

"The addition of the college site and the LandWell deal will definitely highlight the city," Phyllis Thompson, developer of the proposed $100 million Fountain Plaza redevelopment project, said. "I think that expanding the (redevelopment) area is a good idea to take care of the blighted areas of the city."

The expansion would encompass the proposed Provenance master-planned community and adjacent site of the yet-to-be-funded Nevada State College, the stalled Palm City development and the economically depressed Pittman area.

Projects in redevelopment areas are eligible for up to $1 of public aid for every $10 of private money invested. The extra tax revenue generated from the projects then is reinvested into the redevelopment to spur new growth.

In addition, once the city's population reaches 200,000 -- expected later this year -- 18 percent of the tax revenue must be used for affordable housing within the city limits, Bob Wilson, a city planner, said.

But not all downtown business owners were full of praise.

Steven "Staz" De Stout, owner of Staz's Nevada Indian, 1 S. Water St., could not attend the meeting, voiced his reservations earlier in the day.

"I think the expansion is good, because by expanding the redevelopment area they (the city) are bringing in more money to the redevelopment area," DeStout said. "My concern is that they may potentially lose their focus on Water Street, which should be their number one concern.

"The city is doing a difficult job, but I think there is more that can be done for Water Street," he said.

Victor Vincent, vice president of the Phyllis Thompson Co., said that the redevelopment area expansion was necessary to bring about the environmental cleanup of contaminated areas on the Provenance site, where old industrial evaporation ponds have contaminated the soil, as well as bring in much-needed business from the proposed Nevada State College.

"This will accomplish two major things," Vincent said. "It will clean up that toxic waste and bring the State College here."

LandWell has said it will ask for $40 million of redevelopment funds to close and move Timet Co.'s active evaporation ponds. Old wastewater ponds with toxic residue from the industrial plants already are slated for cleanup.

The proposed 300-acre college site, on the east side of Boulder Highway just north of Lake Mead Drive, has never been used for industrial wastewater and is considered a clean site.

Nevada State College Vice President Orlando Sandoval agreed that the college will be good for redevelopment in the city.

"The business owners I spoke to were anxious to see the college happen," he said after the meeting. "This will be near developments, so it will bring in foot traffic to businesses."

Valerie Miller is a reporter for the Sun. She can be reached at (702) 259-2319 or by e-mail at valerie@lasvegassun.com