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]

Summerlin
Neighborhood of Las Vegas, Nevada
Summerlin Entrance Marker
Summerlin Entrance Marker
Summerlin is located in Nevada
Summerlin
Summerlin
Coordinates: 36°11′N 115°20′W / 36.183°N 115.333°W / 36.183; -115.333
CountryUnited States
StateNevada
CountyClark
CityLas Vegas
Founded1990; 34 years ago (1990)
Founded bySumma Corporation
Named forJean Amelia Summerlin
AssociationsSummerlin North
Summerlin South
Summerlin West
Sun City Summerlin
Siena

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).

History

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In 1952, the film director, aviator, and casino mogul Howard Hughes purchased 25,000 acres (10,000 ha) 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]

Geography

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Climate

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TPC Golf Course in Summerlin
Climate chart (explanation)
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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 (38 °C); 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]

Economy

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Allegiant Air has their corporate headquarters in Summerlin.[6][7][8]

Hotel and casinos

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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]

Arts and culture

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Downtown Summerlin

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A palm tree-lined street in Downtown Summerlin

Downtown Summerlin is a 400-acre (160 ha) mixed-use district. It opened in 2014, and includes a 106-acre (43 ha) 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.[citation needed]

Library

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Summerlin has a public library, a branch of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.[27]

Sports

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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.

Parks and recreation

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Cycling

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Bicycle lanes are provided on most major roads in Summerlin, as well as in the adjacent Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Community parks

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Large community parks, which are available for free public use, are located throughout Summerlin. As of 2018, 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]

Walking trails

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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]

Mountain recreation

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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]

Government

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The headquarters for the Howard Hughes Corporation, which owns and maintains the Summerlin master-planned community.
 
A small section of suburban development in Summerlin.

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.[citation needed]

Summerlin has three age-restricted communities for senior citizens (Sun City Summerlin, The Regency, and Siena).[citation needed]

Education

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Public schools

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Public schools in Summerlin belong to the Clark County School District, which serves almost all of Southern Nevada.

Elementary schools located in Summerlin

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  • Shelley Berkley Elementary School
  • John W. Bonner Elementary School
  • Roger M. Bryan Elementary School
  • Linda Rankin Givens Elementary School
  • John & Judy Goolsby Elementary School
  • William R. Lummis Elementary School
  • D’vorre & Hal Ober Elementary School
  • Ethel W. Staton Elementary School
  • James B. McMillan Elementary
  • Katz Elementary

Middle schools located in Summerlin

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  • Ernest Becker Middle School
  • Victoria Fertitta Middle School
  • Sig Rogich Middle School

High schools located in Summerlin

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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]

Private schools

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Summerlin is also home to several private schools, including:

Higher education

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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).

Infrastructure

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Healthcare

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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]

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ "Beautiful Community Living in Las Vegas Valley | Summerlin". summerlin.com. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  2. ^ Summerlin Economy Continues to Grow
  3. ^ "Historical Land Developer | Howard Hughes | Summerlin". summerlin.com. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e "History of a Planned Community | Summerlin Las Vegas, NV". summerlin.com. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  5. ^ "TPC at Summerlin Monthly Weather Forecast - weather.com". The Weather Channel. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  6. ^ PILOTS - Frequently Asked Questions. "The first few days of orientation are usually spent at Allegiant Air Headquarters in the Summerlin community in Las Vegas, NV". Accessed 13 July 2020.
  7. ^ "EDGAR Search Results for Allegiant Air". Securities and Exchange Commission. "1201 N Town Center Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89144". Accessed 13 July 2020.
  8. ^ Summerlin CDP, Nevada. Using a search for the ZIP Code. Accessed 13 July 2020.
  9. ^ Stutz, Howard (January 9, 2014). "Rampart Casino marking 15th anniversary with emphasis on pure gambling". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  10. ^ Benston, Liz (April 18, 2006). "Red Rock ready to roll". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  11. ^ Strow, David (September 12, 2000). "Upscale Summerlin casino opens tonight". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  12. ^ Strow, David (August 24, 2001). "Coast Resorts expanding Summerlin hotel-casino". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  13. ^ "Summerlin border map" (PDF). The Howard Hughes Corporation. June 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  14. ^ "Workers in their Element as construction starts for hotel". Las Vegas Review-Journal. October 1, 2007. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  15. ^ Wingert, Gregan (January 27, 2012). "Where does a president stay in Las Vegas? Small, eco-friendly hotel hosts guest-in-chief". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  16. ^ "Push is afoot to finish work on Element Hotel in Summerlin". Las Vegas Review-Journal. October 20, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  17. ^ Robison, Jennifer (April 6, 2016). "Element Hotel sold to San Diego investment firm". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  18. ^ Robison, Jennifer (October 9, 2014). "After years on simmer, Downtown Summerlin sizzles". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  19. ^ Segall, Eli (September 15, 2017). "Howard Hughes Corp. plans Summerlin residential complex". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  20. ^ Jaffe, Herb (July 29, 2019). "Density of Downtown Summerlin has come a long way". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  21. ^ "New apartments, office building coming to Downtown Summerlin". Las Vegas Sun. January 21, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  22. ^ Radke, Brock (March 18, 2018). "Sports facilities help engender 'sense of community' in Downtown Summerlin". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  23. ^ Quine, Michael (September 18, 2017). "New Golden Knights practice facility opens in Summerlin". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  24. ^ Segall, Eli (April 8, 2019). "Las Vegas Ballpark part of larger plan for Summerlin area". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  25. ^ Lyle, Michael (October 10, 2015). "Summerlin arts festival moves to new site, enlists top local entertainers". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  26. ^ "Festival of Arts decorates Downtown Summerlin in Las Vegas". Las Vegas Review-Journal. October 13, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  27. ^ "Nevada Public Libraries". PublicLibraries.com. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  28. ^ "City National Arena - Home".
  29. ^ "Explore Summerlin's Amenities & Parks | Las Vegas, NV". summerlin.com. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  30. ^ "Parks and Amenities". Summerlink. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
  31. ^ "2008 Developer Award Winners". American Trails. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  32. ^ "Visitor Information". Red Rock Canyon Las Vegas. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  33. ^ "CCSD Attendance Boundary Maps".
  34. ^ "About the Hospital". Summerlin Hospital. April 15, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  35. ^ Tablang, Kristin (July 9, 2016) Inside David Copperfield's Las Vegas Mansion. Forbes.com. Retrieved on 2018-02-02.
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