FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 31, 2012
CONTACT: MELISSA WARREN OR ERYN SEBELIUS
FAISS FOLEY WARREN: 702-528-6016; 702-234-6484
DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS ALLIANCE MEMBERS UNITE TO INVITE LOCALS TO REDISCOVER DOWNTOWN
Members of Downtown Las Vegas Alliance (DLVA), a non-profit corporation comprised of downtown Las Vegas stakeholders, along with Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman, members of Las Vegas City Council and city staff, joined today to launch REDISCOVER DOWNTOWN, a public relations and social media initiative to encourage locals to visit downtown and rediscover the heart of their city. The initiative includes a stream of social media updates on downtown events and activities throughout the summer and culminates on October 13, 2012 with Rediscover Downtown Day, an entire day geared for locals that includes special events, offers, tastings and activities at downtown businesses.
According to Rich Worthington, President and COO of The Molasky Group of Companies who also serves as chairman of the board/president of DLVA, the group is committed to enhancing business development and growth and quality of life in downtown Las Vegas. Incorporated in 2008, members of the DLVA have been meeting monthly for more than four years. According to Worthington, the group is more energized and enthused than ever given recent and ongoing downtown redevelopment.
“This is an incredibly exciting time to be downtown,” Worthington said. “It’s also equally gratifying for many of our members who have been working for years to revitalize the area. Thanks to major openings like The Smith Center for the Performing Arts at Symphony Park and The Mob Museum, the impending move of Zappos to the old city hall and the opening of dozens of new businesses, restaurants, bars and galleries, the downtown of today is much different than it was even just a few short years ago or even one year ago.”
According to Worthington, who has overseen the DLVA since its inception, there are many local Las Vegans, who, for a variety of reasons, haven’t ventured downtown for a long time. Given all the recent openings and progress, there is much to explore and experience. And more is on the way with the late 2012 opening of the Neon Museum, the 2013 opening of Discovery Children’s Museum and a number of historic downtown hotels that are currently being renovated and updated.
Members of DLVA are also committed to enhancing the overall perception of downtown. According to Worthington, recent developments and new project openings go a long way in countering the outdated perceptions that the area is old and that there is little to do in terms of entertainment offerings. “There are more than 100 restaurants downtown, more than 70 bars, dozens of art galleries, four major museums, one of the country’s most successful retail outlet malls and special attractions like Fremont Street Experience,” Worthington said.
“Plus, all of the area’s major hotels have recently completed renovations or are in the middle of a major upgrade,” Worthington said. This list includes Downtown Grand (formerly Lady Luck), The D (formerly Fitzgerald’s), Golden Gate, The Plaza, El Cortez and Golden Nugget. Worthington also cites the combined $1 billion investment in The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, the new City Hall, The Mob Museum, Discovery Children’s Museum and the Neon Museum. “That doesn’t even count the cost of renovating the old city hall and the $350 million private investment of Zappos and its Downtown Project. The investment in downtown in recent months is both remarkable and impressive.”
Parking is another area of concern for some locals, and according to Brandy Stanley, parking services manager for the city of Las Vegas, there are more than 47,500 available parking spaces downtown with peak demand of only 30,000 spaces. “Most parking is off-street in privately owned parking structures and validations are offered in most venues,” Stanley said. “By fall, we plan to upgrade most of the area’s 1,200 meters to accommodate credit card payments, and we will open a new parking office at city hall under the office of economic and urban development to provide one-stop shop and improved customer service.”
To combat the misperception that downtown is not safe, Worthington cites recent Downtown Area Command statistics that show an 18 percent drop in violent crime in 2011 as compared to 2010 and a 16 percent drop in property crime for the same time period. “Nothing does a better job of reducing crime than activity and vitality,” Worthington said.
Locals are encouraged to follow the Rediscover Downtown initiative for updates on events, activities and downtown happenings on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RediscoverDowntownLasVegas and follow us on Twitter at
@ReDowntownLV.
About DLVA:
The Downtown Las Vegas Alliance (DLVA) is a non-profit corporation comprised of downtown Las Vegas stakeholders – public, private and not-for-profit entities committed to enhancing business development and growth and quality of life in downtown Las Vegas. The DLVA provides a collective voice for established downtown-area businesses, provides information and assistance to new and potential downtown-area firms and works to enhance public awareness of downtown Las Vegas. Members enjoy affiliation with like-minded companies, access to important information relevant to the downtown area and inclusion in the DLVA’s public and community relations efforts. For more information, visit www.downtownlasvegasalliance.org; for membership information, please email membership@downtownlasvegasalliance.com.