Groundbreakings
1. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Nevada State Veterans Memorial at the Thunderbird Family Sports Complex at 6105 N. Durango Dr. in northwest Las Vegas. The $7.69M project will house 18 bronze statues honoring American military service from the Revolutionary War to the present day. The memorial will include an open-air promenade, landscaping and an amphitheater. The State of Nevada, City of Las Vegas and the Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE collaborated on the project.
2. Construction is underway on the Mount Charleston Lodge, a nearly 11KSF redevelopment of the historic property near Las Vegas that was destroyed by fire in September 2021. The lodge is owned by Ellis Island officials, who said work is moving forward as weather allows, following Clark County’s approval of final plans in December 2023. Steelman Partners is leading the redesign, which includes a two-level lodge and a parking garage with approximately 190 spaces.
Progress Reports
3. Friends of Gem Theater has completed Phase Two of rehabilitation work at the historic Gem Theater in Pioche, moving the long-closed venue closer to reopening. This phase focused on stabilizing the building and completing major system upgrades. The work was primarily funded through a $1M state appropriation approved by the Nevada Legislature in 2023, with additional contributions from the nonprofit. With Phase Two complete, the organization plans to offer tours and limited programming as work continues toward a full reopening targeted for 2028, pending funding and approvals.
4. Work is underway on the Brightline West Las Vegas rail station along Las Vegas Blvd. between Warm Springs and Blue Diamond roads, marking visible progress on the long-planned high-speed rail project connecting Las Vegas and Southern California. Initial construction includes a parking garage and early station work, and heavy construction on the broader 218-mile rail line is expected to begin this year. The overall Brightline West project has a revised budget of $20.1B, with service now targeted to begin in 2029.
Completions
5. After nearly three years of development, Smith’s has set an opening date for its long-awaited Smith’s Marketplace at 560 N. Stephanie St. in Henderson. The approximately 130KSF grocery store occupies former retail space at Galleria Commons and was a $23M investment. The store is scheduled to open on Jan. 24.
6. The PENTA Building Group announced it finished Phase II of its Durango Casino & Resort Expansion. The 8KSF expansion featured a high-limit slot room and 120 machines. Additionally, the expansion provided an additional parking garage with a total of 2,000 new spaces.
7. The PENTA Building Group recently completed a parking garage for the Clark County School District’s Las Vegas Academy of the Arts. The garage leads to the campus’s creative hub.
8. New Frontier Treatment Center has completed a $3.7M expansion at its Fallon facility, marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 13. The project, funded by USDA Rural Development, nearly doubled the center’s residential treatment capacity to 42 beds with the addition of a new women’s wing and upgrades to existing spaces. J.P. Copoulos designed the expansion, and Hammond Homes & Construction served as general contractor.
