Category Archive : Market Updates

NEVADA – The Las Vegas real estate market has seen massive growth in the last several years on a slow and inexorable path back to its pre-recession levels. This growth, in turn, goes hand-in-hand with the huge growth of the local economy, with people and businesses moving en masse to the region in hopes of a more prosperous future. And among these new transplants are an ever-greater amount of Californians looking to leave their highly-taxed state for the far more affordable Southern Nevada area.

Real estate experts are reporting that a growing number of wealthy California residents are engaging their services for luxury properties, lured by facets of the area’s low cost of living when compared to their homes state. An especially big draw for Californians is Nevada’s lack of state tax, as well as a great deal more in the way of elbow room when compared to many densely-populated areas of California.

However, it’s not only elite Californians who are flocking to Las Vegas in search of a better deal; experts say that even the middle classes are doing so as well in record numbers, and when you look at home prices in California and Nevada, it’s easy to see why. In Los Angeles, for example, the median home price is currently in the neighborhood of a whopping $630,000, compared to only $262,000 for a similar property in Las Vegas. Who can blame a hard-working family for wanting more for much, much less?

But the downside to this phenomenon is that the constant influx of new arrivals from California is serving to drive up the prices of homes on the Vegas market, which in turn can make things more difficult for a family just starting out to find a new home of their own. However, with a far greater emphasis on construction efforts in the region in order to meet the ever-growing demands of new arrivals, experts are anticipating that the real estate market will eventually stabilize and retain its affordability.

Previously, due to shortages of workers, contractors were having difficulty keeping up with demand, and any available property on the market would often go for vast sums of money. With this issue seemingly resolved – builders have resorted to offering impressive incentives to attract help, with great success – more homes and apartments are appearing on the market, which should allow Las Vegas to retain its low cost of living amid its record-breaking growth spurt.

The increasing number of new homes being constructed, however, will now take away from the value of properties on the Las Vegas real estate market, however, with experts giving assurances that the region is – and will remain – very much a “sellers market,” albeit a slightly more reasonably-priced one.

If you are considering relocating in or around the Las Vegas area, which clearly is experiencing huge growth and a booming job market,  give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any real estate and home relocation questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – Steel tariffs instituted by the United States government have begin to make their presence felt upon several high-profile, ongoing construction projects in the Las Vegas area, driving up costs of many beyond the scope of their original estimates, according to reports.

Northwest Vegas’ Centennial Bowl construction has seen some issues related to the tariffs; an estimated $12 million has been added to the project’s original projected costs of the newest phase of work, a huge amount that the Nevada Department of Transportation has attributed to the newly-imposed taxes placed upon imported steel from several foreign sources. It is unknown if attempts were made to procure steel from domestic sources in order to avoid additional cost overruns.

The Centennial Bowl initially began construction in August of 2015, with the stated purpose of the project being a widening and upgrade to a six-mile segment of U.S. Highway 95 in northwest Las Vegas in order to reduce traffic congestion and provide a more efficient and safe corridor of travel for local residents. The project will expand the highway from its current four lanes of travel to an eventual six lanes, running from Durango Drive to Kyle Canyon Road. That work, coupled with a new series of entrance and exit ramps, is expected to create some much-valued breathing room for area motorists.

Currently, over than 52,000 vehicles traverse this section of highway with that amount of motorists anticipated to increase by at least 50 percent in the next 20 years. Needless to say, an upgrade was sorely needed. The first phase of work was finished in 2016; the next phase is due to begin at the end of 2018.

The Department of Transportation selected Las Vegas Paving as the main contractor for the new phase of the Centennial Bowl project, which involves building an additional three parkway ramps that will serve to join the 215 Beltway and U.S. Highway 95, in addition to two flyover bridges.

All of this construction involves a great deal of steel-reinforced concrete, and the initial estimate of $49-$59 million was bumped up to approximately $61.5 million, with the increased costs being attributed to the new steel tariffs. When the project cost was first estimated, structural steel was approximately costing $3.25 per pound and reinforcing steel $.80 per pound; officials now note that structural steel comes in at $9 per pound and reinforcing steel $.94 per pound.

The current deadline for completion of the new phase of the project is 2020.

Considering relocating to Vegas? Give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any real estate and home relocation questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – Ground has officially broken and construction is underway on the first of at least 12 buildings that will encompass the Harry Reid Research and Technology Park at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), a $30 million project that the university says should generate as many as 25,000 jobs once it has been completed.

