Proposal for a future look to downtown Las Vegas: 1984 and beyond, March 2, 1984

1 9 8 4 A N D B E Y O N D D E V E L O P M E N T PLA N CITY O F L A S V E G A S Mayor BILL BRiARE Councilman BOB NOLEN Councilman ALLEVY ASHLEY HALL City Manager DONJ.SAYLOR Deputy City Manager for Community Services RICHARD BLUE Executive Assistant to City Manager MIKE COOL Deputy City Manager for Supportive Services C!TYof LAS VEGAS February 28, 1984 Dear Friends: What began, in 1905, as an open f r o n t i e r , characterized mainly by harsh sparsity, has in 1984, emerged as a thriving community and tourist oasis. Over nearly eight decades, the City of Las Vegas has forged an era of progress for its citizens and tourists alike. This progress is predicated on a pioneer s p i r i t and commitment to amelioration. Continued progress is reliant upon cooperative e f f o r t s between the public and private sectors and local and Federal Government. [n the past, Las Vegas has successfully combined both partnerships to attain designated goals. Currently, we are endeavoring to combine our pioneer s p i r i t with the vision of the future to create a cooperative s p i r i t , tt is with that cooperative s p i r i t that the City of Las Vegas proposes to meet the challenges of the 1980s and beyond. Sincerely, /"p MAYOR and CITY COUNCIL February 28, 1984 Dear Partners in Progress: The City of Las Vegas is systematically pursuing a variety of avenues in an e f f o r t to maximize i t s approach to economic growth. We have, over the years, looked forward to the support and cooperation of the public and private sectors in the development and implementation of our economic r e v i t a l i z a t i on strategies. When visions present themselves, ideas c r y s t a l l i z e and the opportunities they create must be seized. The City of Las Vegas stands at the threshold of a major opportunity. We have structured a comprehensive master plan for phased development: Phase I, a multi-modal action plan for downtown transportation center/system; Phase 11, an urban design action plan for c i v i c plaza development which would include the acquisition and renova-tion of the old post o f f i c e building, an historical landmark; and Phase H I , a comprehensive action plan for redevelopment of the central business d i s t r i c t . He have the desire and commitment to make our visions a r e a l i t y . To do so will require the continued support and coordination of every available resource, both public and private. It is our responsibility and duty to pursue this e f f o r t with enduring vigor. Sincerely, ASHLEY*-flALL CITY MANAGER Introduction 2 Downtown Master Devetopment Plan 3 DevetopmentArea 4 Phase 1 Downtown Transportation Center/Systems 5 Phase 1 Multi-Modal Action Plan Area 6 Existing Transit System 7 Existing Downtown Transfer Point 8 Theme Shuttle Vehicte System 9 Conceptua) Route Plan For Theme Shuttles 10 Downtown Transportation Center 11 Conceptua) Site Plan For The Downtown Transportation Center 12 Conceptua) Building Use Plan For First Floor 13, 14 Conceptua) Building Use For Second Ftoor 15, 16 Proposed People-Mover 17 Conceptual Route Ptan For People-Mover 18 Existing Fire Station #1/ Proposed Downtown Transportation Center 19 Proposed Downtown Transportation Center Rendering 19a Existing Fire Station#1 20 Transportation Center/Systems Revenues Generated Vs. Operating Expenses 21 Conceptua) Trolley Rendering 22 Phase 1 Mu)ti-Moda) tmptementation Schedute 23 Fremont Street Troltey 24 Phase 2 Civic Plaza Development 25 Phase 2 Urban Design Action Plan Area 26 Phase 2 Historical Perspective 27 Existing Federal/Post Office Building 28 Heritage Square Concept 29 Conceptual Heritage Square Development 30 Rights-Of-Way Acquisitions 31 Historic Core Area Model 32 Phase 3 Redevelopment Of Centra! Business District 33 Phase 3 Comprehensive Action Plan Area 34 Fremont Street Mail 35 Fremont IVIa!) View 36 Fremont Street IVIini-IVIatl Concept 37, 38 Proposed Upland Properties Development 39 Proposed Upland Properties Site Development Rendering . . . . 