Howard Hughes Unveils Las Vegas Ballpark Plan

By Barbra Murray

Las Vegas Ballpark

Years in the planning, the Las Vegas Ballpark just moved closer toward realization. The Howard Hughes Corp. has revealed that it will develop the 10,000-seat stadium in the company’s Summerlin master-planned community on the eastern edge of Las Vegas. The venue, which will be home to the Las Vegas 51s baseball team, carries a price tag of $150 million, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

HHC has been contriving to bring 51s to the 22,500-acre Summerlin community since becoming partial owner of the triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets in 2013. Earlier this year, however, plans took a decided turn with a certain purchase. “Now that we own 100 percent of the team, we have taken a solid step in the right direction towards realizing our goal of relocating the team into a new stadium in downtown Summerlin,” Grant Herlitz, president, The Howard Hughes Corp., said during the company’s first quarter 2017 earnings conference call on May 4. “We believe that bringing the stadium to downtown Summerlin will have a significantly positive impact on both our existing residential and retail assets, as well as on the prospects for new commercial development.”

Designed by HOK, the Las Vegas Ballpark will take shape on eight acres near the City National Arena, the practice facility the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. The state-of-the-art stadium will feature such amenities as a kids’ zone, bars and a swimming pool, all wrapped in a design that pays homage to the style of the Summerlin community and HHC’s aviation history.

“Together, we have worked tirelessly to bring this much needed initiative to fruition for the benefit and enjoyment of the entire Southern Nevada community,” David Weinreb, CEO of The Howard Hughes Corp., said in a prepared statement. “The ballpark will further distinguish downtown Summerlin as a vibrant destination and give [Las Vegas] valley residents a first-class amenity and the opportunity to enjoy professional baseball in an inviting and family-friendly environment.”

Building boom

HHC has been busy buying, planning and commencing new projects all year. The real estate company kicked off 2017 with the announcement that it had purchased the 11.4-acre Macy’s store and parking field at Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Va., with plans of transforming the suburban Washington, D.C., site into a mixed-use destination. With the start of spring came news that the company had secured the Chicago Plan Commission’s approval for the development of a 1.4 million-square-foot trophy office property in the city’s central business district. Earlier this year, HHC also completed a 15-year build-to-suit lease with Aristocrat Technologies Inc. for a 180,000-square-foot office campus in Summerlin.

Ground is scheduled to break on the Las Vegas Ballpark in 2018, paving the way for a debut for the 2019 baseball season.

Image courtesy of HOK