The first building, is expected to be completed next spring and is slated to come in at four stories and take up approximately 115,000-square feet. Developers working on the project are still in the process of finalizing when the entire twelve-building park will be completed, which is slated to consist of as many as 12-15 buildings with up to 1.5 million square feet of office space. The university anticipates that the facility will attract numerous technology businesses to the Las Vegas region.

Located adjacent to Durango Drive and the 215 Beltway, UNLV acquired the 122-acre property for the park in 2005 but was forced to delay construction efforts until now due to financial hardships brought on by the recession. Once completed, the park will offer UNLV students ample facilities to conduct research and engage in business and economic development projects; in addition, the park will also have space available for numerous businesses and partners, although who these specific enterprises are have yet to be divulged.

One complete and fully operational and with full occupancy, the par is expected to provide a vast array of employment opportunities for local residents and boast of an anticipated economic impact upon Las Vegas in the neighborhood of $2.6 billion. UNLV, considered a research university, has stated their goal as becoming a notable research institute and indents to pour approximately $120 a year into their efforts by 2025, focusing on research into technology and increasing the number of patent applications they submit on an annual basis.

The initial building currently under construction is known as an “innovation building,” and will feature offices, research space and lab space, in addition to amenities such as a basketball court and electric vehicle charging stations. UNLV and a corporate sponsor – to be announced in the near future – will be situated on the top two floors of the four-story building, with the bottom two floors being made available to businesses to lease.

Tenants are currently being sought and will be announced once signed, UNLV officials said.

If you are considering relocating in or around the Las Vegas area, which clearly is experiencing huge growth and a booming job market,  give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any real estate and home relocation questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has filed a rezoning request and noise ordinance waiver with the Clark County Board of County Commissioners as part of their plan to accelerate progress on the Las Vegas Convention Center expansion, a project that officials say is vital as the current facility is at maximum capacity.

If the Convention and Visitors Authority have their way, construction on the $1.4 billion project would be carried out 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This would include from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., a period of time during which work is usually not allowed due to the impact of noise upon the local populace.

The expansion is slated to add 1.44 million square feet of space to the convention center, which will be built upon the adjacent property of the former Riviera and Landmark hotels. As of now, the project is expected to be finished by the close of 2020, with the goal being to host the 2021 International Consumer Electronics Show, an annual event scheduled to take place in January of 2021.

In its current form, Convention and Visitors Authority members stated, the convention center is unable to grow and evolve to better serve the may 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.

The expanded facilities of the convention center will take the form of a three-story building with the first floor encompassing exhibition halls, a main lobby, a food court, kitchen, office space, and storage; the remaining two floors will house meeting and conference rooms, support spaces, and roof-based 25,000-square-foot outdoor terrace that can host a number of different events, a feature that members of the Convention and Visitors Authority are reportedly quite excited about.

The expansion is also subject to a Federal Aviation Administration review to ensure that its proposed height does not interfere with air traffic in and out of McCarran International Airport. Other uses for the expanded convention center are to include food carts, restaurant and bar facilities, and retail sales, as well as live entertainment, among other uses.

If you are considering relocating in or around the Las Vegas area, which clearly is experiencing huge growth and a booming job market,  give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any real estate and home relocation questions you may have.

Officials Report Las Vegas Raiders Stadium Construction On-Time, On-Budget

LAS VEGAS, NV – Construction on the Las Vegas Raiders Stadium is going along as planned, according to team officials, with the project currently at the 15 percent finished mark and proceeding both on-time and on-budget since its Nov. 15, 2017 groundbreaking. At this rate, without any surprises or mishaps, the stadium is well on its way of meeting its stated goal of hosting the start of the newly-transplanted NFL team’s 2020 season.

The $2 billion, 65,000 seat project – funded in-part by a bump in the existing Las Vegas hotel room tax to the tune of $750 million – is currently in the process of excavating a million cubic yards of earth for the construction of the stadium, although developers are unable to rule out the possibility of unearthing something that could create an unexpected snag in their timeline. While unforeseen issues are common when involved in project of this scale, but for the time being, things are proceeding smoothly, according to Minneapolis-based general contractor Mortenson Construction; almost 500 workers are now engaged on a daily basis in concrete work on walls and columns that will form the main support structures for the upper levels of the stadium.

