After a tough 2010, Lake Las Vegas begins to show a rebound

Nearly 12 months after emerging from bankruptcy, Lake Las Vegas is seeing new beginnings with recent openings.

"The future is now," said Maurice Talley, the commercial manager for Pacific Capital Management, which oversees The Village Lake Las Vegas retail and dining area. "What we are seeing now is all this positivity. The negativity is behind us. And that's not just me saying that because I'm optimistic. I'm saying that because that's what I am seeing."

Talley said the past year was difficult because of the closures of the Ritz-Carlton hotel and Casino MonteLago.

"It's all about perception," Talley said. "People saw everything else closed and thought we were closed, too."

Instead of closing up shop, The Village's landlord decided to work with tenants .

Even when foot traffic decreased, The Village continued to operate.

"I knew we would eventually see the other side," Talley said. "I just didn't know if I'd be around to see it firsthand."

But Talley, along with all the businesses, is seeing a revitalization of Lake Las Vegas.

"It is the polar opposite from where we were a year ago," Talley said.

Lake Las Vegas officially emerged from bankruptcy July 2010.

But Talley said a turnaround really started Feb. 11 this year when Ravella at Lake Las Vegas, 1610 Lake Las Vegas Parkway, opened in the former Ritz-Carlton hotel. Ravella is operated by Dolce Hotels and Resorts.

"It's nice to be welcomed into the community," said Marty Bertone, Ravella's director of sales and marketing . "I really think we are going to help put (Lake Las Vegas) back on the map. I think the opening is really helping the area."

When the Ritz-Carlton closed May 9, 2010, it created a false feeling that Lake Las Vegas was a ghost town.

"I think we are seeing everything turn around," Bertone said.

Even though the resort offers shuttle services to the Las Vegas Strip, Bertone hopes to encourage people to check out the surrounding businesses, shops and restaurants.

"We are a strip within a strip," Bertone said.

Ravella also brought 125 jobs, a portion of which were filled by employees from the former Ritz-Carlton.

Now that people are coming to the hotel, the effects have trickled down to The Village.

"People make comments to our businesses saying, 'We are glad to see you open again,' " Talley said. "That really burned our business owners because we never went anywhere. We never closed. But their business helps our business."

But the revitalization continues.

More than a year after the Casino MonteLago closed , it is slated to reopen at 9 p.m. May 26, just in time for Memorial Day weekend.

"We looked at this as a fantastic investment opportunity," said Jon Berkley, CEO of Intrepid Gaming LCC, which is operating the casino . "When the Ritz-Carlton pulled out and the casino closed, it left a huge gaping hole here. We are excited to know we helped out (in filling that hole)."

Berkley said the casino was gutted and had extensive work done.

"It was pretty much an empty shell," Berkley said. "All the improvements and upgrades we made are to turn the property into a truly high-end establishment. We are going to work hard to win the hearts and minds of locals in the Las Vegas Valley."

Contact Henderson and Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 387-5201.