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Union
Park (61 acres) |
This page was updated
6/9/08
Related
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Trade Centers |
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Bordering Downtown Las Vegas' west edge, is a never
before developed, 61 contiguous acres which is the last of four developed
sections of Union Park. The 61 acres has been in the news for a while
now, as Mayor Goodman is itching to develop it. A major railway
thoroughfare skirts the property's east edge, dividing it from downtown.
This makes it a challenge to blend this parcel with the existing downtown
area.
Current plans include letting
different developers have pieces of it to develop, this would give it a more
"city-like" look and feel than it would have if one developer created the
whole area.
The Plaza hotel would need to be
removed so that Fremont St. could extend into the area, bridging the
railroad tracks. The folks at the Plaza are willing to entertain the
idea of letting the city have its way in exchange for some of the new
parcels in the 61 acres, so they can build a new resort hotel there.
News 4/25/08
Groundbreaking Ceremony for the infrastructure of Union Park
To help spur development of the 61-acre Union Park "urban
center", the city of Las Vegas shoved the ceremonial shovels in
the dirt, signaling the beginning of construction of the
infrastructure. Underground electric, water, and gas lines
- sewers, streets, and curbs have probably never had such a
fanfare.
Lots of work in progress
Click image to enlarge Photo
by Otis Williams Jr.
Conceptual rendering (just a density study) 02/25/07
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Zoned areas and approved projects
Official City Plan
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Projects Within
Union Park |
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Smith Center
for the Performing Arts
The centerpiece of the 61-acres will be
the four-venue Smith Center for the Performing Arts. The Smith Center's
architecture has been influenced by the Hoover Dam, an art deco marvel.
Groundbreaking for the 4.75-acre project is scheduled for late 2008. |
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The Charlie
Palmer
Celebrity chef Charlie Palmer
is still planning on building a luxury condo-hotel in Vegas, but the
location has changed. The new digs will be on 3.5 acres in the 61-acre Union Park
development area, directly across Symphony Park from the (soon to be built)
Smith Center for the Performing Arts.
Palmer and
City-Core-Development are aiming this 300+-room, 11-story project at the micro-market
customers who are looking for a five-star, non-gaming, intimate hotel.
This will bring a new level
to the downtown experience. Groundbreaking is expected in 2008.
The rendering (left) is the
latest concept for the site. The mid-century-modern design is perfect for
this project. Juxtaposed with the Smith Center's 1920's style, the Union
Park area will look more like a well established downtown than a newly
developed area.
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The World
Jewelry Center, an iconic, state-of-the-art tower with
approximately one million square feet of mixed-use space,
will be one of the largest jewelry hubs on the planet.
Located in downtown's Union Park, the new center will combine the corporate offices
of domestic and international gem and jewelry companies.
The latest proposal is for an 800-foot-tall tower, the tallest
building in Las Vegas.
Visit our Trade Centers page for more
details
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 The
Lou Ruvo Alzheimer's Institute, Renowned
architect Frank Gehry,
the Pritzker Prize-winning creator of stunningly angular, metallic-skinned
structures such as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain and the Walt Disney
Concert Hall in Los Angeles, has been commissioned to design a building in
Las Vegas.
This project in under construction see much more below.
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World Market Center , Destined to
become the largest Furniture and home goods trade center in the
world. The first two buildings are open and phase three is under
construction. The eight phase plan will top-out at more than 12
million square feet of space.
Visit our
Trade Centers page for more details
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News & Views |
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NEWS 2/9/07 Lou Ruvo Alzheimer's
Research Center breaks ground.
Renowned
architect Frank Gehry
has been commissioned to design a building in Las Vegas. The
Pritzker Prize-winner also created the stunningly angular,
metallic-skinned structures such as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao,
Spain and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
Widely
considered one of the world's leading architects, Gehry has designed the Alzheimer's
Research Center for downtown's 61-acre Union Park development.
