Historic Westside hotel project fails to clear key hurdle

The Las Vegas Planning Commission late Tuesday voted against recommending a resort and housing project proposed for the Historic Westside during a lengthy meeting that brought out both supporters and opponents of the development.

Louis De Salvio was the only commissioner who voted in favor of the project as it was proposed.

The six-member board evaluates land-use entitlements, such as zoning, and forwards its recommendations to the City Council, which has the last say on whether a development proposal can move forward.

The proposed “Jackson Hotel and Harlem Nights Casino” and “Westside Residence” apartment building will next be discussed by the council on June 18.

Initially, the project was solely going to be known as “Harlem Nights,” a 60-story resort-casino, which faced pushback from community members who cited height and incompatibility with the historic neighborhood, and privacy concerns.

Plans have changed multiple times since the development, which would be built near Jackson Avenue and F Street, was first unveiled to the city in 2023.

Developer Shlomo Meiri has said that he envisioned the property as an “anchor” that would spur growth for the entire neighborhood.

Up for discussion at Tuesday night’s Las Vegas Planning Commission meeting were a significantly shrunken down resort and a 336-unit, multifamily housing tower.

While city staff has recommended denial of land-use entitlements for the two towers, project manager Breanna Lucier said earlier Tuesday that Meiri was optimistic that planning commissioners will vote positively on both items.

“We are hoping for approval with conditions tonight,” Lucier told the Las Vegas Review-Journal hours before the discussion.

Commissioners Stephen Munford and De Salvio told the developer and his team to “tighten up” their pitch prior to the City Council discussion.

When Munford indicated he was voting against recommending approval, Meiri tried to pull the proposal. After a heated discussion, the developer and his team agreed to move forward with the process.

The proposed towers would be no taller than 22 stories, Lucier said. Las Vegas would need to waive the current zoning height limit of seven stories, according to a staff report.

The proposed resort would house 207 rooms, 60 condominiums, a theater, restaurants, a spa, a nightclub and retail stores, according to a justification letter submitted to the city. It would include a 7,000-square-foot casino, and a parking garage would be built on an adjacent plot of land owned by Meiri.

In the report, city staff listed a plethora of conditions the developer would need to meet should the proposal move forward.

They include obtaining permission from the Federal Aviation Administration for “airspace determination” and submitting a report with the city’s Fire Department to comply with “high-rise provisions.”

The developer’s team has met with neighborhood residents. Lucier described an April meeting as fruitful.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.