Water Street, Henderson’s historic “main street USA,” was put on the map during World War II with the building of industrial plants that manufactured magnesium and other chemicals used in the war effort. Once a thriving civic hub, time and urban sprawl left Water Street in need of revitalization. Years of concerted redevelopment efforts, meticulous planning, and invaluable public/private partnerships have transformed the Water Street District into a vibrant, walkable, and friendly historic heart of Henderson. Significant new development in the area, including more than a dozen new restaurants and bars, multifamily housing projects, a hotel currently under construction, and America First Center, a two-sheet ice rink, have all contributed to the burgeoning success of the area. America First Center is a regional draw for the valley’s growing interest in sports and home of the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights—the farm team to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Henderson City Hall Campus has recently been renovated to include a magnificent Water Street Plaza that has become a community gathering spot for sports-viewing parties, festivals, and family-friendly celebrations. One of Water Street’s visionaries is famed Southern Nevada architect Windom Kimsey, who staked his claim by literally building his personal home on Water Street, connected to his busy architecture firm, restaurant, and coffee shop. For more details on this popular valley destination, visit waterstreetdistrict.com.

Las Vegas is known globally for “the Strip.” The economy thrives from the tens of millions of visitors the city hosts each year. A long-forgotten area of the city has been the Arts District and the associated downtown core. While some public buildings have dotted the civic core, much of the immediate downtown land has been surprisingly underdeveloped. In this tour, you will see the tactical measures the city of Las Vegas has made to encourage new development and renovations of existing building stock. The neighborhood was poised to see acceleration prior to the Great Recession. Then development stalled abruptly. Las Vegas is a resilient city that now sees widespread development (both large and small) that will create a momentum that sustains future economic cycles. The hope is that the downtown area can be seen as the heart of local Las Vegas—an area that draws from vibrant history with a keen eye on the future and risk taking. This tour will review the overall context of the Arts District including galleries, breweries, The English Hotel, street art programs, and multifamily residential projects. The tour will cover the variety of influences shaping this expanding neighborhood.