Category Archive : Development

LAS VEGAS, NV – According to reports, Bleutech Park Properties, Inc. recently announced a truly ambitious project that is slated to break ground in the Las Vegas Valley in December 2019 – Bleutech Park, a so-called “smart mini-city” that will combine cutting-edge tech with new design principles which the developer claims will influence future construction.

Its description certainly makes Bleutech Park sound like something out of “Star Wars,” or “The Jetsons” with the developer noting that the $7.5 billion project will feature renewable energy source-powered “net-zero” buildings, meaning buildings with zero net energy consumption; the total amount of energy used by the buildings on an annual basis will be roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site, reports say.

In addition, Bleutech Park will have automated multi-functional designs, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, robotics, self-healing concrete structures and more. Environmentally-friendly “green” technology will be at the forefront of design principles, including water purification, energy generation and storage, waste-heat recovery, and more. A network of “supertrees” is slated to help reduce imported water consumption by 95 percent.

With zero carbon emissions the project’s stated goals, according to reports, the outside surfaces of all buildings will utilize photo-voltaic glass, essentially turning them all into giant solar panels capable of generating significant amounts of electrical power.

The project is privately funded and is expected to take approximately six years for construction to be completed; once finished, it will offer mixed-use space combining worker housing, office and retail space, in addition to luxury hotel and entertainment options for residents and guests.

More details on the Bleutech Park project – which is expected to create more than 25,000 jobs – are expected to be announced shortly. But the degree of technology that is being talked about – much of the tech is still early in development, but progressing at a steady pace – could truly make Bleutech Park a beacon for community design for all developers in the future – if the project is successfully pulled off.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – Long vacant and empty, the famed Moulin Rouge casino in Las Vegas may finally be set to receive a new lease on life by Las Vegas Moulin Rouge LLC, a company that has plans to purchase the property as a prelude to a proposed $1.6 billion revival effort.

The Moulin Rouge holds a place in history as the first gambling establishment to not exclude minorities of any ethnic group and while it was in operation, it was heralded as one of the most popular casinos in town. However, aside from a bi-annual mobile gaming event held in the facility’s parking lot in order to retain its permanent gaming license, the Moulin Rouge has otherwise been abandoned and dust-ridden for decades.

Several companies have proposed plans to revive the Moulin Rouge over the years, but Las Vegas Moulin Rouge LLC is the closest thus far to making those plans become a reality. First, the company would have to raise the capital in order to purchase the site – the current asking price is $9.5 million – then they would be required to provide proof that they would be able to provide the capital to carry out the proposed revival work, which the company has stated would be carried out in three phases.

The initial phase would consist of constructing a 25,000 square-foot casino, a 400-room hotel, an entertainment center, a convention center, and a variety of other features that would usher the Moulin Rouge into the modern age. Also, as a testament to the venue’s important place in local history, there are also plans to establish a 5,000 square-foot museum dedicated to the casino’s past.

The second phase would feature an expansion of the casino, convention center, and hotel, and the addition of retail and dining options, in addition to more entertainment options. Final amenities to be added – if available space allows – would be more retail space, business offices, and a 12,000-seat arena.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. As of press time, it remains to be seen if Las Vegas Moulin Rouge LLC can pull their ambition plans off, but if so, they will have helped to revive an important part of Las Vegas’ past.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – According to reports, Los Angeles transit officials are currently having official discussions with Virgin Trains USA in order to breathe new life into an oft-delayed project that would establish a railway between LA and Las Vegas.

Virgin Trains USA currently operates a similar railway in Florida that connects Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach; LA transit officials recently visited and toured the site to see how such a set-up could connect their city with Las Vegas.

Plans to create train service between the two cities have been circulating for a while; most recently, an older proposal was revived in 2018 that would have seen the railway built along the 15 Freeway. The project would be funded privately, but LA transit officials have stated that they would assist with an extension of the line into their own city.

