Builder unveils project name at former Badlands golf course in Las Vegas

A homebuilding giant has unveiled the name and arrival date of its sprawling project on Las Vegas’ former Badlands golf course.

Lennar Corp. is calling the new community “The Preserve,” according to a sign at the property that declares “Coming 2028.”

“Reclaiming the Badlands — Redefining Luxury,” declares the signage, at the corner of Alta Drive and Rampart Boulevard.

Lennar’s website says the community will feature everything from modern townhomes to “expansive estate-style residences” and that each home at The Preserve will reflect “elevated design and exceptional quality.”

Project plans call for 1,480 residential units — a mix of townhouses, condos and single-family homes — on the roughly 250-acre property, city records show.

“Once a legendary golf course, now the future of a masterfully planned community where beauty, serenity and architecture blend,” Lennar’s website says.

Miami-based Lennar, one of the biggest homebuilders in the country, did not respond to a request for comment.

All told, Lennar’s project would add a surge of housing to a long-shuttered property that, under prior owners, was at the center of a yearslong legal battle that ultimately cost city taxpayers a mountain of money.

Las Vegas developer Yohan Lowie acquired the Badlands property in 2015. The golf course closed the following year, and according to a marketing brochure, Lowie’s firm EHB Cos. drew up plans for thousands of multifamily units, dozens of large homesites, and open space.

But the project faced strong opposition, especially from residents in the surrounding Queensridge area, and Lowie’s group took the city to court, in cases involving different sections of the property.

Lowie’s group claimed the city effectively took their property when it blocked their redevelopment plans, and the developers won multiple times in court.

In late 2024, the City Council approved a settlement to resolve the remaining litigation in the protracted legal fight. Under the deal, the city agreed to buy the shuttered golf course from Lowie’s group for $636 million and then promptly sell it for $350 million to Lennar.

The transactions closed in March.

Overall, the settlement agreement cost the city $286 million, prompting Las Vegas officials to take a series of cost-saving measures, including buyout offers, hiring freezes and project delays.

Contact Eli Segall at esegall@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342.