Las Vegas Sun NewsOnline petition opposes road at the District shopping center
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Snow falls at The District at Green Valley Ranch on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008.
Friday
8 February 2013
11:37 a.m.
An online petition is garnering signatures from people who oppose plans to replace the District at Green Valley Ranch’s pedestrian thoroughfare with a two-way street.
The petition, on change.org, has 52 supporters so far and was launched by a user identified as Henderson resident Cheryl Nestico. It says District owner Vestar Development is “putting profits over the safety of their patrons and our residents” and that families and children “enjoy being able to meander back and forth across the walkways to shop and dine.”
The petition also says the District’s current layout “makes it more difficult for criminals to commit theft and burglary on shops. Providing vehicle access would allow them a faster means of escape, thus further endangering the shoppers, visitors and vehicles.”
Another concern, the petition says, is that the District’s “feel” and “beautiful park-like setting” — key attractions of the Henderson development — would be tarnished by cars driving through and creating noise and fumes.
“If you take that charm away, people will leave and shop somewhere else,” the petition says. “It will be just another mundane mall, and a small one at that!”
With the $5 million makeover, Phoenix-based Vestar says it hopes to boost business at the center. Company officials have been planning the changes since buying the District more than a year ago and aim to finish construction by October, Jeff Axtell, vice president of acquisitions and development, has said.
The Henderson Planning Commission approved Vestar’s plans for the roadway with 46 angled parking spots on Jan. 17, followed by the City Council on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Vestar did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment about the petition.
The District, which has retail, office and residential space, was built in two phases on both sides of Green Valley Parkway just south of the 215 Beltway. The 16-acre east side, which has a Whole Foods Market and other tenants, already offers vehicular access throughout the plaza. The new roadway would be built in the 21.5-acre western portion, though the idea of seeing cars drive through isn’t new.
When that phase opened in 2004, a road bisected it in the same place where the new street is slated to be built. In 2005, then-owner American Nevada Co. replaced the road with a pedestrian mall.
Vestar, through a joint venture with investment firm Rockwood Capital, bought the District in October 2011 for $79 million cash from lenders who had foreclosed on the project earlier that year. The Greenspun family, owner of VEGAS INC and the Las Vegas Sun, developed the District through American Nevada.
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Bad idea. Keep the mall. It's nice to walk around there.
It looks like they are going for that typical Las Vegas Strip Center Look so there will be no compelling reason to go there. They need to look at their mix of Merchants and Dining Options and Grow the Existing Center, instead of cutting down trees so a few people can park. They may also want to venture to Tivoli Village to see a far superior project in Summerlin if they want to build a street. I find Henderson has lost the zoning battle and now looks like Las Vegas and its miles of ugly Strip Centers. On the Whole there are few to no interesting shopping options where a Local Resident would want to spend much time. We have major Shopping Centers built by the top Real Estate Corporations on the Strip, Yet when we get to the "Locals" malls they are Uninspired, Boring and places you want to leave as quickly as possible. These major Corporations have the Ability to know what to do, however they will never do it here with our poor political leadership willing to go along with Any contractor, at the expense of the Locals quality of life.
You want to boost business at The District? Get better stores. Give me a reason to go there and shop. The restaurants are good but the only store I really visit is REI and the rest are just as expensive. Town Square has some great retail like Jcrew, Lucky Brand, Lucy, etc. If a street goes in through The District, I think it will be the "nail in the coffin" and it will be "see ya later" for me for the little shopping I do there anyway. I don't want to watch my back and look left and right for cars while I shop. I deal with enough traffic everyday.
Friday, February 15, 4-6pm - We are organizing a Photo Safari at The District at Green Valley Ranch from 4-6pm ending with coffee or cocktails at a location to be decided by participants. Let's take pictures of the District as it currently is.
Details
http://planeta.wikispaces.com/lasvegas
https://www.facebook.com/events/40704995...