Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in Nevada, United States. The city was founded in the first decade of the 20th century, and is a major vacation, shopping, and gambling destination. In the 2000 census, the city reported a population of 478,434 http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US32&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-format=ST-7. The Census Bureau's official population estimate as of 2004 was 534,837. Las Vegas has been the county seat of Clark County since its formation in 1909 http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/history/default.htm. Recent figures place the population for the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which includes all of Clark County, at around 1,950,000 people (2005 estimate http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1119224192&men=gpro&lng=en&gln=xx&dat=32&srt=npan&col=aohdq&geo=-1049604), the fastest growing in the United States.

City redevelopment

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When The Mirage, the first Megaresort, opened in 1989, it started a movement of people and construction away from downtown Las Vegas to the Las Vegas Strip. This resulted in a drop in tourism from which the downtown area is still trying to recover.

Related Topics:
The Mirage - 1989

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A concerted effort has been made by city fathers to diversify the Las Vegas economy from tourism by attracting light manufacturing, banking, and other commercial interests. The lack of any state, individual or corporate income tax, and very simple incorporation requirements, have fostered the success of this effort.

Related Topics:
City father - Economy - Tourism - Manufacturing - Banking - Income tax - Incorporation

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Having been late to develop an urban core of any substantial size, Las Vegas has retained very affordable real estate prices in comparison to nearby urban centers. Consequently, the city has recently enjoyed an enormous boom both in population and in tourism. As of 2001, the greater Las Vegas metropolitan area is the fastest growing population center in the United States. Las Vegas's incorporated population of 478,434 is an understatement of the city's recent population boom, as much of the greater Las Vegas metropolitan area is unincorporated. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is home to 1,583,172 residents according to the county's 2003 estimate.

Related Topics:
As of 2001 - Las Vegas metropolitan area

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As a reflection of the city's rapid growing population, the new Chinatown of Las Vegas was constructed in the early 1990s on Spring Mountain Road. Chinatown initially consisted of only one large shopping center complex, but the area was recently expanded for new shopping centers that contain various Asian businesses.

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With the Strip expansion in the 1990s, downtown Las Vegas began to suffer. The Fremont Street Experience (FSE) was built in an effort to draw tourists downtown. While greatly slowing the decline, it did not stop the decline in tourism and revenue. The multi-level Neonopolis, complete with food court and theaters, was built offer more retail and services downtown. While there have been changes in ownership and management, Neonopolis has not been able to lease all the space available. As of March 2005, the property is for sale.

Related Topics:
1990s - Fremont Street Experience - Neonopolis - March 2005

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The city purchased 61 ac (247,000 m²) of property from Union Pacific Railroad during the 1990s with the goal of creating something that would draw tourists and locals to the downtown area. After several proposals, virtually all of that piece of land has no firm development plans. The city council agreed on zoning changes on Fremont Street, allowing bars to be closer together duplicating what other cities have, like the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego. These changes have yet to make a noticeable impact.

Related Topics:
Ac - Union Pacific Railroad - Gaslamp Quarter - San Diego

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In the early 2000s, some promising signs emerged. Several high rise condominium projects were announced for Las Vegas. The city successfully lured the Internal Revenue Service to move operations from outside the city limits to a new building downtown that opened in April 2005. It is hoped that the condominium projects bring a younger crowd to the urban setting. The IRS is expected to create a demand for additional businesses in the area, epecially in the daytime hours.

Related Topics:
2000s - Internal Revenue Service - April 2005

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In 2005, on a lot adjacent to the city's 61 ac (247,000 m²), the World Market Center opened. It is intended to be the nation's and possibly the world's preeminent furniture wholesale showroom and marketplace, and is meant to compete with the current furniture market capital of High Point, North Carolina.

Related Topics:
2005 - World Market Center - Furniture - Wholesale - Showroom - High Point, North Carolina

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In 2004, the city partnered with Cheetah Wireless Technologies and MeshNetwork to pilot a wide area mobile broadband system. The pilot system is installed downtown, around the Fremont Street Experience.

Related Topics:
2004 - Cheetah Wireless Technologies - MeshNetwork

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