Neighbors mixed on restrictions for Beverly Green neighborhood

The Beverly Green neighborhood has remained reasonably quiet despite the hubbub of the Strip just a block to the west. A proposed sprawling casino complex could change that, and residents’ feelings are mixed.

The neighborhood was designated the Beverly Green Historic District on the Las Vegas Historic Property Register in September. Assembly Bill 219 would change boundaries so the neighborhood would no longer be part of the gaming enterprise district.

“The bill is designed to amend the gaming overlay that was put into place in 1982,” said resident John Delikanakis. “I have no idea why it extended into the neighborhood.”

The area in question is north of Sahara Avenue and east of Paradise Road.

Delikanakis moved to the neighborhood in 1998. Distant screams from thrill rides at the Stratosphere, which overlooks Beverly Green, haven’t blunted his love of the neighborhood.

“I was attracted by the mid-century design of the house,” Delikanakis said. “The homes are one-story. People don’t realize how quiet this neighborhood is. It’s central to everything, including downtown, the airport and the Hughes Center, where my law office is.”

Melissa Petersen moved into the neighborhood two years ago, but her roots run deep there.

“I’m right next door to the house my great-uncle lived in with my cousin,” she said. “I’m kitty-corner from the house my dad grew up in. My family built some of the houses in the neighborhood.”

Petersen said she searched for years for the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood, and she hopes Beverly Green remains livable and community-focused. She fears some of the buildings in and bordering the neighborhood are falling into disrepair, similar to what she saw on Commerce Street near the Arts District 15 years ago, when a stadium was proposed in the area. When that project fell through, Peterson said, the owners fixed up property and rented it to new businesses.

“The neighborhood is very important to me, and very fragile,” Petersen said. “I think that if the bill passes, some of the property owners will take more of an interest in rehabbing the residential units.”

The bill, which was sponsored by Assemblywoman and Beverly Green resident Heidi Swank, had passed the Assembly and gone to the Senate as of mid-March.

“I can only imagine that if there’s any resistance to this bill, it would come from speculators who think they can make some money if a casino comes in here, but I’ve seen the market,” Delikanakis said. “That would be a long way off. I’m not opposed to development. I’m a big believer in the highest and best use of property. I’m a capitalist.”

To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.