Dan Kulin

Thu, Feb 17, 2005 (9:27 a.m.)

The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday approved plans for a 60-story building that will push several historic railroad cottages from downtown to a planned historic display at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve.

The approved Club Renaissance, a 60-story, $250 million building with more than 900 condominiums, office and retail space, is planned for Casino Center Boulevard between Bonneville and Garces avenues. That property is now occupied by seven railroad cottages that will be considered for relocation. At least three are expected to be moved to the preserve.

The cottages, small, single-story, concrete block buildings, are remnants from the decades when the railroad dominated Las Vegas in the early 1900s. Some involved in the relocation have said that ideally the historic buildings would remain where they are, but added that the next-best option is to move the buildings to a place where the public can enjoy them.

The preserve covers about 180 acres east of Valley View Boulevard between U.S. 95 and Alta Drive. It is expected to open to the public in late 2006, and the cottages are expected to be ready for public display in 2007.

About 65 cottages were originally built in the early 1900s, and 13 are still standing today. One of the original cottages was moved about four years ago to the Clark County Museum in Henderson.

Three private groups, the Cashman Family Foundation, the Las Vegas Rotary Club and the American Public Works Association, have agreed to pay to move one cottage each, which is expected to cost $30,000 to $40,000 each.

Rehabilitating the moved cottages could cost up to $110,000 per cottage. The money for rehabilitating the cottages is expected to come from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act.

Mayor Oscar Goodman called the railroad cottages "wonderful old pieces of history," and said Club Renaissance is a great project.

Goodman said the $150,000 starting price for some of the condominiums is not a lot of money "in this particular market."

"I like the affordability of it," he said.

The Club Renaissance condominiums would sell for $149,900 to more than $900,000, according to the project's Web site, www.clubrenaissancelv.com.

At 702 feet, Club Renaissance is one of the taller planned new high-rises for downtown. The tallest high-rise already approved by the council, but yet to go up, is the Summit, a proposed 73-story, 920-foot building for the corner of Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.

The council also voted 7-0 Wednesday to approve plans for a 20-story building on the northeast corner of Charleston and Casino Center boulevards. The building is expected to include 98 residential units plus retail space.

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