August will see the arrival of prefabricated steel from suppliers in Wisconsin, with which developers will begin working on the vertical component of the construction phase; concerns that tariffs ordered by President Donald Trump on steel and aluminium would inflate projected costs of the project which are largely unfounded, developers said, as the majority of the raw materials were already ordered before said tariffs were implemented. There could be some minor price variations in cost when it comes to materials used by subcontractors, it was noted, but nothing that will affect the overall budget of the project.

The arrival of two cranes – each able to lift in excess of 2,000 tons – are anticipated soon, and will be utilized in raising the translucent polymer roof into position once it has been assembled at the construction site; once placed, the structure supported via a crisscrossing network of Swiss steel cables. In addition to the Raiders Stadium, work is also underway on a $100 million training facility and team headquarters located in the vicinity of Henderson Executive Airport, although according to reports that work is not proceeding at the same pace at on the stadium.

Meanwhile, little news has been made public by Raiders representatives as to the pricing of ticket packages, personal seat licenses, or general game admission; despite this, many individuals and organizations have already put money down in anticipation of when ticket information is finally announced, signifying the intense excitement that is being generated by the impending arrival of the Raiders to their new home in Las Vegas.

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 – In an effort to address the ongoing housing crisis in Las Vegas, builders have been attempting to ramp up their efforts in erecting new homes and apartment complexes to meet the ever-growing demands in Southern Nevada as the local economy improves. The situation is ushering in new investors, companies, tourism, and – most importantly – newly-transplanted residents keen to take advantage of Vegas’ thriving job market, and as a result living options are scarce and prices are skyrocketing.

Builders are seeing progress in their efforts to balance local real estate scales, as four towns in Las Vegas are ranked in the two 20 in the United States in terms of builder sales for 2018, according to reports.

The numbers for local builders are also impressive, and clearly speak for themselves; as of the end of June, sales in Summerlin were ranked as the third highest in the nation among master-planned communities at 772 homes sold, representing a jump of 64 percent over a one year prior. Inspirada – a master-planned community located within Henderson – comes in eighth in the U.S. with a 21 percent increase from 2017, boasting 475 homes purchased. Another Henderson-based community, Cadence, ranks 12th with 334 homes sold, an increase of 45 percent. Finally, coming in at 17th in the nation is Skye Canyon with 284 homes purchased; currently, it is not known home much of an increase this is over the previous year’s sales for this community, which is located in the northwest Las Vegas valley.

Due to a the current lack of housing options on the market, most available homes and apartments are being snapped up, and landlords and sellers in the region are taking advantage of demand by charging – and receiving – premium prices. Initially, builders appeared ill-equipped to handle the production of additional housing units to appease demand, in-part contributing to the cutthroat sales environment holding Vegas in its grasp. However, these new sales figures suggest that builders are finally hitting their stride and will hopefully continue to deliver adequate amounts of new residences to the point that prices begin to stabilize and eventually subside to a degree.

But in the meantime, housing in Las Vegas will still be on a first-come, first-served basis for the foreseeable future, and buyers will find themselves paying through the nose more often than not…bearing in mind that housing prices in Las Vegas – as well as the overall cost of living – still remain below the national average, especially when compared to neighbouring markets such as California, where the cost of living is driving more and more residents out-of-state and into more affordable regions, such as Nevada.

If you are considering relocating in or around the Las Vegas area, which clearly is experiencing huge growth and a booming job market,  give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any real estate and home relocation questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV –  According to reports, a light-rail system set along the Maryland Parkway corridor is currently being mulled over by Clark County city officials; if brought to fruition, the project would connect the downtown area with the University of Nevada, Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, and McCarran International Airport. This development is seen to represent a major boon to the region, as once up and running, the nearly 9 mile, $750 million project could possibly result in upwards of $3 billion in local investments in offices, retail, entertainment, and housing development along its planned route. These estimates are based upon the positive financial impacts that similar railway projects have had in other American cities, including Denver, Colorado and Phoenix, Arizona.

The Regional Transportation Commission is currently set to announce their decision on the railway in September; if approved, the project is slated to be up and running by 2025. There are no indications yet if the RTC is leaning one way or the other on the potential light-rail system, but it’s known that they are also considering other, more cost-efficient choices to improve transportation along the Maryland Parkway corridor – an area that many experts feel is ripe for development – including a roadway improvement initiative with an estimated cost of approximately $29 million; however, the addition of some much-needed rapid transit lanes for buses could possibly run an additional $335 million. Expensive, yes, but still cheaper than the proposed train line.