40 Proposed Upland Properties Golf Course 41 Proposed Upland Properties Amusement Park 42 Cashman Field Center 43 Cashman Field Center Rendering 44 Expanded Cashman Field Center Facilities 45 Expanded People-Mover System 46 General Time Schedule 47 Phase 1 Critical Path Method Projects Schedule 48, 49, 50, 51 Phase 1 Implementation Costs And Funding Sources 52 Phase 2 And Phase 3 Funding Sources 53 Credits The form of a!) modern cities evotves within continuous processes of design and devetopment. The resutting buitt environment is directiy inftuenced by urban ptanning and design policies endorsed and interpreted by each tocatity. The foUowing presentation estabtishes an approach for the City of Las Vegas to clearty define its present desires and poticies for Downtown's future growth and devetopment. This approach proposes to devetop a variety of downtown enhancements and improvements. Many of these projects are either currentty under devetopment or proposed for devetopment previousty. This composite overview enabtes the City to move forward with its goats and objectives for the future of Downtown Las Vegas. The City's Downtown Master Development Plan wi!t be prepared in three concurrent phases. The tota! development area encompassed is approximately 1.5 mites square containing 1,448 acres bounded by Washington Avenue on the north, IVIary-tand Parkway on the east, Charleston Boulevard on the south, and Highland Drive on the west. Each phase targets a specific geographical area within downtown Las Vegas. A specific action plan will be formulated for each phase of this master plan development. The development site plan on the next page graphically illustrates the area targeted for each of the three phases. UJ 0 ) < I a. <\! UJ < CO UJ < I OL A MULTIMODAL ACT!ON PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN TRANSPORTATtON CENTER/SYSTEMS AN URBAN DEStGN ACTION PLAN FOR CtVtC PLAZA DEVELOPMENT A COMPREHENStVE ACTtON PLAN FOR REDEVELOPMENT OF CENTRAL BUSINESS D)STR)CT ^ tZDCID a n n a m 500 ) PHASE 1 Phase 1 of the proposed Downtown Master Development Ptan is already under-way. The Phase 1 devetopment area establishes a transportation corridor one mite in tength connecting the recentty compteted Cashman Fietd Comptex to a proposed Down-town Transportation Center to be located at the City's existing Fire Station #1 site, at the northeast corner of Casino Center Boutevard and Stewart Avenue. This transportation corridor consists of pubticty-owned property at Cashman Fietd; City-owned property at Reed-Whippte Center, the existing downtown fire station site, and City streets rights-of-way on Veterans Memorial Drive and Casino Center Boutevard. The Phase 1 tVtulti- IVtodat Action Ptan consists of three specific projects to be imptemented within the corridor area. Phase 1(A) —Downtown Transportation Center Phase 1(B) —Downtown Theme Shuttte System. (See page 22 for an exampte of a typicat theme shuttte vehicle). Phase 1(C) —Downtown People-IVtover System (Cashman Fietd Center to proposed Transportation Center) Each of these three development projects are described in more detait within the following pages of text and iltustrations. M < 3 C 6 EX!STtNG TRANSrr SYSTEM Las Vegas, tike other metropotitan areas has the need to provide convenient, economical and efficient mass transporta-tion for both its residents and the millions of tourists who visit the city annually. The present transportation system con-sists of eteven bus routes with one transfer point tocated at the City's Carson Avenue garage. Ten of these routes (9 hourly, 1 quarter hourly) converge at this location. Severa! probtems exist at this current transfer point. The toading and untoading of passengers on the narrow sidewatk cre-ates traffic and pedestrian congestion thereby inconveniencing visitors, tocats and downtown business owners, tn addition to tack of controtled boarding facitities, ap-propriate amenities such as night lighting, shade structures, adequate seating ele-ments and accessible public restroom facili-ties are alt tacking. Air and noise poltution as wetl as increased toitering are added un-desirable resutts of using this tocation for the bus transfer point. One ptanning strategy atready in pro-gress is the relocation of the existing downtown fire station to a new Central Fire Station/Fire Services headquarters facility tocated immediately north of the existing site. The City is currentty under construc-tion on the new Centra! Fire Station which is scheduled to be fully operational in late spring, 1984. With this construction pro-ject now nearing completion, the City is proposing that a new Downtown Trans-portation Center be created at the site of the old Fire Station #1, at the northeast corner of Casino Center Boulevard and Stewart Avenue. All buses would be re-routed to this center. Transferring pas-sengers would exchange buses there or ride to the downtown business district on theme shuttle vehicles. o o. oc m U- 0) z< oe )- ROUTE # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 SERVICE AREA Hyde Park North Las Vegas Salt Lake Hwy. Boulder Hwy. Huntridge The "Strip* College Park Golf Ridge Vegas Heights University V) z <oe t- O ! - Z^ O o o >H<! 