From Overlooked to Overbooked: how the Arts District in Las Vegas took shape!

Between downtown (Freemont Street) and the Las Vegas Strip lies the Arts District – an area that just seven years ago, was nothing more than industrial or mechanic shops.?

The Arts District was officially created in the late 1990s but has grown organically in the last seven years. Brave entrepreneurs chose to move one business at a time to the area, and the city invested in both infrastructure and connectivity.?

Today, it is an 18-block zone set aside to encourage art and artists. It hosts First Fridays and unique locally-owned shops and restaurants. The area includes a mixed-use development, a new housing project, and a modern, artsy, “untraditional” Vegas experience.?

When the first few non-industrial businesses started up shop – they took a risk. They didn’t even know what the district was going to be. And today it represents one of the most authentic parts of the city. It showcases Las Vegas local life, catering to audiences who are looking for a unique Las Vegas experience that isn’t a casino.?

Similar to the Freemont area, this project has evolved in phases – spurred by local businesses, residents, and the city who are all looking for ways to keep reinventing Las Vegas both for locals and visitors. People who want to ensure that Vegas remains a walkable, livable, culturally unique city.?

If you haven’t read my first two blog posts about Las Vegas, please scroll back and check them out! We have many lessons to learn from Las Vegas:

1. Be bold – Being cautious, careful, and conservative will NOT drive new business or visitors to Saskatoon and will not encourage new people to live here. We need champions who can speak to our vision unapologetically – despite criticisms from the vocal minority.?
2. This is not a task for municipal government alone. Businesses need to champion this cause loudly, widely, and financially. Businesses that will prosper with a redeveloped downtown can drive this project.?
3. Build it in phases – it does not all have to be done at once.?
4. Consider what will keep people coming and coming back – then build to that purpose.?
5. Don’t settle. The vision should be inclusive and forward-thinking. Strategically plan the timing, but don’t give up on the vision because we can’t afford to do it. Can we really afford NOT to? Timing and vision are two different things.