| Summerlin | |
| Official Name: | Neighborhood of Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Settlement Type: | Planned community |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Nevada |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Clark |
| Subdivision Type3: | City |
| Subdivision Name3: | Las Vegas |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Founder: | Summa Corporation |
| Named For: | Jean Amelia Summerlin |
| Blank Name: | Associations |
| Blank Info: | Summerlin North Summerlin South Summerlin West Sun City Summerlin Siena |
| Pushpin Map: | Nevada |
Summerlin is a community in the Las Vegas Valley of Southern Nevada. It lies at the edge of the Spring Mountains and Red Rock Canyon to the west; it includes the census-designated place of Summerlin South, is partly within the official city limits of Las Vegas and partly within unincorporated Clark County. This community occupies over 22,500 acres and holds over 230 parks, more than two dozen public and private schools, 14 houses of worship, ten golf courses, three resort hotels, recreational facilities, retail and entertainment centers, well-established office parks, a medical center, and more.[1]
The community is divided into three associations (North, South, and West), which oversee two dozen commercial and residential villages.
At the time of the 2010 census, Summerlin's population was nearly 100,000, having risen from 59,000 residents in the year 2000.[2]
Summerlin was named after Jean Amelia Summerlin, the grandmother of billionaire land developer Howard Hughes. The Howard Hughes Corporation maintains ownership of the master-planned community, along with Downtown Summerlin (the community's premier shopping, dining, and entertainment district) and the Las Vegas Ballpark (home of the Las Vegas Aviators minor league baseball team, which is named in Hughes' honor).
In 1952, the film director, aviator, and casino mogul Howard Hughes purchased 25000acres of land in Southern Nevada, making him the Las Vegas Valley's largest landowner.[3] Despite his initial intentions, he ultimately chose not to relocate his company to Nevada, so the purchased land remained undeveloped and empty for decades. After Hughes died of kidney failure in 1976, the Summa Corporation was organized by his heirs to oversee his vast business empire and land holdings. In 1988, the corporation announced that they would be developing the empty acres of land into a master-planned commercial and residential community. They named the project "Summerlin", after Hughes' paternal grandmother, Jean Amelia Summerlin.[4]
In preparation for this large-scale development, Summa Corporation made a deal with the Bureau of Land Management in which they traded 5,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land for 3,000 acres of land better suited for development. After this environmental concern was addressed, development began. By the end of 1990, the construction of Summerlin's first residential village, park, and school had been completed.[4] In 1994, Summa Corporation rebranded itself as the Howard Hughes Corporation and continued to develop new Summerlin villages.
New home construction continued to boom through the turn of the century. From 1997 to 2007, Summerlin was consistently ranked as the #1 community in the nation for new home sales.[4] The Great Recession caused a temporary slow-down in construction, but signs of revival became especially apparent in 2014, when Downtown Summerlin opened, bringing 106 acres of shopping, dining, and entertainment to Summerlin residents. Residential development also saw a great revival following the recession, and by 2016, Summerlin was once again one of the top communities in America for new home sales.[4]
Summerlin is still a growing community. As of 2018, over two dozen commercial and residential villages have been constructed, with over 6,000 acres still available for future development.[4]
Summerlin has a hot desert climate typical of the Mojave Desert in which it lies (Köppen climate classification: BWh).
Summers tend to be very hot and very dry, with daily highs often exceeding 100°F; temperatures as high as 118 degrees have been observed. The spring and fall seasons are generally sunny, warm, and dry, with daily highs in the 70s and 80s. Winters tend to be cool and windy, with daily highs in the 50s; temperatures seldom drop below freezing, and snowfall is rare, but some rain is common (especially in January and February).[5]
Allegiant Air has their corporate headquarters in Summerlin.[6] [7] [8]
The Summerlin area is home to three major resort casinos.
Summerlin is also home to a non-gaming hotel known as Element Las Vegas, developed by Westin Hotels.[14] [15] It opened in 2008.[16] [17]
See main article: Downtown Summerlin and Downtown Summerlin (shopping center). Downtown Summerlin is a 400acres mixed-use district. It opened in 2014, and includes a 106acres shopping center with more than 125 shops, bars, and restaurants.[18] It also features office and residential space.[19] [20] [21] In addition, Downtown Summerlin also includes two sports facilities:[22]
Local events are held in Downtown Summerlin throughout the year, including an annual art festival,[25] [26] outdoor fitness classes, wine walks, holiday festivals, and visits from celebrity guest speakers.