8 THEME SHUTTLE VEHICLE SYSTEM The anticipated theme shuttle vehicles wit) be designed as old-fashioned street-cars or trolleys, but will be wheeled vehi-cles built on a recreational vehicle or shuttle bus chassis capable of riding on existing streets. See page 22 for the Conceptual Trolley Rendering. Because no permanent rails or tracks are required, the routes could be amended as demand changes. The trolleys, on the basic downtown central loop, wilt leave the transportation center and head south on Casino Center Boulevard to Ogden, east to 7th, south to Fremont, west on Fremont to Main, north to Ogden, east to 4th Street and loop back into the Downtown Transportation Center. This primary downtown shuttle loop is illu-strated in red on the following Conceptual Route Plan. QO Some possible extensions to this route could include expanding the route to 10th Street and including a business loop at peak hours to downtown county/federal facilities and other quasi-public agencies in the central business district. The City proposes to acquire twelve of these theme vehicles. Time studies have been conducted on the proposed shuttle routing. The primary loop will take approx-imately twenty minutes allowing for 14 stops at all major business/government establishments along the route. This scheduling will provide for headway times at any stop of less than five minutes. Eighth St. CASHMAN FtELO CENTER Sixth St. OGDEN AVENUE GARAGE Fourth St. CARSON ^AVENUE GARAGE DISOWN OWN TRANSPO tTRTtON CEN EB h- ! - I 0) UJ S UJ I t- UJ oe O u. <z o-<. UJ h- O cc ! - Q. LU o oz o 10 DOWNTOWN TRANSPORTATION CENTER ingress into the new Downtown Trans-portation Center wil) be through a pro-posed curb cut on 4th Street extension. The City of Las Vegas is currentty ap-proaching the Nevada Department of Transportation for permission to instatl this additiona) access. As graphicalty disptayed on the conceptua) site ptan on the next page, both the rerouted transit buses and the proposed shuttte vehicles wit) utitize this entry onto existing devetoped travelways servicing a city emptoyee parking tot. Ac-cess onto the 1.6 acre downtown Fire Sta-tion #1 property wit) be achieved using existing fire apparatus driveways. A common untoading piaza wit) be cre-ated. Both the transit buses and the trot-teys wit) disembark their passengers at this tocation prior to moving into their designat-ed boarding areas. The trottey shuttte vehi-ctes witt titeratty enter the most northerty fire apparatus bay for convenient and com-fortabie boarding by those passengers de-siring to circuiate to other downtown designations in the centra) business district. The accompanying conceptua! site ptan hightights these bus and trottey vehicutar ftows in orange and red respectivety. As ittustrated by these on-site circuta-tion patterns, the proposed means of egress from the existing Fire Station site for the buses witt be via Stewart Avenue. The trottey shuttte vehictes witt have an option to exit the proposed transportation center on Casino Center Boutevard or onto Stew-art Avenue. Traffic signat timing adjust-ments are currentty being considered by the City to attow for an orderty exiting sequence. The proposed site plan atso ctearty itlu-strates the impact of the immediately adja-cent Federal Post Office property. White future expansion of the proposed Down-town Transportation Center can be accom-modated on City owned property immedi-ately east of the existing fire station buitd-ings, the federat property remains as a de-vetopment barrier to additiona) pedestrian enhancements within the immediate vicin-ity of this new center. The need for City acquisition of the post office property from the federat government is discussed in more detai) on page 27, under Phase 2 Ur-ban Design Action Ptan for a Civic Ptaza Development. LEGEND PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION PEDESTRIAN PLAZA BUS CIRCULATION BUS TROLLY CIRCULATION TROLLY Casino Center Boutevard -<J OL m 5) t- 0. tu O z o o 12 CONCEPTUAL BU)LD!NG USE PLAN FOR FtRST FLOOR Two existing buildings are presently lo-cated on the Fire Station #1 site. The downtown fire station structure and its re-lated two-story communications center contain approximately 14,000 square feet of floor area. The proposal for the Down-town Transportation Center utilizes all of this available space to provide improved comfort amenities for riders of the existing