Major retail center takes shape in Summerlin Centre

Construction of a 1.6 million-square-foot regional retail center in Summerlin Centre is slated to continue throughout the year, along with work on several commercial/office projects and the addition of major amenities throughout the master-planned community.

According to Kevin Orrock, top division executive of The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin, the community on the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley will continue to thrive and grow this year.

"Thanks to a well-conceived master plan, an established brand as the premier community in Southern Nevada and the resources necessary to sustain ongoing development, Summerlin is on track to welcome several new projects this year," Orrock said. "Our focus is on the continued development of major community amenities that further enhance Summerlin's hallmark quality of life. The regional retail center is the most highly anticipated new development among Summerlin residents and tops the list of major projects that will mark 2008 as a year of significant progress."

Located just south of Red Rock Casino Resort Spa, between Pavilion Center Drive and Interstate 215, the Las Vegas Beltway, the 107-acre, 1.6 million-square-foot regional retail center is already taking shape with construction expected to go vertical by late spring 2008.

General Growth Properties, parent company of The Howard Hughes Corp., is heading up development of the shopping center and anticipates a late fall 2009 completion of Phase One. The center will also serve as a major anchor of the entire Summerlin Centre area -- the community's urban hub.

Anchored by Nordstrom and three other department stores, the retail center will be home to Nevada's first Crate & Barrel home furnishings store in addition to dozens of yet-to-be-announced stores, boutiques and restaurants. The outdoor, pedestrian-oriented center is sure to become a gathering spot, Orrock said.

"The regional retail center is poised to become a major entertainment destination for Summerlin residents and those who live on the valley's west side. It will offer the same quality and breadth of retail and restaurant opportunities as major shopping centers on the Las Vegas Strip -- yet it's right here in Summerlin," he said.

Known for its parks, trails and recreational facilities, Summerlin will continue to add new amenities in the months ahead, according to Orrock. Construction is scheduled to be completed this year on The Mesa Park, a 19-acre park located on Town Center Drive and Mesa Park Drive.

This year will also be marked by the planning of a new church in a community that already offers more than a dozen houses of worship representing 10 faiths. The Holy Spirit Catholic Church, which is planning to open a worship center in The Mesa Village, is currently holding Mass at Bishop Gorman High School.

Long known as a residential address, Summerlin is also gaining in popularity as a place to do business with new office developments in The Trails and The Ridges villages. Several new tenants will also be moving soon into the recently completed City National Bank building in Summerlin Centre.

In terms of residential development, growth is planned to continue primarily in the community's southern and western villages -- The Mesa, The Ridges, The Paseos, The Vistas and Summerlin Centre. Pageantry Homes is scheduled to begin sales on its first Summerlin neighborhood, Prada Del Sol, a multi-family neighborhood planned for The Mesa Village. In addition, Montechiaro by Westmark Homes will begin sales this year. Located on 50 acres at the corner of Flamingo Road and Town Center Drive, the mid-rise neighborhood offers three condo and townhome housing options.

Other major developments taking shape in 2008 include the groundbreaking of Lifetime Athletic, a complete health and fitness center planned to open in Summe planned to open in Summerlin Centre off Charleston Boulevard; the completion of the 17,000-square-foot Tutor Time Child Care/Learning Center, also located in Summerlin Centre; the completion of Vista Commons, an Albertsons-anchored shopping center located on Desert Foothills Drive; ongoing construction of Nevada Cancer Institute's 101,000-square-foot Research Facility and an expansion of Summerlin Hospital Medical Center that is adding a larger emergency room, a new six-story tower and a four-story, 170-room medical office building. Construction will also continue on Element, Summerlin's first nongaming hotel.

Developed by The Howard Hughes Corp., an affiliate of General Growth Properties Inc., Summerlin began to take shape in 1990.

Homes are priced from the mid-$200,000s to more than $2 million. Apartments are available to rent from the $900s.

For more information , visit summerlin.com or call 888-898-5015.