Las Vegas OK’s master plan for old Downtown

The Las Vegas City Council has approved a new master plan for the gambling mecca’s Downtown district, focusing on both historic attractions and new development to drive more traffic there. The plan was developed under the direction of RTKL, an architecture and urban design firm whose completed projects include Mirdif City Centre in Dubai and L.A. Live.



Retained in the Downtown plan will be notable venues such as the Golden Nugget hotel and casino, the Mob Museum, and the Neon Museum. To bolster the daytime economy of the area, the master plan seeks to attract development to the growing medical and arts districts, plus a planned technology sector. Four to five thousand new housing units and a light rail system are envisioned.



“This area that was in significant decline during the 1990s and early 2000s is today regaining its luster and reclaiming its place as the heart of the city by both locals and tourist,” said Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman in announcing the project.



Over the past decade, public funding and private investment from companies like Zappos have brought new facilities such as The Smith Center for the Performing Arts to Downtown Las Vegas. A recent retail arrival is Downtown Container Park (above), an open-air shopping and entertainment center constructed of repurposed shipping containers that house some 40 shops, restaurants, and bars.



The City Council’s plan aims to guide development in the downtown district for the next 30 years.