transit system and proposed theme shuttle vehicles. These comfort amenities include an in-door climate controlled lobby to serve as a waiting area for those riders transfering to other transit routes or to board the trolley shuttle vehicles. The proposed lobby area will contain comfortable seating elements, video amusement games, and a newsstand concession. Existing rest room facilities will be upgraded and enlarged to accom-modate the increased occupancy generat-ed by this reuse. Facilities wilt be provided for first aid and security operations as well as an area for tourist information and travelers aid. The Fire Station #1 building presently contains a smalt kitchen area. This kitchen area witl be renovated providing expanded utility services required to accommodate space for a commercial food concession. In conjunction with this snack bar opera-tion, the breezeway between the two structures will be improved to provide a landscaped outdoor dining terrace equipped with tabtes and chairs. The proposed ground level lobby of the two story communications building wit) contain transportation system ticketing functions and additional security facilities. This lobby area will provide climate con-trolled access to the adjacent bus boarding plaza. 14 CONCEPTUAL BU<LD!NG USE PLAN FOR SECOND FLOOR The existing Fire Station #1 building has a partia! second story over a portion of the fire apparatus bays. Additional support fa-citities wilt also be provided on this second floor level. In that this area was previously used for the fire personnel dormitory, it al-ready contains a lounge, toilet facilities and lockers. The Downtown Transportation Center proposes to utilize this space as a drivers' locker room for both the transit sys-tem and theme vehicle operators. By pro-viding these employee amenities, the City believes that the drivers will become better ambassadors for our tourism economy. The remainder of this upper level will be utilized as a central operations control and communications area to facilitate nor-mal scheduling and emergency/repair pro-cedures when required. The second floor of the two story communications center wilt be reserved as an area to directly inter-face with the proposed people-mover sys-tem discussed in more detait on the follow-ing pages. 16 PROPOSED PEOPLE-MOVER Another proposed major addition to the new downtown transportation sys-tems wit) be an ultramodern people-mover, a monorai! type vehicle, connecting the Downtown Transportation Center to the Cashman Field Center complex. Using the most recent technology, perhaps electro-magnetic propulsion, the people-mover route would travel approximately one mile via Casino Center Boulevard, Veterans Memorial Drive and then cross the City-owned Reed Whipple Center ballfields to the Cashman Field Center. It will then fol-low the north boundary of Cashman Field's upper parking lot and descend to the main entry plaza, which serves the stadium, audi-torium and main exhibit hall and related meeting wing. A people-mover station will be constructed adjacent to the new Down-town transportation Center and at the Cashman Field Center. The design motif of these stations will be architecturally inte-grated into the existing/proposed public fa-cilities at each location. 17 3 This system will have a capacity of 5,000 passengers per hour, operating on an elevated guideway that is a minimum of 16'6" above all street levels. An unloading and boarding platform will be built in con-junction with the upper floor of the existing Fire Station communications building. This will allow riders to transfer to a bus or theme vehicle by way of the Downtown Transportation Center's pedestrian entry plaza as shown on the illustration on the previous page. People-mover riders will also have the option to exit to the south at street level and simply walk to downtown if they desire. With the addition of this proposed peo-ple- mover into the new Downtown Trans-portation Center, the City of Las Vegas will be providing the first multi-modal ground transportation center in Nevada. The City feels the relocation of the bus transfer point and these additions to the present trans-portation system will not only alleviate the undesirable effects of congestion and pollu-tion downtown, but will also significantly contribute to substantial improvements and enhancements for the convenience and comfort of all riders. m -< ) a. UJ h- O oc t-o. m O z o o CASHMAN FIELD CENTER Sixth St. OGDEN AVENUE GARAGE Fourth St. CARSON ^AVENUE GARAGE ^"DOWtf OWN TRANSPO MOTION CEN EK 18 EX<ST!NG