Virgin Trains USA is currently in the process of seeking approval from state governments in both California and Nevada to procure tax- exempt bonds in the amount of $3.6 billion in order to fund the project’s beginning phase. Initially, Virgin had hoped to start work on the railway by 2020, but the latest estimates have pushed that date back to 2022 at the earliest.

A railway connecting LA and Vegas would prove beneficial to both cities, as each features a robust business climate that a dedicated train line would help grow. Establishing a direct means of fast and easy commute would help their overall job markets and provide a means for companies to recruit more widely to suit their needs. Currently, the 15 freeway serves as the most direct means of travel between LA and Vegas, in addition to air travel, which can be cost-prohibitive for most commuters. Train service, in contrast, would be very affordable.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – According to reports, the cost of the upcoming and in-progress Las Vegas Stadium – future home of the Las Vegas Raiders National Football League’s (NFL) team come 2020 – has risen beyond previously stated points, with an extra $40 million added to the price tag as the project hits its mid-point. Currently, the new price tag comes in at $1.9 billion, reports say.

$750 million of the project’s cost is coming from taxpayer funds. The additional money is said to be going towards new additions to the project, including 20 additional suites and a club area situated at the stadium’s north end. Approximately $1 billion has been spent on construction and design work thus far; the stadium is expected to be completed on-time for the start of the Raiders’ 2020 season, at which point the famed NFL team will have transplanted themselves from their current home in Oakland, California.

The Raiders broke ground on the 65,000-seat stadium on Nov. 13, located on a 63-acre plot of land situated between Russell Road and Hacienda Avenue, west of Interstate 15. 

The next phase of construction involves completing the mounting of the stadium’s 26 canopy trusses – three currently remain to be installed – as well as installing the intricate cable steel roofing system, which will support the massive transparent roof that is set to be installed near the end of the project.

In addition, sports and live entertainment venue company AEG Facilities has been hired to run the stadium; in addition to professional and college football games (the University of Nevada – Las Vegas football team will share the stadium with the Raiders), AEG will also schedule other events, such as concerts, Mixed Martial Arts, and more. The company will also be in charge of hiring and training staff for the facility, and running all aspects of its day-to-day operations.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – The ongoing work to expand the Las Vegas Convention Center is currently on-schedule for its projected late-2020 completion date, according to reports, with concerns that recent major earthquakes in California may have affected the project being completely dismissed by a spokesperson for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).

The expansion project is currently in its second phase, which involves the addition of 1.4 million square feet to the existing Convention Center structure as well as the conversion of a former parking lot into an additional 600,000 square feet of exhibition hall space. Currently, the development is over 30 percent completed, according to reports, and is adhering tightly to schedule with daily progressing being made.

The expansion work of the Las Vegas Convention Center is slated to be completed by late 2020, with the goal being to host the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2021, an annual trade show that hosts presentations of new products and technologies in the consumer electronics industry.

The first CES was held in June 1967 in New York City, and due to its success it became a bi-annual event from 1978 to 1994; once in January in Las Vegas, and once in June in Chicago. In 1998, the show changed to a once-a-year format with Las Vegas as the location. In Las Vegas, the show is one of the largest, taking up to 18 days to set up, run and break down.

In its current form, according to the LVCVA, the convention center is unable to grow and evolve to better serve the many trade shows, conventions, and special events that take place in Las Vegas on a regular basis. Given the increased growth in the local economy and job market in the last few years, more and more exhibitors are seeking out the city to hold events, and due to that fact, the convention center desperately needs to expand in order to meet the ongoing demand.

As of press time, the actual cost of the expansion has not yet received a final number, although the LVCVA set a guaranteed maximum price of $758.1 million via board approval in September 2019. The final price is said to be set within the next two months or so, reports say.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS – Last week, Southern California was rocked by earthquakes as high as 7.1 in magnitude in the Death Valley region, causing a plethora of issues in communities near and far of the affected areas. Luckily, there was no loss of life reported, despite the fact that numerous buildings were damaged and multiple fires started as a result of the intense tremors.

