By Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler
President, Commercial Center Business Association • Founder, Commercial Center Historic Society
Read Below of Watch the Video on Youtube.
Lede
On July 16, 2025, the Clark County Redevelopment Agency (CCRD) took up New Orleans Square (900 Liberace Ave) again. The headline most people expected—“$15.56M rehab approved”—did not happen. After a tense but constructive discussion, the Board pulled the item to return with options: engage a master developer, bring Insomniac/EDC to the table, consider phased work, and analyze paths that avoid four years of shuttering the building and displacing what’s left of the tenant community. The discussion involved Chair (District E) Tick Segerblom, Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick, and Commissioner Justin Jones, among others.
What Staff Proposed
Real Property Management’s deputy director John Advent gave a quick, code-focused brief:
- Interior: “general cleanup,” demo old suspended ceilings, patch/paint; no tenant build-outs (a “vanilla shell”).
- Compliance: ADA updates to single-use restrooms; building brought up to current fire code with sprinklers + alarm; general code upgrades discovered in design.
- Exterior/Systems: elevator modernization, exterior patch/paint for waterproofing, roof replacement, adding a fire hydrant.
- Not included: “no façade modifications or beautification improvements.”
- Budget & time: “~$15M all-in,” with a 36–48 month start-to-finish timeline.
- Displacement: “we would fully take the building to complete the work,” i.e., everyone out.
- TIs: County not paying tenant improvements; returning tenants pay their own build-outs.
Property management on site is handled by Gatski Commercial.
What Commissioners Questioned (and Why the Item Was Pulled)
- Beautification gap. Commissioner Kirkpatrick pressed: the $15M plan had no façade/beautification—only maintenance and code.
- Full displacement. Commissioners asked where current tenants go. Staff noted most tenants are month-to-month; only two to three leases run to 2028; County may help temporary relocation, but TIs are on tenants.
- Cost/Scope risk. Commissioner Kirkpatrick flagged retrofit risks (sprinklers in old structures, hidden conditions). John Advent acknowledged unknowns surface once walls/roofs open.
- Do one building first. Strong push to phase—start with one small/freestanding building to learn, avoid burning through RDA funds.
- Government as landlord. Commissioner Jones questioned the County’s role as a long-term landlord, suggesting divestment or a master-developer/manager.
- Master developer & EDC. Chair Segerblom referenced ongoing talks with Insomniac/EDC and the adjacent Event Center vision; commissioners asked to bring EDC in formally and consider master-developer models aligned to event timelines.
- Alternative paths. Staff noted demolition of the building was roughly $3M (rebuild not priced). Commissioners requested modeling of lease/ground-lease ($1/year) incentives, phasing, and private-partner options.
Outcome: “It’s clear we don’t have four votes. We’re pulling the item.” Staff will return after meetings with EDC/Insomniac, Gensler (the vision-plan architect), and internal teams, with lease / master-developer and phasing scenarios.
What Tenants Said on the Record
During public comment:
- Monica Gesser, Brazen Architecture (tenant, 900 Liberace Ave, Suite C111), asked to collaborate on redevelopment and participate in design.
- Tracy Simon, Get a Haircut (tenant, 900 Liberace Ave, B101), supported improvements and asked for temporary relocation within Commercial Center and a right to return; she noted they’ll handle their own TIs (sinks, chairs) if allowed back.
What This Means Right Now
- No approval yet. The $15.56M code-only rehab is paused pending options.
- Displacement is not imminent—and phasing (one building at a time) is squarely on the table.
- EDC/Insomniac will be brought in formally to align with Event Center timing and parking-lot logistics.
- Pathways on the table: master-developer model, $1 lease/incentive structures, phased work, demo+rebuild scenarios, and clearer tenant transition plans.
Facts & Figures You Can Share
- Fund balance context: approx. $26.4M on hand; FY26 projected new-area revenue ~$579K added to May’s approved $20.2M RDA budget (base year—small TIF).
- Occupancy snapshot: staff estimated ~10% occupancy today at New Orleans Square (far below historic norms).
- Scope gap: proposal had no façade/beautification—purely code + maintenance.
- Timeline: staff estimated 36–48 months; commissioners want a faster, phased sequence.
Our Position: Equitable Redevelopment, Not Displacement
We welcome investment and arts activation (including UNLV College of Fine Arts programming presented by Associate Dean Warren Cobb with liaison Tom Michel). We simply insist on equity:
- Right of Return for existing tenants who’ve served the community.
- Relocation help if County timing requires temporary vacancy.
- Phased construction to reduce downtime and preserve the district’s heartbeat.
- Reasonable TI solutions (credits, shared-costs, or shell specs) so small businesses aren’t priced out.
- Tenant collaboration in design and activation—our lived expertise improves the plan.
Call to Community & Partners
- Neighbors & customers: keep showing up—dine, shop, wellness services, grooming. Your support sustains legacy businesses while plans evolve.
- Developers & investors: partner with us. Let’s build a national model for creative redevelopment that honors history, culture, and small business.
- County & UNLV arts: thank you for the momentum. Let’s lock a plan that’s phased, beautiful, and workable—not four years dark.
Hashtags
Title: Commercial Center July 2025 CCRD Update — Item Pulled, EDC Talks, Phased Plan Urged | Call for Equity
Hashtags: #CommercialCenterLasVegas #NewOrleansSquare #ClarkCountyRedevelopment #TickSegerblom #MarilynKirkpatrick #JustinJones #Insomniac #EDC #UNLVArts #EquitableDevelopment #SupportLocalVegas #LasVegasHistory #ArtsAndCultureLV #SmallBusinessRights