Summerlin has a public library, a branch of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.[27]
The city's NHL franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights, practice at City National Arena in Summerlin. The arena also offers skating lessons, hosts youth and adult amateur hockey leagues, and trains competitive figure skaters.[28]
The UNLV Hockey team plays its home games at City National Arena in Summerlin.
The Las Vegas Aviators (a minor league baseball franchise) play at the Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin.
Bicycle lanes are provided on most major roads in Summerlin, as well as in the adjacent Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
Large community parks, which are available for free public use, are located throughout Summerlin., there are 25 community parks that feature a variety of recreational amenities, which may include: community centers, barbecue areas, walking trails, playgrounds, swimming pools, interactive water features, soccer fields, baseball fields, football fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, volleyball courts, bocce ball and shuffleboard courts, and motorized toy areas. In addition, the parks with community centers typically offer special events, classes, and children's camps.[29]
As of 2018, the Summerlin Trail System is more than 150 miles long and connects local neighborhoods to various amenities throughout the community.[30] The system includes five types of planned trails: street-side, village, bike, regional, and natural.
Upon completion, the trail system will be more than 200 miles long and will connect to more than 2,000 miles of regional trails, making it one of the most comprehensive and efficient trail systems in the southwestern United States.
In 2008, Summerlin and the Howard Hughes Corporation received the American Trails Developer Award, which is given to developers in recognition of "quality, well designed multi-use trails systems that are integrated into private developments."[31]
The adjacent Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area offers 26 hiking trails (ranging in difficulty from easy to strenuous). The canyon is also suitable for bouldering and rock climbing and has an overnight camp site.[32]
Summerlin lies partially within an incorporated municipality and partially within an unincorporated area. It is patrolled by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department - Summerlin Area Command. The area north of Charleston Boulevard is within the city of Las Vegas, while the area south of Charleston Boulevard is located in unincorporated Clark County. As a planned community, Summerlin is managed by three master associations (Summerlin North, Summerlin South, and Summerlin West). Summerlin is further developed into commercial and residential villages. Many individual subdivisions also have their own homeowners associations.
Summerlin has three age-restricted communities for senior citizens (Sun City Summerlin, The Regency, and Siena).
Public schools in Summerlin belong to the Clark County School District, which serves almost all of Southern Nevada.
In addition to the above-listed public schools, some Summerlin residents may be zoned for schools located just outside of the Summerlin boundaries (many families in Summerlin South, for example, are zoned for Durango High School in nearby Spring Valley).[33]
Summerlin is also home to several private schools, including:
Higher education within the community of Summerlin is mostly limited to small satellite campuses, including:
However, Summerlin is also located within 10 miles of the College of Southern Nevada's main campus (CSN - Charleston), within 20 miles of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and within 30 miles of Nevada State College (NSC).
The Summerlin Hospital Medical Center, a private hospital operated by the Valley Health System, provides 485 beds to the local community. It is an accredited Chest Pain Center and Primary Stroke Center. Other features include: the Children's Medical Center, the Breast Care Center, the Cancer Center, the Rehab Center, and the Robotic Surgery Center. Its 40-acre campus is located in The Crossings village of Summerlin North.[34]
Chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands
Professional tennis player
Magician and TV personality[35]
CEO of Station Casinos
Former CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship
Bebop jazz pianist and composer
MLB player for the New York Yankees
Owner of World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop and Pawn Stars Reality TV Star
Magician and member of Penn & Teller
Former NFL wide receiver for the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders
Former Nevada Governor
Former Nevada Secretary of State
Founder of the Morton Group of restaurants
ATP Tennis player
NBA player for the Minnesota Timberwolves
Former NFL running back for the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys
MLB player for the San Francisco Giants
Michelin-starred celebrity chef
Former NFL player, convicted felon, actor, and sportscaster
NFL Offensive Tackle for the Baltimore Ravens
Vocalist for Panic! at the Disco
NBA basketball player for the Orlando Magic
President of Ultimate Fighting Championship
Actress and singer
NBA player for the Orlando Magic
Actor