This ‘tired’ Henderson office complex may get a makeover. Some aren’t happy about it
The Henderson City Council is slated to consider plans to turn an office complex into a retail-and-dining hub — a project that seeks to transform a “tired” property but has faced opposition over its proposed signage.
Los Angeles real estate investor Bobby Khorshidi is looking to redevelop a two-building office property along St. Rose Parkway just south of the 215 Beltway into an open-air project called The Cliff at Green Valley Ranch.
Plans call for restaurants, shops, health and wellness venues and culinary kiosks, along with a central bar and communal gathering area, according to a news release. Pending city approvals, construction is slated to start in October, the release stated.
The existing office complex was built more than 20 years ago and features two single-story buildings that span around 100,000 square feet combined.
Khorshidi, founder of Partners Capital, purchased the 10-acre site on Paseo Verde Parkway in 2023 for more than $17 million, property records show.
He confirmed the project is a joint venture between his firm and Cast Capital Partners, a real estate firm with offices in San Diego and Las Vegas.
According to a letter of support from the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, the office complex penciled for redevelopment “sits largely vacant” and “has never been updated.”
‘Anti-mall’
Attorney Elias George, representing the developers, recently told the Henderson Planning Commission that the project will feature a “curated selection of 25 bespoke retail and dining” options, most of which are either new to the valley or homegrown concepts.
Overall, he said the $50 million redevelopment project seeks to convert “two tired and old commercial complexes” into what he called an “anti-mall” concept.
“You’re not just voting for another retail center; you’re really voting on a model for the future of suburban retail in Southern Nevada,” he told the commission on May 15.
The commission gave the green light to project plans for The Cliff, including some components of the proposed signage.
But the panel excluded from its vote the plans to increase maximize signage area to allow for two 548-square-foot electronic messaging boards and a 317-square-foot wall sign, as described in the meeting agenda.
The developer has made efforts to reduce the height and size of the electronic wall signs, but this aspect of the proposal remains “out of scale with the development and surrounding neighborhood,” according to a city staff report.
George told the commission that the tenants would not be traditional big-box retailers backed by big marketing plans and that the signage would provide the “necessary visibility in order for them to survive.”
The City Council is scheduled on June 3 to consider plans for The Cliff, including the components the planning commission declined to vote on, the meeting agenda shows.
Neighbors’ concerns
Several residents in a neighborhood across St. Rose Parkway from the office complex wrote emails to the city opposing the project, records show.
They stated that the proposed “illuminated billboard-style sign” was “completely out of scale with the surrounding area,” and that if approved, it could set a “dangerous precedent for other developments in our area and lead to more intrusive and commercialized signage in the future.”
They also cited concerns about the potential impact on traffic and noise, especially from the proposed outdoor bar.
Kimberly Swartzlander, president of Commercial Drywall &Paint, wrote in an email to the city that she and many of her neighbors “remain very concerned about these oversized, brightly lit electronic signs” and “feel strongly that this proposal is incompatible with the values and aesthetics of our community.”
Emily Osterberg, director of government affairs at the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, wrote in a letter to the City Council that her group recognized there was concern about the proposed signage.
“However, we feel the signage will only improve the project by increasing exposure and drawing in first class retail and commercial users, in turn creating an economic benefit to the surrounding area,” she wrote.
Plus, the signage would bring “state-of-the-art technology to Henderson,” Osterberg wrote, adding this was a “critical component” in high-quality retail and restaurants.
“We believe this project is an economic development win,” she wrote.
Contact Eli Segall at esegall@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342.