As proposed, the mixed-use property planned for 1215 Las Vegas Boulevard South—currently home to the Thunderbird Boutique Hotel (previously known as the Aruba)—is 15 stories tall on its street-facing side, decreasing by steps to five stories at the other end. In renderings, it looks like a giant wedge—an oddly apt metaphor to residents of the John S. Park Historic District who say the project is being driven into their neighborhood against their wishes. A recent City Council vote has cleared the way for the project, on a section of the Boulevard where two or three stories is the norm.
“Something that tall next to a bunch of single-family ranch homes, in my personal opinion, is not good planning,” says resident John Delikanakis. And while there’s no guarantee that the proposed Thunderbird Lofts—a joint project of investment firm Capital Foresight and property owner Ilan Gorodezki—will ever be built, Delikanakis is not thrilled it has even gotten this far.
Ward 3 councilman Bob Coffin, one of five council members who voted in favor of the project (Ricki Barlow and Lois Tarkanian dissented), says there’s “nothing you could argue in a court of law” that prevents a building of that height from being approved.” He adds that he’s a Park neighborhood resident himself (and he’ll end up living less than 200 feet from the proposed building). But his main point is tough to dispute: Downtown is growing, and its new residents have to live somewhere.
“When you find something that works as a compromise, you have to seize it,” Coffin says. “Land values rise, you’ve got a right to build and it’s inevitable that someone’s going to come in with enough money to build something really nice.” Plus, this option is more attractive than others that have been proposed for that stretch of the boulevard, Coffin adds, invoking the Titanic-themed casino Bob Stupak once proposed for the same property.
Delikanakis agrees with Coffin on that much, but says there are better places to put needed housing. “Every time a harebrained idea that’s absolutely incompatible with our neighborhood comes up, we have to fight it off with a stick,” he says. “I’m absolutely mystified why everyone is so gung-ho for this project.”