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Over the years, there has been no shortage of big development plans in southwest Henderson, at the southern tip of the valley.

Texas developer Chris Milam set out to build an arena and three stadiums south of the M Resort. But the city of Henderson sued him, claiming he wanted cheap public land to flip to other developers, and barred him from doing future projects in Henderson as part of a 2013 settlement.

Years earlier, developer Bill Plise drew up plans for City Crossing, a 126-acre mixed-use project near Henderson Executive Airport. But it wasn’t built, and both the project and Plise went bankrupt.

Now another big project is on the drawing board: 103 acres of retail, offices and housing.

The Henderson City Council this month approved a zoning change for the project site, at St. Rose Parkway and Bermuda Road, allowing 2,920 residential units, 670,000 square feet of office and retail space and a 250-room hotel, according to the developer, Alan Sauvage.

His project, Henderson West, would take at least 10 years to build and cost $950 million, said Sauvage, who owns the land and envisions luxury high-rises, a movie theater, a brewery and more.

The San Diego resident, whose other ventures include banking and alcohol distribution, met with the Las Vegas Review-Journal to discuss the project. Edited excerpts:

Q: Would you develop this all yourself or sell chunks of land to other developers who would then build office, retail, residential?

We have entertained talks with some developers. We are getting ready to have in-depth conversations with national, global-type master developers who have done projects of this scale.

Q: So is that the plan, to sell the land piece-by-piece?

We are not sure yet. What has happened recently is that we’ve had a lot of big players — national players — who are interested in certain pieces of this project to develop themselves. We’d like to keep control of it — I want to keep at least 50 percent control of it for the long term. Right now it’s just deciding which master developer we want to team with.

Q: There have been other big projects planned for this area that didn’t go anywhere. What would you tell someone who said, “We’ve seen this type of plan before and nothing has happened.” Why is this going to be different?

A: Thank God we never lent money on those deals, and we had a chance to. This is different because we own the land free and clear. We are not a developer looking for a quick buck. Our goal, in all of our businesses, is to build long-term, stable cash flow. And we’re going to focus on businesses that we’re passionate about. What makes this work is that we’re patient, and we have the luxury of being patient because we don’t have any debt.

Q: How would you finance this all?

A: We would fund a big chunk of it, possibly by ourselves, but that’s where our negotiations are going right now.

Q: When you go on St. Rose Parkway from Eastern Avenue to Las Vegas Boulevard, stretches of it are developed, but at a certain point it turns to desert, especially on the south side of St. Rose. Why do you think that stretch has remain undeveloped?

A: These chunks didn’t get developed because they were owned by big landowners who weren’t developers; they were just flippers. They were looking to carve pieces up and sell. You see what’s happened to the town — you think, “Gosh, we grew so fast, it was great.” But you look back and it’s kind of a disaster in some spots because there was so much stuff that got built quick and cheap. We’ve got to get away from the quick flip, we’ve got to start thinking long-term, sustainable.

Q: How realistic is to see high-rise development here? There are some plans on the drawing board in Las Vegas, but no one is building residential towers in the valley right now.

A: I think we could fill up a tower today. People are looking to change the way they live. I have a yard and a couple of little kids, and it’s fun and all, but if I could be in a tower with great views or a loft with courtyards, I could walk to Whole Foods or the theater or to sushi — that’s where I’m going as I get older. We see millennials, the younger generation going there, and you’ll see retirees going in that direction.

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To view on the Las Vegas Review-Journal website, please click here.

An ambitious mixed-use development is aspiring to be Henderson’s new western gateway.

Sauvage Real Estate’s proposed 103-acre plan calls for retail, residential and hotel space off St. Rose Parkway near the Henderson Executive Airport.

Zoning would allow up to 2,920 residential units, ranging from single-family to urban mixed-use buildings, and up to 670,000 square feet of office and retail space and 250–room mid-to-high level boutique hotel.

“We have been holding onto this site for several years,” Alan Sauvage said. “We think it’s the best development parcel of this size left in the valley, and the best opportunity to create new lifestyle options for a changing Henderson and all of Las Vegas.”