HRE STATION #1/ PROPOSED DOWNTOWN TRANSPORTATION CENTER The photograph on the foHowing page is the existing Fire Station #1 presently serving the downtown Las Vegas area. As mentioned previously, a new Central Fire Station is nearing completion on a site immediately to the north. Please lift the tab provided on this pho-tograph to view an architectural rendering of the proposed design motif for the new Downtown Transportation Center. The Federal Post Office building is a significant historic landmark located immediately adja-cent to this site. A Victorian style of archi-tecture was selected in order to be compat-ible and complimentary to this federal structure and the proposed trolley theme for the shuttle vehicles. Additional considerations include the City's longstanding desire to acquire the post office building from the federal gov-ernment. Upon such acquisition, the City proposes to develop the area between these two buildings into a heritage square concept as part of the Phase 2 Urban De-sign Action Plan for a Civic Plaza Develop-ment in the vicinity of City Hall. This objec-tive is described in more detail on page 29. The proposed exterior renovation of the existing Fire Station #1 buildings will also provide on-site amenities such as land-scaped, night-lighted covered unloading and boarding plazas. These canopy struc-tures illustrated in the rendering wilt provide shade and protection from the etements for the transportation system users. REVENUES GENERATED VS. OPERATING EXPENSES The proposed multi-modal Downtown Transportation Center wi!) have to accom-modate approximately 12,000 peopte per day just from the City's current bus rider-ship. The addition of the theme shuttte ve-hicles and a people-mover system to Cash-man Fietd wi!t atso increase the volume of passengers passing through the center daily. Based on this projected demand, the City of Las Vegas estimates annua) op-erating costs for the downtown theme shuttte system to be approximated $700, 000 per year. To generate revenues for the above operationa! costs, advertising panets as ittu-strated on the troltey rendering, wilt be placed on both the exterior and interior of each vehicte. interior ad paneis couid pro-mote downtown restaurant menus, etc. The City of Las Vegas is also proposing to design a 360° electronic reader board into the clerestory element of each trolley. Light-ed moving digital messages will be dis-played promoting tourism downtown and announcing community events. All other advertising space will be sold to the private sector. The revenues derived from these vehicles along with advertising space leased within the transportation center will contribute substantially to offsetting these annual costs. Each theme shuttle vehicle will have a carrying capacity of approximately 24 per-sons seated with standing room provisions including overhead handrails, and grips al-lowing for a maximum occupancy of 50 people. The exterior design motif for the shuttte vehicles was selected to be in har-mony with the design theme proposed for the new transportation center. The interior decor witl atso emphasize an old-fashioned quality and craftsmanship through com-plimentary wooden seating etements and brass metal hardware. These quatity de-sign features and setected coordinated motifs wilt establish the desired recreation-at/ leisure imagery that downtown Las Vegas wishes to extend to alt of its annual visitors and local riders. A nominat fare of 25 cents or less wilt be charged per trip on the trotteys to discourage unnecessary or undesirable ridership demand. Additionat revenues to provide main-tenance and repair of the transportation center and to contribute toward the bal-ance of theme shuttte system expenses wilt be generated from the fares and the snack bar, newsstand and video amuse-ment game concessions within the trans-portation center tobby. These revenue generating facilities, inctuding the daily operation of the downtown shuttte system, will be teased to private enterprise under coordinated agreements with the City of Las Vegas. * 22 PHASE 1 MULTIMODAL IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE The concurrent development of the three major projects within the Phase 1 Multi-Modal Action Plan for Downtown Transportation Center/Systems is already ongoing. Alt of these projects have been previously presented to the Mayor and City Council, Downtown Progress Association, Regional Transportation Commission, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. All of the above have recom-mended unanimous support for