Summerlin marks 35 years of development with major milestones

Now entering its 35th year, the Summerlin master-planned community is continuing its remarkable trajectory as one of the country’s most successful master plans that continues to grow and evolve with nearly 4,000 acres left to develop.

Today, Summerlin is home to 127,000 residents and is projected to reach a population of approximately 200,000 once the master plan is complete.

According to Danielle Bisterfeldt, senior vice president of marketing and consumer experience for Summerlin, the community’s history began when Howard Hughes purchased 30,000 acres of land in the 1950s with the intent to move some of his businesses to Las Vegas.

While that plan did not materialize, the Summa Corp., the predecessor to Howard Hughes Holdings, assembled a world-class team of land planners to create a comprehensive and thoughtful master plan that evolved into the 22,500-acre community that rims the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley, today.

“In 1988, Summa announced its plans for Summerlin, named for Jean Amelia Summerlin, Howard Hughes’ grandmother, and enacted a milestone land exchange with the Bureau of Land Management to establish a permanent boundary that would forever protect Red Rock Canyon,” Bisterfeldt said. “Summerlin also donated land to The Meadows College Preparatory School founded by former Las Vegas City Mayor Carolyn Goodman to put Summerlin on the map, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

By 1990, the first leg of Summerlin Parkway was completed to Town Center Drive, and development for Summerlin was underway on The Hills, the community’s first residential village. The year also marked the completion of The Hills Park, which served as Summerlin’s central gathering place during its early years.

In 1991, the first residents moved to Summerlin, and Nevada’s first Tournament Players Club also opened, where in 1996, Tiger Woods won his first PGA tournament.

Remarkably, Arthur Andersen Real Estate Services Group ranked Summerlin No. 1 in new home sales, nationally, in 1992, just one year after the first residents moved in. For 10 years, Summerlin held the No. 1 spot for new home sales among master-planned communities nationwide, according to RCLCO. During that same period, more than 18,000 new homes were sold in Summerlin with a stunning 9,000 new homes sold from 1999 to 2001 — a time of unparalleled growth in the Southern Nevada housing market.

According to Bisterfeldt, Summerlin’s decades-long history is punctuated with many significant milestones, including the opening ofthe Summerlin Library and Performing Arts Center in 1993, with the community’s first two public schools — Lummis Elementary and Becker Middle School.

Summerlin Hospital Medical Center opened in 1996, and the community’s first high school, Palo Verde High School, opened its doors in 1997. In 1999, The Resort at Summerlin, the community’s first hotel opened, becoming a J.W. Marriott property in 2002 and partnering with Rampart hotel-casino. The property celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024.

The year 2000 was a blockbuster for Summerlin with the completion of two churches, two private schools, three public schools, and the opening of Red Rock Country Club’s first golf course. But most significant of all that year was the beginning of construction on an 8-mile stretch of the 215 Beltway through Summerlin, which transformed transportation between the east and west sides of the valley, creating a convenient and expeditious route to Summerlin.

The building boom continued in 2001 as Summerlin completed its 20,000th new home and set a sales record for the most new homes sold in one week: 114. That year is also marked by the opening of Jack Nicklaus’ Bear’s Best Las Vegas in The Ridges.

In 2002, Summerlin was named New Community of the Year by Urban Land Institute, and a second land exchange between Howard Hughes Holdings and the Bureau of Land Management ensured that Summerlin’s expansion continued in locations appropriate for development while expanding Red Rock National Conservation Area.

Growth continued at a breakneck pace for the next few years with the openings of dozens of parks, churches, office parks and schools, as well as the opening of Red Rock Resort in 2006 and the 2007 opening of Bishop Gorman High School — the valley’s premier private Catholic school attended by many of the city’s influencers and leaders.

Downtown Summerlin opened in 2014 in what was considered a landmark year, and it has continued to evolve as the community’s vibrant and walkable urban core and a major dining, shopping, entertainment and sports destination for the entire valley.

The Vegas Golden Knights’ practice facility, City National Arena, opened in Downtown Summerlin in 2017, followed by Las Vegas Ballpark in 2019.

In 2020, Summerlin’s 30th year, the Metropolitan Police Department’s Summerlin Area Command opened, and Summerlin was named Master-Planned Community of the Year by the National Association of Homebuilders.

With considerable focus on the evolution of Downtown Summerlin, the past five years have included the opening of Class A office buildings such as 1700 Pavilion, as well as the luxury apartment buildings of Tanager and Tanager Echo with the Whole Foods Market retail center now under development.

“As Summerlin continues to build out Downtown Summerlin, pockets in the south, and expansive land west of the 215 Beltway, there are many exciting projects in the development pipeline that will continue to make the Summerlin story as compelling and remarkable as the first 35 years,” Bisterfeldt said. “The best is yet to come.”

Summerlin offers more amenities than any other Southern Nevada community. These include 300-plus parks of all sizes; 200-plus miles of interconnected trails; resident-exclusive community centers; 10 golf courses; 26 public, private and charter schools; a public library and performing arts center; Summerlin Hospital Medical Center; houses of worship representing a dozen different faiths; office parks and neighborhood shopping centers.

Downtown Summerlin offers fashion, dining, entertainment, Red Rock Resort and Class A office buildings. City National Arena is home of the Vegas Golden Knights’ practice facility. Las Vegas Ballpark is a world-class Triple-A baseball stadium and home of the Las Vegas Aviators.

Summerlin offers over 75 floor plans in 15 neighborhoods throughout eight distinct villages and districts. Homes, built by many of the nation’s top homebuilders, are available in a variety of styles — from single-family homes to townhomes, priced from the $400,000s to more than $1 million.

For information on all actively selling neighborhoods, visit Summerlin.com.

Before you visit, call the builders for their hours of operation. Phone numbers for each neighborhood are on Summerlin.com.