The
Institute consists of approximately 67,000 square feet, including 13
examination rooms, offices for healthcare practitioners and
researchers, a "Museum of the Mind," a community auditorium, and a
Wolfgang Puck café.
The top photo is
the view that folks will see when driving by the corner of Bonneville and
Grand Central Parkway. A metal lattice covered atrium will grace that
corner. The next photo shows the main entrance and research center.
Five stories of haphazardly placed blocks with open spaces between them
lends some whimsy to this architectural masterpiece.
Opening
sometime in late 2008.
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Some interior shots
of the model |
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Lou Ruvo Brain Institute
Construction Photos |
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Finally, the curvy, free-form,
steel facade is being installed.
The pieces are wrapped in black paper for protection.
Photo 6/8/08 by Mark Diederichsen.. |
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These photos, shot on 4/24/08 by Andrew Barber, show
both sides of the structure. No sign yet of the wavy stainless skin. The
boxy side is interesting. |
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Preparing the framework before
the
undulating skin is installed
Photo 3/21/08 by Jon Buhay |
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Twisting, turning and undulating, the fluid curtain-wall
at the Ruvo Brain Institute is coming to life. The other
side of the building is hap-hazard blocks.
Photos 11/18/07 by Mark Adams |
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The undulating, melting cage
side of the
building is starting to take form. This puzzle
must be a construction nightmare.
Photos 10/29/07 by Meghan Hughlett |
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Progress is
consistent on the blocky side of this
interesting structure. So far, there is no sign of the wavy
structure. Photos 9/19/07 by Mark Adams |
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The first construction photo of the
Lou Ruvo Brain Institute by Aaron Auxier
shows the project going vertical |
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Rendering of the older plan
The previous plan included a stadium
Click image to enlarge
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History and Progress of Union Park
News 5/12/06: New plans for
61 Acres to be Discussed.
Mayor Goodman is hell-bent on doing the right thing with the vacant 61
acres on the west side of downtown. The latest plans (to be discussed at a
city council meeting on 5/17/06) redefine the project. The main goal of
the project is to create a true urban core that will be vital, lasting and
age well. The bulk of this area is not aimed at tourists, it's for the people who will
live and work there.
The overall architecture for the project will be "desert modern" and
will compliment (not copy) the surrounding projects, including the
World
Market Center, the Clark County Government Center
and the Las Vegas
Outlet Mall.
The project would be divided into civic, entertainment, medical and
residential districts connected by streets and wide plazas (large enough
to be considered parks).
Due to traffic issues, there will be no stadium, although plans for a
major baseball or football stadium in Las Vegas are still in play for a
different location (possibly near Cashman Field).
The plans include the removal of the Plaza hotel tower allowing the
Fremont Street Experience to be extended into the new area flanked by
three casino/hotel projects, totaling 1,750 rooms. That portion of the 61
acres will be the project's entertainment district.
A new City Hall is planned for an area between the railroad and Main St.
(just south of the Plaza Hotel) and will be connected to the project via
a bridge across the tracks.
A performing arts venue and Alzheimer's treatment and research center
have already been approved for Union Park.
3,600 affordable"ish" residential units will be divided among
High-rises, brownstones, walk-ups (over retail) and lofts.
The Medical District will include the Alzheimer's research center
2.3 million square feet of office space and 420,000 square feet of
retail space round out the plan.
News 10/07/05: Related backs out of Union Park development.
Related Group, the folks behind the Las Rambles, Icon and the
World
Market Center, were not able to meet Mayer Goodman's lofty goals for
Union Park, With the other projects, Related has too much on their plate
and Goodman wants to get this project started right away.
Related was to
develop the housing and retail elements of Union park. Those aspects of
this project are not up for grabs.
Goodman said other developed projects within Union Park, such as a
performing arts center, an Alzheimer's research center and a new City
Hall aren't affected by the failure to reach an agreement with Related.
Related attributed the breakdown of the deal to the rising costs of
construction and is still bullish on downtown development. Goodwin
expects other developers to line up for the chance to develop Union
Park.
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