Long after the city of Las Vegas acquired a previous railway to develop it, the place now called Symphony Park has largely been expanded.
It has cultural arenas and exclusive apartment complexes, and more projects are under construction or otherwise in work on mixed spread of land in the center. But the largest vacant package in Symphony Park is owned by Las Vegas Casino Manager Derek Stevens, who has not revealed plans for the website.
His site is only separated by train tracks from the parking garage at his high approximately circa resort, and mayor Shelley Berkley said in his latest state in the city’s address that a Stevens-developed casino in Symphony Park is “in our future.”
“Keep your eyes open for more information as this exciting project develops,” explains the city’s website.
However, Stevens told Las Vegas Review journal that it is too early to say what he can build on his 6.4 acre website and added that he wants to see nearby projects take shape first.
He bought the place in 2017, when Symphony Park had much more empty land than today.
“When you see all these other projects that will be realized … it will help to form, in my opinion, what needs to continue to our property,” he told Review-Journal on April 29, the day before Berkley’s speech.
‘Put something nice together’
Stevens, which owns three hotel casinos in central Las Vegas, found that his team designed Cirs Garage Mahal with cuts to enable pedestrians and vehicle connections to be built over the train tracks to Symphony Park.
But he wants to see how the area grows and develops, which will give him an opportunity to “put something nice together”, he said.
“We could do a much better job for a couple of years from now on when we see how all this is starting to develop,” Stevens said.
Union Pacific Railroad operates a 61 acre fuel and maintenance farm in Las Vegas for 70 years, beginning in the early 1900s. The site was contaminated by petroleum, solvents and metals, but Union Pacific cleaned the property through a state-approved plan, according to the Nevada Department for Environmental Protection.
The city acquired the property in 2000 to turn it into a development of mixed use and later received funding for the continued implementation of a land and groundwater management plan, according to the state.
Symphony Park, located along the Grand Central Parkway at Bonneville Avenue, is home to the Smith Center for Performing Arts, Discovery Children’s Museum and Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
Developers also built two exclusive apartment complexes where in recent years, Parc Haven and Auric, and more projects are ongoing.
‘New hotel casino’
Dallas Real Estate Jackson-Shaw recently announced that its five-storey hotel projects in Symphony Park-a double-labeled AC Hotel and Element Property-is scheduled to open in September.
Nashville-based Southern Land Co., who developed Auric, also builds a 22-storey housing tower and five-storey apartment complexes in Symphony Park. Both are planned to open in late summer or early autumn, said development manager Alex Woodin recently.
Red Ridge Development founder Patrick Brennan held a ceremonial groundbreaking on April 29 for a project of $ 450 million in Symphony Park, which is scheduled to have a 32-storey apartment tower, five-storey apartment buildings and retail and office premises.
The city’s officials are also working on plans for the new Las Vegas Museum of Art in Symphony Park, says Dina Babsky, Las Vegas’ head of economic and urban development.
In addition, officials are happy to have Stevens and his team to “plan a new hotel-casino” at the northern end of the park, she said.
Stevens already has a leading presence in the center. He owns D Las Vegas and Golden Gate, and in 2020 he opened Circa, the center’s first newly built hotel casino in four decades.
He also bought a final court at auction for $ 10 million, tore it down and opened Downtown Las Vegas Events Center 2014.
Over the years, the arena has hosted concerts, large-scale sports parties and boxing matches, including a Don King-promoted fight 2015 which was broadcast on Showtime.
Then King said that Stevens had “revived” center.
“He’s a wavy guy,” King said.
Contact Eli Segall at esegall@ theplayerlounge.com or 702-383-0342.
