Aliante sweeter the second time around for Air Force family

The Brook and Maria Leonard family said they loved the Las Vegas Valley the first time they lived here a few years ago.

After Air Force duty sent the family on a three-year stint in Alaska, the Leonards eagerly awaited their return to Southern Nevada.

"It will be nice to have sun all year-round," Brook said. "With Red Rock Canyon and Mt. Charleston and everything else so close, it is going to be nice to be back in Southern Nevada."

When the time arrived a few weeks ago, the Leonards searched the northern part of the valley for their second home here.

"We looked mostly in the north because of Nellis (Air Force Base), but when we came back after three years away, we were surprised by how much had been added around the Aliante master-planned community, such as the stores, parks and library," Brook said. "We had lived in the vicinity before, but this time we definitely wanted to live in Aliante."

The Leonards, along with their children, Kade, 8; Kenleigh, 5; Ty, 3; and Krue, 8 months, recently moved to Pardee Homes' Autumn Ridge neighborhood. Their new home, a Plan Four model, features four bedrooms and is a short walk from the community's 20-acre Nature Discovery Park.

"We liked the openness of the home and the color scheme," he said. "Being so close to the park is a real treat for all of us."

The Leonards said moving to Aliante couldn't have been easier.

"Pardee offered an excellent value and they were all so friendly, including the people from the mortgage company. It was a great experience all around," Brook said.

Despite having lived in the area before, the family is still learning its surroundings because much has changed in three years. The extent to which Aliante has fulfilled its master plan is apparent to the Leonards.

"We believe that the beautiful parks and the way all the other amenities are incorporated will all work out well for preserving the integrity of this community and the future value of our home," he said.

Aliante is a development of North Valley Enterprises LLC, an affiliate of American Nevada Co. and Pulte Homes. Encompassing more than 1,900 acres, the community will collectively have as many as 7,500 homes, with an anticipated population of about 20,000.

Home builders at Aliante include Astoria Homes, Del Webb, KB Home, Lennar, Pardee Homes and Pulte.

Home prices range from the upper $100,000s to the upper $600,000s. In addition, Del Webb is building the age-qualified Sun City Aliante community.

Aliante is bordered roughly by Grand Teton Drive, Centennial Parkway, Decatur Boulevard and Clayton Street. Interstate 215, the Las Vegas Beltway, intersects Aliante, providing access to Interstate 15 and U.S. Highway 95.

About 428 acres in Aliante are designated for recreational and public purposes, including the Aliante Golf Club, the 20-acre Nature Discovery Park, Deer Springs Park, Aviary Park, more than 24 miles of lighted concrete trails and linear parks, and an arroyo.

The Aliante master plan calls for two elementary schools and a middle school, each of which would be part of the Clark County School District.

The community's first school, Theron H. and Naomi D. Goynes Elementary School, opened in August 2005.

A new fire station opened in April 2004 and the Aliante Library opened in May 2006.

About 100 acres in Aliante are allocated for commercial development. Several retail centers and the Aliante Corporate Center office park are now open for business.

Ground was broken a few months ago for the Aliante Station Hotel & Casino, which will stand on a 40-acre parcel at the northeast corner of I-215 and Aliante Parkway.

Information about new homes and neighborhoods in Aliante can be obtained at the Aliante Information Gallery.

To visit, take U.S. Highway 95 to I-215 and exit east. Exit at Aliante Parkway and proceed south.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Information can also be obtained at Aliantehomes.com or by calling 866-787-2951.