Grand opening marked for Cheyenne Pointe

The largest redevelopment project in North Las Vegas celebrated its grand opening Thursday, bringing new stores to an area that city officials view as underserved for the growing Hispanic population.

Cheyenne Pointe, a 95,000-square-foot retail center at Cheyenne Avenue and Civic Center Drive, is anchored by a 30,000-square-foot Mariana's Supermarket scheduled to open in late August or early September. It's Mariana's fourth store in the valley and first in North Las Vegas.

Other major tenants include Nevada Federal Credit Union, Panda Express, Starbucks, T-Mobile, Discoteca El Huaarachazo, El Rodeo and GenX Clothing.

Developed by Las Vegas-based Montecito Cos., the $26.5 million project reflects the type of development North Las Vegas City Manager Gregory Rose said he would like to see in the older, more mature part of the city.

"I think it will add certain amenities for people in this area," Rose said. "They'll have a grocery store that's easily accessible, particularly to those who walk and don't necessarily have a car."

Melissa Flores, human resources director for Mariana's, said the store will hire 110 to 140 workers at wages of $10 to $12 an hour for skilled pastry makers and carniceros, or butchers.

"We specialize in Mexican pastries. That's what we're known for," Flores said. "Since we're a Mexican market, we have specialty cuts of meat like carne asada that's uncooked but seasoned."

Mariana's is also building a yet-to-be-named Mexican restaurant on a 5,000-square-foot standalone pad at Cheyenne Pointe.

All but 6,900 square feet of the retail center has been leased and tenants are anxious to move into their stores, Montecito Chief Operating Officer Michael Townsend said. Monthly lease rates average $2.25 a square foot, he said. Starbucks is already open and Cici's Pizza is opening June 28.

The city of North Las Vegas invested about $400,000 of redevelopment funds in Cheyenne Pointe, redevelopment manager Larry Bender said.

"What we like is that it's a quality project. The aesthetics could be anywhere in Summerlin or Green Valley," he said. "We're pleased Montecito did the same quality they'd do anywhere else in town. If you were blindfolded and came over here, you wouldn't know if you were in Summerlin or Green Valley."

In exchange for a corner parcel crucial to the 9-acre site, Montecito paid to move a former fire station that was turned into a police substation to a nearby industrial park.

Montecito also has 30 acres at Lamb Boulevard and Tropical Parkway that will be developed as a more traditional grocer-anchored shopping center, Townsend said.

Meanwhile, the company continues to develop Montecito Town Center in northwest Las Vegas and is working on a 30-acre, 220,000-square-foot retail development at Horse Drive and U.S. Highway 95, near the Kyle Canyon residential community planned by Focus Property Group.