City leads developers on tour of east Vegas

Jennifer Shubinski

Tuesday, March 22, 2005 | 11:02 a.m.

The city of Las Vegas took local business owners, real estate brokers and developers on a Monday afternoon tour of east Las Vegas in an effort to pitch it as the next area for development and redevelopment.

Despite the lack of interest developers have had in the past about east Las Vegas, city officials and those on the tour said it will be the next older area of town to take off.

Developers often have cited the lack of a higher-end population as a barrier to making commercial projects work in east Las Vegas.

Councilman Lawrence Weekly, Ward 5, asked the 145 attendees to "look past some of the things you'll see in our neighborhoods."

Weekly said the city is ready and willing to work with businesses that want to relocate or open in east Las Vegas.

"We will climb over mountains, within reason, to welcome you and help you develop our neighborhoods and bring quality of life to the area," he said.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said east Las Vegas, which for the city is roughly defined as the area bordered by Owens Avenue to the north, Nellis Boulevard to the east, Charleston Boulevard and Sahara Avenue to the south and Las Vegas Boulevard to the west, will naturally start to attract interest because it is one of the only places left near downtown with affordable land prices.

"It's the only place to go," Goodman said, adding that many properties to the west are spoken for and land prices have skyrocketed.

Arterial streets such as Fremont Street, Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue are perfect for redevelopment, he said.

"Once the first building is built, they will all want to mimic it," Goodman said.

The tour of east Las Vegas included 30 locations -- including vacant land, existing properties and park renovations.

Dargin McWhorter, owner of Rose Bud Development, LLC and Big Mama's Rib Shack, said he came on the tour to see what's available in the area. McWhorter has his own plans to build a condominium tower on the site of his restaurant at 2230 W. Bonanza.

McWhorter said he thinks one reason east Las Vegas has languished behind development in other parts of town is because of fewer freeway access points.

"This could go, but I always look for freeway access," he said.

Other projects highlighted on the tour included:

Jordie Primack, the developer, said he expects the $10 million to $12 million project to break ground later this year.

"We first started looking in east Las Vegas a year ago," he said. "There is a need and affordable housing is a critical issue."

Managing Partner Dusty Buckel said she doesn't expect the project to actually begin for another two years.

Buckel said the location is "pretty bold on our part," put said the area will soon be attractive to investors and people who want to live there.

"It's going to happen sooner or later," she said. "I'd rather be the first one in."