Roadway is on the way at The District

In the 100-plus-degree heat, construction workers recently set up fences to block off the pedestrian walkway at The District at Green Valley Ranch.

The property is scheduled to undergo construction for the next several months to turn the center, once car-free, into a road open to vehicles.

Jeffrey Axtell, the vice president of acquisitions and development for Vestar Development, which owns The District, said the project is expected to be done by the end of October.

The Henderson City Council voted in February for the conversion to take place.

But now that construction has commenced, store tenants are trying to keep mindful of the benefits the project is supposed to have.

Chris Connors, owner of Rachel’s Kitchen at The District, initially opposed the project.

Now he is a proponent of the street.

“Six months out of the year, I wouldn’t trade (being in The District) for anything,” he said. “It’s the other six months.”

He said the project should attract more customers.

Connors said with the pedestrian walkway, people would walk in the middle of the street and not pay attention to the stores.

“You couldn’t see our signage through the trees,” he said.

He hopes with the roadway, along with other changes, people will be able to find the restaurant more easily.

Sue Hess, the store director for Brighton Collectables, is remaining positive throughout construction.

“I think good days are ahead,” she said.

After the construction is over, she foresees business doubling if not tripling because of the improvements.

Hess said she was surprised to see all the fencing go up at once.

“We thought it was supposed to be done in sections,” she said.

She added customers haven’t been pleased about the construction process.

“But we are willing to work with customers any way we can,” she said. “If we need to run (purchases) out to your car or deliver them, we will. If even that is too inconvenient, we can drop things off at your house. We are willing to make this work.”

Connors said he hopes Rachel’s Kitchen has been good to its returning patrons and that they keep coming back, even throughout construction.

“Summer is the perfect time to do this because it’s 197 degrees outside,” he said sarcastically. “Summer is slow here.”

Hess added she wished that Vestar would have displays or renderings available to people who are questioning what The District will look like.

“All people can see in their minds right now are speeding cars,” she said.

Connors added this isn’t going to transform the road into Green Valley Parkway. He does, however, have access to some of the renderings of what the area is supposed to look like.

When customers come into his restaurant to ask or comment about the project, he shows them a rendering of the completed project that includes outside patio areas for restaurants, wide sidewalks for walkers and plants and trees.

“I encourage customers to ask questions and stay updated,” Connors said.

He added that Vestar has kept him updated on the area’s development, which he is happy to relay to people.

There were other tenants who were more skeptical of the project but were reluctant to express concerns because they didn’t want it to impact future lease agreements.

In the meantime, Hess said stores need to continue to support one another while construction is going on.

“We need to purchase from each other,” she said. “Some stores might hurt more than others right now.”

While the shop owners and retailers have to deal with impact on sales, residents who live in the condos above the stores also have to adjust.

Sam Lieberman lived at The District for two years. His lease expired at the end of June and he didn’t renew, but it was for personal reasons and not because of the construction.

Lieberman is skeptical that the project will have the benefits Vestar projects.

“I don’t think putting the road in will increase traffic,” he said. “One of the problems is that Town Square is close by, and they have more vibrant and popular stores.”

Axtell said at previous meetings the new project will help Vestar attract new business.

Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 702-387-5201.