The quakes were felt in Los Angeles, Mexico, and even nearby Las Vegas, Nevada, causing concerns that the currently-ongoing construction of the NFL Raiders football stadium would be affected. However, according to reports, the effects of the quake did not cause any issues with the stadium or any injuries to construction personnel, and progress is such that they are still on track to meet its projected 2020 completion date.

According to reports, the company in charge of constructing the stadium noted that the earthquakes resulted in no injuries and no structural damage whatsoever to the project. The company said the stadium was thoroughly inspected and that all critical structural elements had been examined by an independent testing firm. The fact that the stadium is currently incomplete did afford it an increased level of vulnerability when compared to other structures of his type, but apparently work was of such quality that the stadium was able to absorb the effects of the earthquake with no issues.

As a precaution, work crews concentrated their efforts on ground-level work – as opposed to work higher up – in order to maintain an acceptable level of safety until inspectors had given the green light to resume normal operations. The stadium itself is being constructed with the ability to withstand intense seismic events, which likely figured in to its ability to ride out the California quakes with no damage.

The stadium project had recently encountered minor issues when it was discovered that several roof trusses did not fit properly, but it was noted by the construction company that the issues were not going to create any significant delay in the completion of the project, which is expected to host the Raiders for the start of their 2020 NFL season.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS – The City of Las Vegas announced that ground has officially been broken on an ambitious new project- the construction of a new $56 million, four story municipal courthouse that is slated to handle nearly every aspect of law and justice within city limits, according to reports.

Located in the center of the city’s downtown area at 100 East Clark Avenue, the upcoming courthouse will eventually see a consolidation of municipal court operations upon its anticipated completion in January of 2021 in an effort to increase public efficiency and convenience. Currently, municipal court operations are handled in the city’s Regional Justice Center, located at 200 Lewis Avenue.

The new courthouse, slated to be approximately 140,000 square-feet in size and featuring the latest in energy efficient technologies, will handle a variety of municipal court cases, ranging from criminal misdemeanors, civil ordinance infractions, traffic and municipal code violations and more. Each of the city’s municipal court judges – six in all – will have new offices, courtrooms, and chambers located at the new facility. In addition, there will be space allotted for the city attorney’s criminal division, traffic court, administration, customer service, classrooms, and more, reports say.

The developer of the project, Molasky Group of Companies, is set to begin work on the project soon, with the work expected to generate at least 150 construction jobs. The project is being funded by a $23.5 million county buyout of the current Regional Justice Center lease along with an additional $35 million in general obligation building bonds, which reports note where previously approved in January by the city council.

Originally, the Regional Justice Center was used to host city, county, District and Supreme Court operations within a single building in order to streamline the justice process; however, as time went by, the building proved to be inadequate to accommodate all needed operations, especially on the part of the county. With the county’s buyout of the lease from the city, they will come into possession of more much-needed square footage of the Regional Justice Center for their own operations come 2021.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

Multi-Million Vegas Circa Hotel Project Showing Progress Towards 2020

LAS VEGAS – Circa, a multi-million-dollar downtown Las Vegas hotel project being constructed by developer Derek Stevens, is underway and targeting a December 2020 opening date, provided everything goes according to plan.

Over 600 workers on various shifts are firing on all cylinders to meet that projected opening date, according to reports, with crews following an aggressive 24-hour-a-day, 7 days-a-week schedule in order to erect the 1.25 million-square-foot, 44 story hotel and resort. This week, in order to help achieve the established December 2020 opening goal, a new crane was installed at the site, and the first delivery of steel is scheduled for July.

The 600 workers are split up for numerous projects; at any given time, 200 are assigned to the Circa site, with another 40 or so concentrating on the site’s parking garage – a proposed nine-story, 1,201-space structure dubbed Garage Mahal – while up to 100 others are handling form and rebar building. On top of that, there are many members of the project’s support staff on-hand at any given time as well, usually consisting of approximately 150 managers and engineers, according to reports. Rebar and support structures are delivered to the construction site for installation after having been created at a different location.

