Redevelopment in downtown Las Vegas has been going on for a few decades now.
And as it goes when anything new or different begins, there will be founders, and the early going will be slow. Then there are those who wait on the sideline to see if it all works before jumping in.
In the Arts District in downtown Las Vegas, the sideline is gone. It’s one big playing field and everyone seems to be jumping in.
Lots of changes have happened recently and more are on the way. It’s also happening pretty fast, and it’s coming with some of the usual concerns — not enough parking, safety and price. Will the Arts District even be affordable to those for whom it was named— the artists?
Some 20 years ago, Fremont East was promoted by former Mayor Oscar Goodman, as he talked about the need for downtown to be alive for the rest of the city to thrive.
Tammy Christensen, the economic development director for the City of Las Vegas, said that's still the case.
"We're a heartbeat. It has an identity of its own. And so for the people that do live and work and play downtown, it's very important. That said, the local community, they come downtown as well, not necessarily to the Strip," she told State of Nevada host Joe Schoenmann on Thursday.
Ultimately, the area needs to live up to its namesake.
"I already have one art centric business in my tenants' leasing portfolio," said Becky Miller, president of The 18b Arts District Association. "And we are currently renovating another space right now where we're going to offer artists subsidized rent. So it is important. I wish it was more important to some of the other newer property owners, but some of them are are stepping up to the plate. And it does seem like the artists are getting priced out."
Our interview with Miller and Christensen, as well as writer and business owner James Reza and Corey Fagan, the executive director of First Friday Foundation, covered a wide variety of topics. See interview highlights below and hear the full interview above.
CHRISTENSEN: Code enforcement did go out there three times made sure that the building was secure and safe, before they close the case on it because it was reported in over the span of three weeks, they went out there. And then when the fire occurred, our building and safety department, fire department and code all went out there, they have deemed it unsafe and are going to demolish it. So steps are being taken ... Our planning director has asked that we help identify those buildings and not just me, but our residents, our business owners and community members can use this app called SeeClickFix. Then go on there and take pictures, report dangerous situations, empty buildings, even homeless people. And that will help create a case and support the funding that is needed to help take down those buildings.
BREWERY ROW EXPANSION
CHRISTENSEN: Brewery Row was established in 2020. We saw the economic benefit in other cities by having craft breweries in a walkable area. It created the foot traffic and it has indeed helped businesses in the area by having this brewery tourism, if you will. So we created the waiver; it's not a tax abatement. It's a license fee waiver of up to $5,000 for breweries, distilleries, or wineries that manufacture on site, or have a tap room in another location in Nevada. And so that waiver is to try and attract more breweries. And as of now we have four new breweries that are opening ... Las Vegas Brewing Company, Voodoo Brewery, Brew House on Main, and Sin City. So it's working, right, that attraction and to your point about incentives for other types of businesses. We have different business development incentives that we use to attract those. We have a visual improvement program. We have different customizable incentives when we go and try and attract businesses into the Arts District, which to be honest right now is not a heavy lift. People want to be there. So we're meeting with businesses all the time. And just one more point with the Brewery Row incentive: One of the requirements for someone getting that incentive was to incorporate art in their business.
MORE PARKING DOWNTOWN
CHRISTENSEN: Just a couple of numbers for you. In the last 24 months, our parking office has added 532 surface lot parking spaces. ... But that's a lot of parking agreements that we've created in the city managers, those lots. The parking garage is going to be off of Utah and Imperial, it'll create 500 spaces, and 12,000 square feet of retail space. So as far as the fee structure, I don't think that that's been calculated yet, just because we have to make the numbers pencil for everything, including retail.
CONSTRUCTION THROUGH 2025
CHRISTENSEN: The Complete Streets Project should be finished complete by 2025. I know the one in front of Dig It! that you mentioned will be done in February. But the whole goal of this is to help the businesses by widening the streets, creating bike paths, and then treelined streets to make it more walkable. But to your point about getting in front and ahead of it. And we're trying to do that in two ways. Number one, identifying those areas where we're going to expand and grow. So yes, to some extent, that has been heard. And we are trying to do that. And then to to the other point, I think that by helping and doing these Complete Streets, it really is helping the business owners.
ON BIG BUSINESS MOVING INTO A SMALL BUSINESS AREA
MILLER: Yes, of course we worry about that. That's part of gentrification and, unfortunately, will change the landscape. But it is going to happen eventually, we just like to slow it down a little bit so that we can keep our unique quality there. Yes, rents are going up as a building gets sold, the new owners have to make a return on investment. And if they purchase this property at an astronomical price, the only way they're going to get their money back is through raising rents and doing a triple net lease where they collect on the profits of the particular business.
ON PUBLIC ARTS EFFORTS
FAGAN: We just opened up a mural park right across from The English Hotel by Nnowball the cat head. So it's right on Coolidge and First Street. And we find that by creating these wonderful spaces and collaborating with businesses and partners in the area, that it provides safety, it provides a space for people to sit and enjoy the art, watch artists painting live, and kind of not encourage these homeless encampments that we see. That particular corner was a homeless encampment. And now it's just a livened up space filled with beautiful art. And it's got a little grass patch on it with a picnic table and people can come out and I see them sitting and enjoying with their families and dogs.
ON BRINGING ARTISTS BACK
REZA: As it stands right now, a point was made earlier that as leases expire and rents go up, some of these quirky businesses are moving out, we saw a business move out of the building that was where 1228 Main is now. I love both of those businesses. I love 1228 Main but I love the oddities business that was there before, which I don't know how it could survive anywhere other than there. But they're both a component of what you look for ... The loose term that I use is creative retail or cultural retail, where you have a a social experience by going to an area whether it's looking at art, participating in art, seeing live music, or having a nice meal. It's all part of what I consider like a social cultural retail experience. And I think that the city at this point if they want to see art, or not necessarily the city themselves, but everybody, if we want to see more art in downtown, you have to find a way to encourage artists to be there whether that be through incentives or through attracting ... galleries.
The survey below, referenced in our interview, will be presented at the Sept. 6 City Council meeting.
Guests: Tammy Christensen, economic development manager, City of Las Vegas; Becky Miller, owner, Main Street Mercantile, and president, The 18b Arts District Association; Corey Fagan, board secretary and arts & culture chair, Downtown Vegas Alliance, and executive director, First Friday Foundation; James Reza, writer and owner, Globe Salon
