Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Proposal would restore old motel facades in Fremont East District

Old motels

Mick Akers / Las Vegas Sun

A proposal calls for restoring seven aging properties in the Fremont East District.

Las Vegas officials are looking to breathe new life to an aging area of downtown.

A portion of Fremont Street, stretching from Las Vegas Boulevard to 14th Street in the Fremont East District, is home to several aging motels in need of improvements.

The city will request $762,000 from the Centennial Commission at its meeting today for the restoration of motel facades and vintage neon signs associated with the properties.

The work will be part of Project Enchilada, the downtown master plan aimed at enhancing streetscapes, open space, retail and overall improvement in the area from Main Street to Eastern Avenue and U.S. 95 to Charleston Boulevard. The project is a public-private partnership.

Seven properties are listed on the city’s plans, with varying amounts of money dedicated to each — Lucky Motel ($130,000), Fremont/AriNeva ($115,000) and Starview Motel ($110,000) are among the properties slated for six-figure overhauls.

The majority of the funding would go toward the initial refurbishing work, with $100,000 allocated toward a 10-year maintenance fund. Most of the neon signs tied to the properties were constructed in the 1950s and refurbishing them is vital because they are the last remaining neon signs from their time, according to the proposal.

Each sign will be either refurbished or rebuilt and placed back on the historically accurate position that they originated from.

The Downtown Project owns the properties, but isn’t required to contribute toward the refurbishing, according to the request. However, they are required to pay for lighting the signs during evening operations. If the project doesn’t power and maintain the signs for at least 10 years after they’re revamped, they must be donated to the Neon Museum, according to the proposal.

If funds are approved, the neon illumination is slated to take place through July 2019.

Aside from neon sign refurbishing, the proposal incudes addressing vacant lots, upgrading landscaping and restoring power in the area.

Other planned elements of Project Enchilada include: strategic retail plan for the area, creating parks, designation the area as an official parade route for the city, building transportation infrastructure — including bike routes and pedestrian walkways — and creating cultural experiences for the area with focus on short distance venues.