However, the railway system has a great many supporters, and development is already underway; G2 Capital Development has invested heavily in this regard, as they are currently building University Gateway, a $60 million, eight-story mixed-use project along the Maryland Parkway corridor, in addition to a parking garage nearby. G2 has also purchased commercial development situated along the parkway – Campus Village – that may see a face-lift in the future if business warrants it. If the railway project comes to light, developer Mike Saltman has also announced his intention to construct a shopping center at one of the railway stations.

While $750 million isn’t chump change, the taxpayers of Clark County likely won’t have to foot the entire bill if the RTC approves the project; currently, county officials are looking into the possibility of acquiring a federal New Starts grant that could cover up to half of the costs associated with the project. In addition, local residents may get the chance to cast their votes for or against a possible hike of sales taxes that, if passed, would also contribute to the costs of the light-rail system. But before any federal grants would be applied for, the plans for the project would have to pass scrutiny in terms of any possible environmental impact they may have upon the proposed route, as well as review any public concerns along with any potential alternate projects.

If you are considering relocating in or around the Las Vegas area, which clearly is experiencing huge growth and a booming job market,  give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any real estate and home relocation questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – With demand outstripping the current supply on the housing market in Las Vegas following a decade of dormancy due to the recession, Clark County is mulling over the possibility of opening approximately 39,000 acres of public land to private development which could be used for real estate and industrial development. An additional 370,000 acres are also being proposed for conservational use, reports say.

The land in question – situated mostly along Interstate 15 south of the valley, among other areas – could be used for development of housing to help alleviate the shortage of homes in the Vegas area, spurred on by the recent economic boom experienced in the region as more and more businesses move in and, subsequently, more people looking for jobs and a more affordable cost of living as well. In addition, the allotted public land could also be used to construct manufacturing centers and distribution hubs, which are also sorely needed in Southern Nevada.

However, due to public outcry by environmentalists, Clark County has also proposed setting aside an additional 370,000 acres of land to help aid wilderness and wildlife conservation; in particular, an emphasis will be placed upon protecting the region’s desert tortoise population, as well as other protected and endangers species. Nonetheless, some environmental groups are expressing concern over what they view as rapid expansion of Vegas’ outer lying areas for construction, instead advocating for a more density in currently-populated areas before the decision is made by officials to expand outward. However, builders argue that doing so would result in higher costs than simply developing on undeveloped land would entail.

Experts and Clark County officials note that offering additional property in the Las Vegas region for developers to utilize would help offset the ever-growing costs of home ownership currently affecting the area, as scarcity has caused new arrivals to scramble for any property they can get their hands on while paying top dollar to do so. In addition, experts say that opening up new areas of Southern Nevada to development will not only help to prepare the region for increased population, but also help to continue to attract new businesses and companies in order to maintain the steady economic growth that Las Vegas has been enjoying the past several years; not striking while the iron is hot, some claim, could ultimately undercut the economic boom that Vegas has been experiencing in the long-term.

Any city undergoing the rapid period of growth – in terms of both economy and population – is due to experience growing pains as a result, and concessions need to be made to ensure that the needs of residents are met and to promote the sustained and continued economic growth of the region, while also ensuring that the environment and endangered animal species are protected at the same time. It can be a tricky tightrope to traverse, but if done with care and intelligence behind it, it would benefit all involved.

If you are considering relocating in or around the Las Vegas area, which clearly is experiencing huge growth and a booming job market,  give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any real estate and home relocation questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – Las Vegas real estate has continued to astound the nation, with demand – and prices – still climbing ever since Southern Nevada spectacularly rebounded from the devastating recession of the mid-2000’s. Properties that were previously vacant and unwanted are now being snatched up at a record pace, and according to experts those prices will soon reach levels the region has not seen in over a decade, with no signs of slowing down.

2018 could very well see Las Vegas home prices, which have been rising steadily due to ever-increasing demand, reach their pre-recession peak; media house prices hit their zenith in 2006, coming in at $315,000, but after the housing bubble burst in 2012, that price dropped drastically- all the way down to $118,000.

The Vegas market is currently zeroing in on those pre-recession numbers. For instance, May of 2018 saw the median sales price of single family homes coming in at $295,000, which represents an increase of 2.1 percent from April and a jump of 18 percent from the same period one year prior.

