Although Las Vegas has been named the number one trade show destination every year for the last 24 years, it needs a modern facility to host the biggest conventions in the country, and the impact on residents and entrepreneurs in nearby neighborhoods like Paradise and the Arts District is still unfolding.

NAB Show 2015 exhibition held in the Las Vegas Convention Center photo by Shutterstock

The Project

Since the Riviera closed in 2017, Las Vegas locals have been wondering what will happen as the Las Vegas Convention Center expands onto the former property. According to Successful Meetings, it’s a project with an $860 million price tag whose first phase includes a 600,000-square-foot exhibition space, which should be completed by 2021.

The Las Vegas Convention Center is one of several convention center projects that are receiving national attention right now, per the Successful Meetings report, and it appears that the expansion will make the area a boomtown like we haven’t seen in years. The Arts District is expected to see an increase in development, much like Fremont East, which has recently seen more entrepreneurs taking a chance on the area.

The convention center project may be bulldozing a strip mall and some surrounding apartments whose tenants will be relocated, but the development is expected to bring positive change to the area while using a phased approach that prevents businesses from being displaced. Here’s how the convention center will affect the immediate areas of Paradise and the Arts District.

More Jobs and Economic Opportunities

Although the convention center already supports thousands of jobs in the North Strip area, phases two and three of the project are expected to bring in 14,000 construction jobs and 7,800 permanent positions when the project is completed, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. While it’s likely the convention center will hire locals, out-of-towners will also have the chance to make Las Vegas home.

During the project, the convention center will generate an additional $2.1 billion in economic activity, which translates to $810 million each year after completion, per the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Currently, the convention center attracts over 600,000 visitors annually who not only stay at surrounding hotels, but also gamble, eat at local restaurants, and bring their purchasing power to local retailers.

Las Vegas already welcomes CES, but when the convention comes to town again in 2021 (after phase one is finished), the convention center is expected to drum up even more economic activity from a convention that already generates over $350 million in revenue from visitors in that week alone, according to News 3 Las Vegas. It’s likely that this could grow even more, since this year’s CES ran out of space and couldn’t bring in more exhibitors, even though there was sufficient demand. CES and other conventions would be able to welcome more attendees besides the 176,000 that attended last year, which would translate to increased occupancy at area hotels and a need for more employees to meet the demand.

New Hotels and Residences

With the increased development in the area, several entrepreneurs have stepped up to offer more hotel space in the immediate area. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Developer Triple Five bought up land near the convention center expansion, which they plan to develop into a 35- to 40-story hotel. And, although there have been delays, construction on the 14,000-room Resorts World is in progress on Las Vegas Boulevard. Plus, a developer recently bought the maligned Fontainebleu and renamed the site The Drew with plans to open in late 2020.

This is positive not only for tourists, but also for locals looking to enjoy something new in the area. Although the Arts District is nearby, there aren’t many luxury hotels near it, so these new developments could attract new businesses. And with a new complex cropping up in Downtown, it seems likely that the Arts District may also see more apartments and condos.

Improved Transportation

With a larger convention center and more hotels on the north end of Las Vegas Boulevard, it’s inevitable that the next step in developing the area is transportation innovation. According to the Las Vegas Sun, RTC plans to build a light rail connecting more developments on the north and south ends of Las Vegas Boulevard to make it easier for tourists and locals to get across The Strip more efficiently. Paradise, Downtown, and the Arts District are already seeing several transportation innovations, but the light rail portends positive development in other surrounding neighborhoods.