‘Momentous occasion’: Las Vegas celebrates completion of new civic center, plaza

A pair of multi-story buildings that overlook a grassy plaza will nearly double Las Vegas City Hall’s footprint and will centralize the city’s operations.

City officials on Thursday celebrated the completion of the Las Vegas Civic Center and the Carolyn G. Goodman Plaza, a $190 million development that sprawls across an entire block at 525 S. Main St.

The roughly 250,000 square feet of additional office space features an art gallery, two upcoming restaurants and a municipal government meeting room.

The buildings will bring together city departments that rent space across the valley and house outside tenants that include the Vegas Chamber and the Nevada secretary of state, according to the city. The tree-lined plaza will host community events, such as concerts and festivals.

Locals seeking city services will now have a one-stop shop instead of having to drive across town, officials noted.

“The city of Las Vegas is moving forward with strengthening the heart of our downtown Las Vegas,” Mayor Shelley Berkley said. “We’ve taken every opportunity to redevelop and build an urban core that our community could be proud of.”

She added: “This is a proud moment for all of us.”

Berkley noted that she had not taken office when development plans were finalized.

Some of that workload was undertaken by then-Mayor Carolyn Goodman, who attended the ceremony with former Mayor Oscar Goodman, who preceded her at the helm of the City Council.

“The credit actually goes to the Goodmans for their extraordinary service to our city for the last 25 years,” Berkley said.

To complete the project’s funding, the council approved $70 million in municipal funds in January 2023.

At least $95 million originated from a capital improvements fund while $17.5 million came from a sale of a former city-0wned building at 333 N. Rancho Drive.

LGA Architecture designed the project, which was built by CORE Construction. The site previously was home to a bail bond building.

Councilwoman Olivia Diaz described Thursday’s event, attended by elected officials and dozens of city employees, as a “momentous occasion.”

“I just want to sincerely thank every single team from the city of Las Vegas that helped us get this going,” Diaz said. “We’ll continue to make sure we maintain it and it looks amazing always.”

City Manager Mike Janssen said the campus was “built with room to expand” to keep all city departments in one place as the city and its staff grows.

Not having to pay leases across the county will help Las Vegas recoup some of the development’s pricey cost over time, Berkley said.

“Over the long term, this was the thing to do,” she said. “And it’s not only the money component, it’s the ease of accessing the government.”

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