L.A.-Vegas link examined at UNLV redevelopment forum

Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005 | 8:17 a.m.

Amid valleywide discussion of a downtown performing arts center, UNLV's School of Architecture brings to Las Vegas two major players from Los Angeles' downtown redevelopment efforts for "Loving Las Vegas," a public forum geared to downtown redevelopment.

Billionaire developer Edward Roski, co-owner of the Los Angeles Kings and Lakers and part owner of the Staples Center in L.A., will join Wade Killefer, a Santa Monica architect responsible for renovating downtown L.A.

Anthony Marnell, chairman and owner of Marnell Corrao Associates in Las Vegas, will complete the panel, which will be held at UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall.

Moderated by UNLV School of Architecture Director Michael Kroelinger, panel members will discuss adaptive reuse projects in Los Angeles and other redevelopment efforts and how Las Vegas could learn from them.

"We are intimately tied to Los Angeles like an umbilical cord," said Robert Tracy, associate professor of art and architecture history at UNLV. "What nourishes them, nourishes us."

Tracy arranged the forum using a Las Vegas Centennial Celebration Education Grant. "Loving Las Vegas" will accompany "Trading Places," an exhibit hang in Ham Hall that looks at Las Vegas and L.A.architecture.

Tracy compares Las Vegas to L.A. in that both have entertainment industries and are tourist destinations.

Tracy is a former student of Roski who received his masters and graduate degrees at UCLA. Tracy said the panel was inspired by Roski, who is the chief executive office of Majestic Realty Co. and whose Staples Center, along with Disney Concert Hall and Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels, serves as an anchor for downtown L.A.

"We can see similar opportunities in downtown Las Vegas," Tracy said. "We need to think in terms of, what is Las Vegas? Las Vegas is turning 100. That's a magical number. We can't ignore the fact that we have a history."

The panel, Tracy said, "has largely been inspired by Ed Roski, who has been instrumental in revitalization in downtown Los Angeles. Wade Killefer has done 70 percent, maybe more, of the adaptive reuse efforts since the 1990s. Staples was a major impetus that gave rise to it."

Similar to Las Vegas, L.A. residents spent years talking about a comeback in downtown L.A. But unlike Las Vegas, where buildings are demolished to make way for new buildings, much of downtown L.A. is being renovated.

Costly lofts and lower-income residential units are among the reuse efforts in historic buildings. A Ralph's supermarket is under way, marking the success of revitalization.

Working on housing and public buildings, Killefer Flammang Architects is designing roughly one-third of 9,000 multifamily housing units in downtown L.A. Projects include the Pacific Electric Building and the Grand Lofts.

In addition to the Staples Center, Roski is behind the renovation at the Silverton. Marnell's firm has participated in decades of projects along the Strip, including projects at Caesars Palace, Mirage, Bellagio and MGM Grand, among others. Marnell is the contractor for Wynn Las Vegas.

"The mission is to create a dialogue," Tracy said. "Wade Killefer is going to talk about success in reuse in L.A. Ed's (Roski) going to act as a bridge ... We have invited all architects, allied professionals, elected officials, city, state, county government.

"If you don't pay attention to what other cities are doing and are reinventing the wheel, you're spending money foolishly."