The median sales price of previously owned single-family homes was $295,000 last month, up 2.1 percent from April and 18 percent from May 2017, according to the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors (GLVAR). In addition, the number of homes sold increased from April to May – 3,140, up 9.1 percent. This showcases the rapid and continuing growth of the Vegas real estate market, although the increasing scarcity of inventory in 2018 is resulting in a slightly lower number of sales when compared to April of 2017, which saw an additional 10.7 percent in sales over this past April.

However, the amount of homes on the market has been steadily increasing as construction has been working overtime to meet the wants of new transplants to Nevada seeking job opportunities and an affordable lifestyle, in addition to more investors putting their properties up for sale. At the end of May 2018, 4,118 homes were for sale without offers, an increase of 7.9 percent from the month before; however, that number is still down 17.2 percent from May of 2017, showing that inventory is still not quite matching demand yet.

The ever-increasing home prices in Las Vegas are functioning as a double-edged sword; property owners and investors are accumulating a great deal of money as homes sell, but with the increasing number of new residents in the region looking for homes, a question of affordability will soon figure into the equation. Experts, however, don’t foresee any price decline in the Vegas real estate market over the course of the next several years, although some are hoping for price growth to at least slow down to a degree that goes more in line with the income level of local residents. Achieving that slower price growth will be possible, experts say, when local Vegas construction projects introduces more housing units upon the market – slightly curbing demand and giving buyers more options – anticipated to happen in 2019.

If you are considering relocating in or around the Las Vegas area, which clearly is experiencing huge growth and a booming job market,  give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any real estate and home relocation questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – For years, the blighted downtown area of North Las Vegas has stood in stark contrast to the glitzier areas of the city as a whole, but along with the resurgence of the local economy, job and real estate market, this neglected region of Southern Nevada is poised for a comeback of epic proportions…and the first step has already began as a new 14-screen movie theater in the middle of one of the region’s many vacant dirt lots has taken ground; a sign of better things to come for an area that has endured a great deal in the past decade or so.

For a number of years, a prominent part of North Vegas’ downtown area has consisted of abandoned storefronts and large, vacant dirt lots, and its overall reputation was essentially the part of town one should strive to avoid. Local government have been working on redevelopment efforts, first by approving a larger fiscal budget in order to restore vital services and manpower positions lost during the recession brought on by the housing bubble burst that occurred in the mid-2000’s. As a result of the city’s $601.2 million 2018-2019 budget, North Las Vegas has announced plans to hire as many as 29 employees on a full-time basis; this marks the second year in a row that North Vegas has made headway in their efforts to grow and enhance their workforce.

Meanwhile, development of the new $75 million, two-story, 65,000 square-feet movie theater – dubbed the Maya Entertainment Center, and located across the street from North Las Vegas City Hall – is expected to be open by Christmas of 2018, and is intended to attract, in part, Las Vegas’ increasing Latino population. The project is seen as the starting point of an overall revitalization of the downtown area that city officials are currently tentatively referring to as Lake Mead Village West.

And on White Street just a few blocks away, city officials are in the process of starting to convert an abandoned Canyon Electric Building into a 7,000 square-foot library, a process that so far is being funded via a $1.2 million federal community block grant.

In addition, the North Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency – part of the City Council – previously purchased a 3.65-acre plot of land at the corner of Las Vegas and Lake Mead boulevards in 2017; this acquisition, along with other neighboring properties that the city owns, essentially fits together to form a 10-acre piece of land that is intended to be the site of a yet-undisclosed large-scale master planned project, with the goal being to attract retail stores, restaurants, a library, and more, transforming the area and raising the standard of living.

Thus far, North Las Vegas’ downtown region has lagged behind the growth and resurgence experienced by Las Vegas as a whole in the last few years, but it appears that city officials finally have a solid plan to putting it back on the map and are taking the first tentative steps to making that achievement a reality.

If you are considering relocating in or around the Las Vegas area, which clearly is experiencing huge growth and a booming job market,  give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any real estate and home relocation questions you may have.

LAS VEGAS, NV – With the recent economic upturn experienced by Las Vegas – fueled by an ongoing real estate boom, massive job growth as a result of an influx of new businesses and tourism increasing, and a more affordable cost of living, among other factors – the region has become quite attractive for location-first movers, with a recent study noting that Vegas currently claims the largest percentage of them in the nation. Location-first movers are defined as an individual or family that makes their selection in purchasing a home on the attractiveness of living in a specific area, sometimes before even securing a job there.

