Just a few years ago, the shimmering parcel
of downtown Las Vegas known today as the Fremont East Entertainment
District was a rundown swath of shady liquor stores and seedy
flophouses. Today, thanks to $5.5 million in investment from the
city and an ambitious revitalization plan, the three-block stretch
of Fremont Street between Las Vegas Boulevard and Eighth Street is
a bustling hub of swanky nightclubs, neon signs and hip
restaurants.
"People were afraid
to cross Las Vegas Boulevard," said Rich Atkins, senior economic
development officer for the city of Las Vegas. "This portion of
Fremont Street had deteriorated over the years."
In 2002, Las Vegas
established the Fremont East Entertainment District and set about
revitalizing the rundown neighborhood. The first step consisted of
offering incentives to bring nightclubs, cocktail lounges and
restaurants to the district.
Inducements
included city-funded rebates of up to $95,000 per business to
provide for exterior improvements such as facade renovation,
landscaping, parking facilities and neon signage. The city also
slashed $40,000 from the price of a liquor license, reducing it to
$20,000, and threw out a law requiring at least 1,500 feet between
businesses serving alcohol.
Savvy bar and
restaurant owners across the U.S. soon took notice. Could the
Fremont East Entertainment District be their long-awaited entry to
Vegas? New York watering holes Beauty Bar and Hogs & Heifers
took the bait, as did southern California's Hennessey's Tavern and
Canyon Club.
But the city had a
few ground rules: There was to be no gaming; bars and lounges had
to provide some sort of entertainment at least four nights a week;
and none of the businesses could be the type of velvet-roped,
$20-cover-charge places that were popping up in the larger casinos
on the Strip.
Las Vegas officials
wanted to create an accessible, fun, entertainment district for
everyone, according to Atkins. "We're not trying to compete with
the Strip," he said. "When you get into a video poker bar, people
don't interact, they don't socialize."
Atkins added that
Fremont East is about laidback fun. "There are no demands to come
all dressed up and decked out."
With the businesses
on board, last January the city began sprucing up the district,
installing 40-foot retro neon signs, new streetlights, a neon
Fremont East archway and extending sidewalks to 24 feet, to make
the area more pedestrian-friendly.
The project was
completed ahead of schedule, and on Aug. 24 the revitalized Fremont
East Entertainment District was born. Nearly 15 flashy nightclubs,
lounges, and restaurants now call the district home, and a
30,000-square-foot entertainment venue/comedy club is on the way.
The city is also now reaching out to coffeehouses, bookstores and
record stores.
To
contact reporter Dean Blaine, send e-mail to [email protected].