these civic improvements. The City of Las Vegas has assigned an interdepartmental task force to develop these projects including preparation of grant applications to submit to the federal government. IVtany meetings have been held with perspective people-mover pro-ponents and the City task force is concur-rently finalizing requests for proposal docu-ments to implement that system. Application to the Urban Mass Trans-portation Administration will be submitted in March/April with hopes that grant ap-proval will be forthcoming by mid-1984. Upon approval by UMTA, the City esti-mates that it will require 18 months to im-plement the remodeling of the existing Fire Station #1 into the new Downtown Trans-portation Center. Also within this 18 month period, the City would purchase the proposed fleet of shuttle theme vehicles and arrange for their lease to a private operator. The people-mover will require approxi-mately 30-36 months to be operational fol-lowing award of an appropriate franchise. An engineering design phase for the peo-ple- mover system will begin immediately upon award and construction documents will be developed for subsequent imple-mentation. The significant enhancements provided by these collective improvements to our downtown transportation systems are anx-iously anticipated. Trolley theme vehicles have been artistically superimposed on the nighttime photograph of the famed Glitter Gulch section of Fremont Street. With the electronic reader board added at the clere-story level, the City of Las Vegas believes that these shuttle vehicles will add an addi-tional dynamic element to Las Vegas' world renown downtown environment. t>u- O oc t-t- UJ tu a: ! - 0) UJ cc u. 24 25 PHASE 2 Phase 2 of the proposed Downtown Master Development Plan will contain an area of approximately nine blocks within the immediate vicinity of the City Hal) Complex. This Phase 2 area encompasses approximately 28 acres of publicly-owned land at the very heart of the Las Vegas metropolitan community. The Phase 2 area is bounded by Bonanza Road on the north, Las Vegas Boulevard North on the east, Stewart Avenue on the south, and Casino Center Boulevard on the west. An Urban Design Action Plan will be prepared for this Phase 2 area. This action plan will propose the development of a civic plaza adjacent to City Hall. Envisioned in the development of this civic plaza concept are multiple joint public/private partnerships that will create a downtown activity center. Only those activity generators that wit) broaden Downtown Las Vegas' appeal to tourism, expand the City's non-potluting economic base, or provide complimentary services to our convention and gaming industry wilt be considered as appropriate for this target area. Specific urban design policies and architectural plans wilt be developed to insure an aesthetically integrated development concept. The attractiveness and appeal of the proposed civic plaza wil! invite additional visitors to our centra) business district. To facilitate joint public/private sector participation, the City wilt develop a large scale three-dimensional model displaying the urban infrastructure architecturally designed for the proposed civic plaza. mmiLmiu BO B B ^ ORTH 1000 500 PHASE 2 mSTORtCAL PERSPECTIVE The photograph on the fottowing page shows the existing Federa!/Post Office buitding in the foreground and the existing downtown Fire Station #1, proposed for re-use as the Downtown Transportation Cen-ter, in the background. The buitding is to-cated at 301 Stewart Avenue. This feder-aHy- owned property containing 2 acres is situated in the middte of the Phase 2 Urban Design Action Ptan area. This property is an essentia) keystone for the future devet-opment of a totatiy integrated civic ptaza in this vicinity. The historic Federat/Post Office buitd-ing is a community tandmark with a unique architectura) design motif. The existing buitding is currentty on the Nationat Regis-ter of Historic Ptaces as of February 10, 1983. Many times in the past the City of Las Vegas has expressed its desire to ac-quire this property from the Genera) Servic-es Administration. A variety of uses, in-ctuding the possibitity of a downtown mu-seum, are being considered as appropriate reuses for this nobte structure. * * HERITAGE SQUARE CONCEPT Recent development proposals for this civic ptaza area have taken into considera-tion the uniqueness and historical preserva-tion of this building. The proposed design motiff for the Downtown Transportation Center was selected specifically to be com-patible with and