Apartment projects take shape in once-‘desolate’ Las Vegas Arts District

Two big apartment projects have been taking shape in Las Vegas’ Arts District area, putting cranes in the air above a once quiet neighborhood now packed with activity.

Nashville-based Southern Land Co. is developing a 337-unit rental complex at the intersection of California Avenue and Third Street that will feature three seven-story buildings. Plans call for ground-floor commercial space, a two-story fitness center, rooftop deck and other amenities.

Construction is underway, and Southern Land development manager Alex Woodin said the company expects to open the project in early 2026.

Meanwhile, Chicago-based Cedar Street Companies and Salt Lake City’s Bridge Investment Group teamed up to develop a 311-unit apartment complex at the corner of Commerce Street and Imperial Avenue.

Construction also has started on that project. The developers previously said it was slated to open in mid-2026 and feature ground-floor commercial space, a large fitness center and resort-style “spa facilities,” including saunas.

They did not respond to requests for comment.

A dozen or so years ago, the Arts District was a quiet place. It had furniture stores, second-hand clothing shops and other tenants, but also vacant storefronts, empty lots and thin foot traffic.

“It just seemed like a completely dormant neighborhood,” said Makers & Finders owner Josh Molina, who opened his restaurant and coffee bar on Main Street in the Arts District in 2014.

But in recent years, a surge of new eateries, coffee shops and retailers opened in the area, drawing more people there to eat, drink and shop. Amid the increased popularity, landlords also have charged higher rents.

Woodin said his group began looking at the Arts District around 2021, adding the area had walkability and other features the company looks for when scouting project sites.

“It felt good, it felt right,” he said.

In a sign of the area’s changed look, Southern Land’s project site used to be mostly vacant land. The spread also included a shuttered commercial building that, as seen one day in 2022, had broken windows, graffiti and a homeless person lying down inside.

Molina said he initially looked to open his cafe in downtown’s Fremont Street area, but it was too expensive at the time, as the late Zappos boss Tony Hsieh was investing a fortune there and boosting its popularity.

At the time, the city of Las Vegas was launching a project that spruced up Main Street. Molina figured others would invest in the area, and he didn’t see any coffee shops around.

Back then, he would look down Main Street from the front of his cafe and see how “desolate” the area was, he recalled. Daytime foot traffic was almost non-existent, and several buildings were closed.

“It doesn’t compare to what it is now, that’s for sure,” he said.

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