Apartment List noted in their study that a whopping 82 percent of movers selected Las Vegas based on numerous factors related to the lifestyle of the region, without even having secured a job before doing so. This is a huge number, and it far outpaces the number two location-first area in the U.S., Phoenix, which comes in at 69 percent.

These decisions are typically driven by a number of reasons related to living in Southern Nevada, including the general lower cost of living when compared to many other neighboring areas. A good example is the large amount of transplants from California, a state revered for its wealth and glamour, but infamous for its extreme cost of living; there has been a recent glut of movers from California to Vegas for the overall cheaper lifestyle, including the price of homes. While property values in Vegas have been steadily climbing due to incredible demand and lack of supply, they are still much lower, proportionally speaking, than in California; while local home values have risen 12.4 percent in the last 12 months, the median home price is still $230,800… this is in stark contrast to California, where the average price is $542,900, well over double. And although Las Vegas itself does have a sales tax of 8.15 percent, that number is nicely counteracted by the fact that Nevada has no state sales tax and very low property taxes.

Again, the reasons for this are clear- Vegas currently has an exploding job market that is offering a record number of placements for people both with and without college degrees; in addition, the revitalization that is taking place in the downtown area is not only offering additional employment opportunities, but it’s also offering an enticing number of entertainment options for local residents who are always on the lookout for something fun and exciting to do. And when they tire of the bright lights and big city, newcomers to Vegas can venture just out of town to experience the vast natural beauty that Nevada offers in abundance.

In addition, the rental market is also thriving and attracting similar numbers of location-first movers, at well over 60 percent; the closest competitor in this regard is San Antonio, with the rest of the field lagging well behind. And while again, demand and scarcity are in the process of driving up prices – currently, a one-bedroom apartment fetches an average of $910, with two bedrooms going for $1,130, with a year-over-year growth of 3.8 percent – but again, the overall lower cost of living, combined with a flourishing job market and numerous attractions and amenities afforded by life in Southern Nevada, have made Vegas THE place to call home these days.

LAS VEGAS, NV – Area 15, a new 126,000-square-foot science-fiction themed retail and entertainment complex slated to offer an “immersive” environment for attendees, officially broke ground on construction on last week with a scheduled opening date of spring of 2019, according to reports.

The complex, located on a 40 acre lot in the vicinity of the Las Vegas Strip on the corner of Sirius Avenue and Rancho Drive, is a joint venture between real estate development firm Fisher Brothers and creative agency Beneville Studios, both based out of New York. Area 15 – the name obviously being a playful take on the infamous Area 51, a secret U.S. Air Force base located in the Nevada desert – is expected to attract a variety of visitors by means of a unique mix of conventions and expos focusing on sci-fi, fantasy, and comic books; in addition, music performances, corporate events, large-scale art exhibits, bars, nightclubs, and restaurants are expected to round out the package. Retail will also have a footprint at the new facility, although details on that aspect has yet to be made public by Fisher and Beneville, aside from announcing it as being a “radical re-imagining” of the concept of both retail and entertainment.

A major anchor tenant in the form of Meow Wolf – a multimedia production company that specializes in creating interactive experiences combining real-world sets and architecture with virtual reality and specialized sound – announced their signing and involvement in the Area 15 project, and it’s likely going to be the first of many, given the facility’s 68,000 square feet of leasable ground floor space, 58,000 square feet of mezzanines and a 40,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor event area that can accommodate up to 3,000 attendees for a variety of event types, including music performances and festivals, corporate shin-digs, and international video game tournaments, among more. Plans are to host over 100 events a year, with parking in the form of over 800 complimentary spots available for attendees.

The Area 15 project is slated to be an “evolution” of the concept of the American shopping mall; with the average attendance at malls down by shoppers in favor of buying items online, Michael Beneville of Beneville Studios noted that in order to keep the concept alive, it needs to evolve with the times and offer cutting-edge experiences that online options can’t compete with.

“The mall of America isn’t dead,” he said. “It just needs to be reinvented. People don’t want to be spoon-fed their entertainment. They want to interact with it.”

Details on Area 15 beyond those in this article are still scarce, however, with promotional material claiming that the complex will offer an “immersive and unique experience” that would “appeal to a variety of clientele, including gamers, comic-con and sci-fi enthusiasts, artists, music and festival lovers.” But with a large amount of construction already slated to and currently taking take place in Las Vegas – with hotels, casinos, convention centers, and more slated to open soon – it remains to be see how and if Area 15’s somewhat mysterious concept will compete.