complimentary to the his-toric architectural style of this community landmark. The property located between the new transportation center and the post office building is being planned for a heri-tage square concept. The aerial sketch on the next page illustrates the design sensitiv-ity employed by the City when considering the existing downtown fire station site for an appropriate reuse. Once the City has successfully acquired the post office property from the federal government, it will proceed in developing a heritage square design theme which will further highlight the historic significance of the building and architecturally integrate this property into the total civic plaza devel-opment infrastructure. The timely acquisition of this property by the City of Las Vegas is essential to the orderly development of the Phase 2 Urban Design Action Plan area. It is imperative the City of Las Vegas be able to aesthetical-ly control any future additions and/or im-provements to this crucial property. 35 EX!ST!NG C!TY HALL COMPLEX EX!ST!NG FEDERAL POST OFF!CE PROPOSED HER!TAGE SQUARE H! CC < o 0 ) PROPOSED DOWNTOWN TRANSPORTAT!ON o CENTER O 30 FMGHTS-OF-WAY ACQU!SmONS As earty as the )ate 60's, the City of Las Vegas began conceptuat design studies for development of the targeted Phase 2 area. Some of these studies such as the mode! disptayed in the photograph to the right were developed in conjunction with design concepts for a new City Ha!l complex. Subsequently, the existing City Hall facility was completed in 1973 at the northwest corner of Las Vegas Boulevard North and Stewart Avenue. As illustrated by the photograph of the city core area model, other vital federal ac-quisitions were, even then, contemplated as necessary for fully integrated civic devet-opment in this area. Specifically, as shown on the model photo, the city proposes acquisition of air rights and/or aerial easements over 4th Street extension and a portion of Casino Center Boulevard, both of which remain federally controlled because of their incorporation into the Interstate westbound on-ramp system. With an expanded civic plaza concept in mind, to date the City of Las Vegas has leased all available freeway land rights-of-way under the Interstate viaduct between Casino Center Boulevard and Las Vegas Boulevard North. The City of Las Vegas participated with the Nevada Department of Transportation in the preparation of the Interstate 515 Freeway Corridor Study. This multi-use and joint development document indicated the City's desire to lease addi-tional rights-of-way under the viaduct when available. Presently the City is working with the Nevada Department of Transpor-tation to finalize lease arrangements for the area between Las Vegas Boulevard North and Maryland Parkway. The City pro-poses to develop this right-of-way into a 1,000 car parking facility. This additional downtown parking will be multi-purpose in serving both the immediately adjacent City Halt complex and as overftow parking for major events in the nearby Cashman Fietd Center. The ability to span both City and/or State/Federally controlled street rights-of-way in this Phase 2 Urban Design Action Plan area is urgently needed in order to begin developing an integrated plaza con-cept. The ability to architecturally elimi-nate these high volume motorways as pe-destrian barriers within this civic develop-ment area is currently a major objective for the City of Las Vegas. In this regard, the City will be approaching the federal govern-ment via the Nevada Department of Trans-portation to acquire all air rights over the Interstate viaduct structure in this vicinity. LEGEND ACOU!SmON OF A)R RtGHTS AND AERtAL EASEMENTS PHASE 3 Phase 3 of the proposed Downtown Master Devetopment Ptan will establish a Comprehensive Action Ptan for redevetopment within the centra) business district. The area included in Phase 3 surrounds both the Phase 1 and Phase 2 target areas and contains approximately 1,448 acres, bounded by Washington Avenue on the north, Maryland Parkway on the east, Charleston Boulevard on the south, and Highland Drive on the west. A Comprehensive Action Plan will be developed for this area taking into consideration the interrelated planning strategies developed for the Phase 1 and Phase 2 intra-action areas. Also taken into consideration will be the various public and private development concepts previously proposed. Some of these proposals, including the Fremont Street IVIall concepts, emphasize improved pedestrian circulation amenities, while the recent completion of the Cashma