The Las Vegas Medical District (LVMD), one of the most exciting development opportunities in the city of Las Vegas, was the featured topic of packed-house town hall at Las Vegas City Hall on August 23. Titled “Envisioning the Future of Las Vegas Medical District,” the event was hosted by Las Vegas City Councilman Brian Knudsen whose passion is ensuring access to quality healthcare for all Southern Nevadans. Orchestrated by staff of the city’s Economic and Urban Development Department and the Downtown Vegas Alliance, the event featured lively discussion with Southern Nevada healthcare leaders and private developers. 

Centrally located within the heart of the valley near US 95 and I-15, the LVMD is an emerging center of excellence for academic medicine that has already benefitted from nearly $500 million in actual and planned private and public investment since 2018.

Included in this investment is an infrastructure upgrade in excess of $130 million that includes significant roadway improvement projects that are enhancing pedestrian safety, traffic capacity and utility reliability; upgraded sewer, water and storm drains; widened sidewalks; outdoor lighting; and landscaping. Additionally, the Bearden Family Paseo was completed in 2018 to provide an outdoor gathering and respite space offering LVMD workers and students a place to rejuvenate; and new signage throughout the area is helping to create a sense of identity for the district.

GoMed, Las Vegas Medical District Circulator & Connected Pedestrian Safety Program, is a comprehensive mobility program that includes autonomous transit vehicles, smart transit shelters, and traveler wayfinding information to improve pedestrian access and safety throughout the area. The system is fully designed, with work expected to begin in early 2023.

Aligned with the 2045 Downtown Master Plan, the LVMD is being planned to create a mixed-use hub with supporting uses that will include transit linkages to the downtown core, a bike network, greenway spaces and public art.

Development in the LVMD is more easily facilitated by the city’s adoption of form-based code that makes it easier for developers to more quickly design and build suitable and complementary projects. The plan also calls for building that is appropriate in scale relative to nearby residential neighborhoods; urban design that supports walkability; appropriate transitions from auto-oriented sites to transit-oriented design while still protecting vehicular access; and a streamlined entitlement process that makes development in the LVMD even more user-friendly and attractive.   

Located within an Opportunity Zone and within the city’s Redevelopment Area, the LVMD offers developers many tax and financial incentives.  

“With hundreds of millions of dollars of investment already in progress, and our region’s desperate need to improve healthcare, the LVMD remains one of the most important and attractive opportunities today for developers,” said Councilman Knudsen.

For more information about development opportunities at the Las Vegas Medical District, contact Tabitha Pederson at tpederson@lasvegasnevada.gov or 702-229-2411. A new informational video is also available on the home page of the LVMD website.

Photo: Drone photograph of the Las Vegas Medical District