Las Vegas: City hearing on Westside casino-resort project facing delays as developer requests 60 more days

The formal consideration of entitlements for the Westside casino-resort project in Las Vegas may face additional delays as the developer has requested about 60 more days before the City Planning Commission proceeds with the public hearing. 

Originally known as Harlem Nights, the proposed 34-story Westside project, located at the northwest corner of Jackson Avenue and F Street, is encountering hurdles from city planning staff recommendations. 

City planning staff recommended denying the project for several reasons, including asserting that a high-rise casino project is not in line with the character of the Jackson Avenue area, where the tallest building is currently seven stories. Additionally, the developer's request to include a massage parlor in the hotel is considered inappropriate due to the project's proximity to a church.

In its redevelopment plans for the Historic Westside, the city of Las Vegas is calling for the area to be focused on residential and smaller-scale projects, reports Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Staff finds that the proposed development is out of scale with this big move," city staff wrote in the application packet for the Westside project.

The developer of the project, Shlomo Meiri, still intends to move forward, project consultant Lisa Mayo-DeRiso told Review-Journal, and the delay was sought to see if any changes could be made to gain more support from the city and the surrounding community.

This is not the first time the project has faced delays before the Planning Commission. Initially proposed as a 60-story structure, it was downsized to 34 stories to comply with a Federal Aviation Administration study that indicated a taller building would disrupt aviation operations.

The project has evoked mixed reactions from the Historic Westside community since its announcement. While Meiri envisions the project as an "anchor" for the Historic Westside, potentially spurring economic growth in the area, community members argue that it is out of character and could adversely impact the everyday lives of residents.

The developers are requesting the Westside project to be reconsidered at a January Planning Commission meeting. In an additional setback, an October 15 fire tore through the vacant building on the project site. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Las Vegas Fire Department.