Work is anticipated to continue at the current 24 hour-a-day pace and last throughout the end of the construction phase, with developer Stevens noting that the public should be treated to some excellent views of the Circa as it begins to take shape and form. The 2020 release date is considered a lock for Stevens, as he would be able to take advantage of local tax breaks if the hotel opens its doors for business by that point.

The Circa has been designed by architecture firm Steelman Partners, in conjunction with contractor McCarthy Building Companies Inc. The hotel-casino, initially announced at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center in January 2019, also holds the distinction of being the first downtown Vegas resort to be built from scratch – as opposed to the renovation or re-purposing of an existing structure – since 1975.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS – According to reports, AECOM, a Los Angeles-based construction and engineering firm, was named as the general contractor of the upcoming MSG Sphere performance venue slated to be built off of the famed Las Vegas Strip.

The futuristic music venue MSG Sphere, a joint venture between Sands Corp. and Madison Square Garden, will be a 400,000-square-foot, 18,000-seat, 360-foot-tall globe-shaped arena slated to be constructed on 63 acres of property located behind the behind the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The exterior of the sphere will feature 36 miles of variable intensity LED lighting, enabling the structure to allow outside spectators to peer through a transparent facade to watch the concert within; at higher lighting intensities, outside vision will be obscured. In addition, images of Las Vegas taken via a camera system could be projected upon the sphere.

The venue will typically not feature sporting events, but rather cater to musical performances and concerts; however, the occasional boxing or MMA contest could be held there if needed. A 180,000-square-foot ceiling with massive video screens and a floor-based bass speaker system should give the venue a multi-genre and event capability.

AECOM is no stranger to construction projects in southern Nevada. The company, which has offices in Las Vegas, was also the builder of the T-Mobile Arena, a project that was completed three years ago for a cost of 375 million dollars. They are also responsible for the construction of the Mercedes-Benz stadium and State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as the USTA Billie Jean King national tennis center in Queens, New York.

AECOM has been doing preliminary work on the site since February, excavating dirt and preparing the structure’s foundation. Ground was officially broken on the site in late September of 2019.

The MGS Sphere project, according to reports, could create up to 3,500 construction jobs during its creation and an additional 4,400 permanent jobs on-site once the venue is completed and open for business. Currently, the projected cost of the project is now yet known, nor is the estimated date of completion. However, if it holds true to its ambitions design goals, the MGS Sphere will indeed be an extremely impressive attraction in Las Vegas’ already flashy and busy skyline.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS – A $4 billion high-speed railway project that would have provided a direct connection between Las Vegas and Southern California that was scheduled by Virgin Trains USA has been delayed for possibly as much as two years, according to reports.

The issue at hand, reports say, is that Virgin Trains USA was unable to secure the necessary tax abatements during the current legislative session, despite Virgin Trains’ vice president of government affairs Robert O’Malley having spent the past month in Carson City, Nevada, attempting to secure them. Due to the failure to do so, the high-speed railway project could be delayed as much as 24 months, if not longer.

The project is slated to take the form of a 185 mile long, dual rack system that would run along Interstate 15. Aside from the abatements, Virgin noted that they are not asking for any additional money from local government, such as grants or tax credits; the project will otherwise be privately funded.

Abatements are a critical part of the financing of any construction project, with many companies seeking them from those municipalities that they are conducting work within; especially is such work serves a vital public interest.

Virgin Trains has noted that they will attempt to once again secure the abatements when the 2021 legislative session begins, however, without these tax exemptions the project may not come to fruition. 

Virgin Trains, formerly known as Brightline, most recently had constructed a similar high-speed rail system in Florida, joining Orlando and Miami, with the company receiving the required abatements from state government in order to take on the work. Virgin representatives have touted the boon to the local economy and job market that the construction of a cross-state railway would provide for the Southern Nevada region. In addition, they also noted that a modern train system provides a more efficient and convenient transportation option for local residents – reportedly removing 4.5 million cars from I-15 annually – as well as one that produces far less in terms of environmental pollution overall.