The plan features “The Block,” an urban core with retail shops topped by residential space. The area would include a movie theater, town plaza, a supermarket and a civic building with social and city services.

The plan also details an urban grid with sidewalks, walking trails, green places, public plazas and a bicycle network tying into Inspirada, Seven Hills and eventually Southern Highlands.

“Main Street and central plaza links to St. Rose, and that’s important because it has a pedestrian bikeway,” said Bill Fain, an urban design partner at Los Angeles-based planning firm Johnson Fain. “The bikeway is actually a structure that goes over St. Rose and connects to a bike park. It builds on Henderson’s plan for bikeways. Henderson really embraced bikes, and it really is the future.”

Sauvage’s vision calls for a lifestyle retail store to be in the bike park facing St Rose Parkway.

“We’ll be in the development-agreement phase of at least a year,” Sauvage said. “Our vision is to build a sustainable project, by bringing on a world-class team.”

Phase 1 includes 159,000 square feet of retail and up to 650 residential units; Phase 2 calls for 284,000 square feet of retail, 70,000 square feet of office, 1,000 residential units and a 250-room hotel; and Phase 3 includes 37,000 square feet of retail, 120,000 square feet of office and up to 1,270 residential units.

The Henderson City Council unanimously voted in favor of mixed-used zoning for the proposed Henderson West project earlier this month. The city’s Henderson Strong plan focuses on economic development, livable neighborhoods through integrated mobility solutions, numerous recreational amenities and diverse housing opportunities.

“We are building the urban center for west Henderson as envisioned in the Henderson Strong framework plan,” Fain said. “We’ve designed an economically and environmentally sustainable plan and forward-looking framework that also has flexibility to evolve with the market.”

Residential options vary from townhomes and courtyard housing to very high-end high-rise units.

“The condos will have some of the best views in the valley,” Sauvage said. “It’s an opportunity to take advantage of those views. Also, going vertical allows us to have a lot more open space.”

The development is just west of the proposed Las Vegas Raiders practice facility. The city is working with the team to develop a 55-acre plot the city owns across from Henderson Executive Airport.

Sauvage said he has no insight on whether that will come to fruition. He noted the luxury high-rise residential units to be built with his project could be an attractive place for players to live.

“That area is the best they could choose, especially with the (proximity of) Henderson Executive Airport,” he said. “(The high-rise condo options) play in perfectly.”

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To view on the VEGAS INC website, please click here.

Empty space at St. Rose Parkway could get urbanized by developers with new retail space known as “The Block.”

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To view on the FOX5 Vegas website, please click here.

HENDERSON, Nev. — On Tuesday night, the Henderson City Council unanimously voted in favor of the proposed Regional Mixed-Use zone change for the 103-acre Henderson West proposed development plan. Henderson West, located along both sides of St. Rose Parkway in the West Henderson Planning Area, is envisioned as a new live-work-play community and western gateway to the City.

“We have been holding onto this site for a number of years,” said Alan Sauvage of Las Vegas-based Sauvage Real Estate, LLC. “We think it’s the best development parcel of this size left in the Valley, and the best opportunity to create new lifestyle options for a changing Henderson and all of Las Vegas.”

The proposed plan contemplates an urban grid with sidewalks, walking trails, green places, public plazas and a bicycle network. The zoning would allow up to 2,920 residential units, ranging from single-family to urban mixed-use buildings, and up to 670,000 square feet of office and retail space and 250 hotel rooms.

“We are in this for the long haul,” said Sauvage. “And we are going to attract world-class development partners to help create a place that is truly cutting edge.”

“We are building the urban center for west Henderson as envisioned in the Henderson Strong framework plan,” said William Fain, urban design partner at renowned Los Angeles-based planning firm Johnson Fain. “We’ve designed an economically and environmentally sustainable plan and forward-looking framework that also has the flexibility to evolve with the market.”

“The work is just beginning,” said Sauvage. “This project honors our legacy in the Las Vegas Valley.”