Click image for enlargement. The Curve, a master-planned suburban village, is being designed for two 18-story condominium towers, 115,885 square feet of retail-shop space, and 61,000 square feet of office space above the shops. COURTESY CURVE DEVELOPMENT This artist's rendering depicts the inside of one of the condominium units planned for The Curve master-planned community by Interstate 215. Work on the Curve is slated to start later this year. COURTESY CURVE DEVELOPMENT

Edward Kile said the 42-acre development he and his partners are planning at the Interstate 215 curve in southwest Las Vegas Valley is a "true mixed-use project" and that's what separates it from places such as The District at Green Valley Ranch, where residential space was "an afterthought."

The master-planned suburban village, named The Curve, is being designed for two 18-story condominium towers with 376 units, 115,885 square feet of retail space, including 12 restaurants, and 61,000 square feet of office space above the retail.

Construction financing on the $200 million first phase of the project is "way down the road," said Kile, president of Curve Development. The project has been approved by Clark County and contracts for infrastructure improvements have been signed and paid, he said. Construction is scheduled to begin later this year, with completion of the first buildings in late 2006.

Kile said his target demographic for the village are "DINKs" (dual income, no kids) in the 35- to 60-year-old range. Prices for the condo units start at $385,000, with floor plans from 1,100 square feet to 2,025 square feet.

"Who I want to attract here is people who live in Las Vegas and work in Las Vegas and want to be in Las Vegas," he said. "It's not geared toward second and third homes."

The "smart-growth" trend is gaining momentum in urban areas with expensive real estate, resulting in higher-density, mixed-use villages where people can live, work and play. The Groves in Los Angeles, Santana Row in San Jose, Calif., and Kierland in Scottsdale, Ariz., are good examples of successful suburban villages, Kile said.

It takes pressure off daily schedules and relieves traffic congestion when someone can go shopping, grab a bite to eat and pick up their dry cleaning without driving all over town, he said.

"Our whole thing is to make your life simpler. That's what people want in the 21st century. I'm hoping to save you an hour a day. What can you do with your day with an extra hour?"

Similar projects are planned around Las Vegas. Mark Doppe of Carina Homes has Centennial Springs under construction on 41 acres in the northwest valley and the 38-acre St. Rose Village planned in the southeast. Jim Stuart of Centra Properties is working on a 25-acre Harmon Avenue site and Frank Nielsen of Montecito Cos. is developing the 200-acre Montecito Town Center in the Centennial Hills area.

"I think these new master-planned, mixed-use projects are phenomenal, especially the way Las Vegas is becoming a destination for second homes, as well as those primary residents that are busy and can have a living, working, shopping experience," said Rick Brenkus, owner and broker for Keller Williams Realty in Las Vegas. "People having all of that all-encompassed, especially for food late at night, really makes it convenient."

Kile said the rapidly developing southwest valley lacks services and The Curve will become a social hub with its row of restaurants, art shows, farmers' markets and live music.

"This is the place to come and hang. That's the whole point. It's livable space you want to be at," he said. "It evolved out of the gas(oline) crisis in the '70s, how to live, work and play without getting in a car. Out of this came urban development."

Curve Development comprises several high-profile businessmen with a vested interest in Las Vegas, Kile said; they're people who grew up here, still live here and plan to be here for a long time.

They include: Mandalay Resort Group Vice Chairman Bill Richardson; M.J. Dean Construction owner Michael Dean; Klai Juba Architects Principal Dan Juba; and LandBaron Investments co-owners Randy Black Jr. and Michael Chernine. Kile is a real estate attorney from California.