It is not currently known why Nevada lawmakers were against the abatements to Virgin during the current legislative session, despite having done so for other companies in the recent past.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS – Las Vegas Raiders officials announced this week that they have addressed potential parking concerns surrounding their stadium being constructed at Russell Road and Hacienda Avenue by purchasing additional areas of land in the area in order to convert it into additional parking, reports say. This land will add to the property’s 63-acre plot where the new $2 billion, 65,000-seat home of the Raiders is slated to open for the start of the team’s 2020 season.

Accompanying the purchase and conversion of the new properties for parking purposes is also a comprehensive transportation plan for ferrying attendees to and from their vehicles; the move is expected to provide a large boost to the amount of parking available for the stadium, Raiders officials say. Currently, there are only 2,725 parking spots situated on the stadium property itself, but this move – Raiders management have purchased several plots of land adjacent to the stadium – is expected to provide approximately an additional 12,000 or so spaces nearby, as well as increase the number of the stadium’s on-site spaces to almost 6,000. With the Clark County requirement of at least 16,250 parking spaces at the stadium, this move will exceed that number by at least 1,700 or more.
Raiders management are working out deals with area casinos to lease out excess fields for events and overflow parking when needed, reports say.

Transportation options are being researched and proposed by Clark County and Raiders management for attendees parked at the off-site lots, including a pedestrian bridge and an underground “people mover” that inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk’s the Boring Company recently won the $48.7 million bid to construct. Work on the people mover, which will involve a looping tunnel that shuttles attendees back and forth via electrical train cars, is stated to take just a year to complete.

Since the construction of the Las Vegas Raiders stadium was announced, one of the major issues that had generated concern was in regards to the parking available in the area, since much of the surrounding land is currently undeveloped. However, with the announcement of the additional land purchases by stadium management, these issues appear to have been adequately addressed, providing a viable solution that is expected to be ready for attendees in time for the Raiders’ 2020 opening day festivities.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS – Despite last-minute objections by two board members, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) voted on Wednesday last week to award the Boring Company – owned by technology entrepreneur, investor, engineer, and Tesla, Inc. co-founder Elon Musk – the contract to create and construct an underground transit system for the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The relatively inexperienced Boring Company (not yet having completed any significant project) won the contract with a $48.7 million bid for the mile-long “people mover” project, coming in both below their competitors’ bids as well as offering an accelerated construction schedule that beat out other companies vying for the job. Boring’s plans also presented less disruptions to events and activities currently taking place at the Convention Center, another attractive prospect to LVCVA board members.

The underground tunnel would focus on pedestrian transportation to and from the Convention Center, with Boring’s plan involving autonomous electric vehicles operating in a continuous loop that would ferry approximately 4,400 passengers every hour, reports say. Currently, the travel time by foot via the same route above-ground is an average of 15 minutes; the people mover would shorten that to just one minute, by Boring’s estimate.

While the favored company for several weeks now, Boring ran into a potential roadblock recently as two LVCVA board members objected to Musk’s company being awarded the contract, fearing the start-up would be unable to live up to their lofty promises. Instead, the two board members – Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Michelle Fiore – favored the bid from the more experienced Dopplemayr Garaventa, who they allowed a last-minute presentation involving an elevated rail system to the LVCVA board last week in order to potentially sway their votes. However, their efforts were unsuccessful; the board majority nonetheless voted to officially award the people mover contract to Boring.

If Musk’s company proves itself and successfully completes the new Las Vegas Convention Center transportation system – both on-time and on-budget – additional Vegas-based projects may be awarded to the company in the future, including a commercial tunnel.

To date, the Boring Company has made just one successful tunnel; a test project based in California, solely to be used for tunnel construction research purposes. Boring has proposed several projects in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, none of which have come to light.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.