Douglas Crook, managing director of C2 Lofts, is shown Friday during construction near the Las Vegas Beltway and Charleston Boulevard. Photo by Isaac Brekken/Review-Journal.

A mixed-use luxury condo project under way in the west valley is part of a trend that evolved from artists, photographers and musicians living in lofts above warehouses in New York, Chicago and Boston, an executive for the builder said.

Plans for the C2 Lofts near the Las Vegas Beltway and Charleston Boulevard call for two five-story buildings with 100 residential units, retail, enclosed parking and storage space on the first level, said Douglas Crook, managing director for the project.

The first mixed-use project in Las Vegas with residential over retail was The District at Green Valley Ranch. While The District is focused on retail with residential as more of an afterthought, C2 Lofts is targeted toward singles or couples with no children, empty-nesters and second-home owners, Crook said.

"This project is the first of its kind in this town," Crook said. "Lofts have been around forever in Europe and New York and recently developers have built in cities like Denver and San Diego. People love the free, unconventional lifestyle offered by loft living. We anticipate a loft trend in Las Vegas."

Crook said most of the 40 units in the first building have been sold and move-in is expected in November. Eight floor plans range from about 1,400 square feet to 2,800 square feet and prices start in the mid-$600,000s.

The floor plans are larger than most vertical projects, Crook said.

Construction for both buildings is estimated to cost $55 million. C2 Lofts is a Christopher Company, founded by Las Vegas luxury home builder Chris Stuhmer.

John Restrepo, principal of Restrepo Consulting Group in Las Vegas, said C2 Lofts is one of the projects taking the lead in the valley's high-end "podium product," which is wood-framed residential units built over concrete parking garages.

He said the central location in Summerlin, near Red Rock Canyon and the emerging Summerlin Town Center, puts C2 Lofts in a strong position to capture a large share of "this small but increasingly popular product niche."

The project features exposed duct work, concrete floors, 18-foot windows, 10- to 12-foot ceilings in the flats and 20-foot ceilings in the two-story lofts. Interior amenities include stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and Kohler plumbing fixtures. The top floor of each building will have a roof garden with a fireplace, fire pit, barbecues and lounge areas.

C2 Lofts is incorporating a small retail component to serve general needs of residents such as a delicatessen, coffee shop and dry cleaning. There will be a private fitness center, a pool and two spas on the property. Homeowners are also eligible for golf memberships at Red Rock Country Club.

Metropolis, a high-rise loft residence, opened in December on Desert Inn Road. Other loft projects under development in Las Vegas include SoHo Lofts, Parkline Lofts, Vantage Lofts, Newport Lofts, Stone Canyon, Loft 5, Panorama and Manhattan.

A report from Plunkett Research showed that 77 percent of 21,200 total U.S. condominium and cooperative apartments completed between April and June of 2004 were absorbed, or taken, within three months, up slightly from 76 percent for the same period in 2003.