Real estate developer Irwin Kishner stands in his office Monday, Nov. 23, 2015, at Somerset Shopping Center.
Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017 | 11:41 a.m.
Irwin Kishner, a noted real estate developer, attorney and longtime Las Vegas community leader, died Monday. He was 84.
Like so many of Las Vegas’ pioneering businessmen, Kishner was an Eastern transplant. He was born in 1933 in Brooklyn, N.Y., and lived there until he was 13 years old, when his family moved to Florida.
After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he earned a bachelor’s degree and began working on his law degree. After his father died in 1955, Kishner transferred to the University of Miami so he could move in with and care for his mother, who was devastated by the loss.
Kishner began making his mark on the Las Vegas Strip soon after moving here in 1960. Along with family members already living in the area, he invested in property near the Riviera and began working with his great uncle to build a motel across the street from the Frontier.
Kishner’s first development as an owner (along with his uncle) was the Somerset Apartments on Kishner Drive — located just south of the old Riviera and north of Convention Center Drive — which opened in 1961.
He and his uncle then built out the rest of the short street, opening the Somerset House Motel in 1962, the Somerset Gardens apartment complex in 1963 and the Somerset Shopping Center in 1966./p>
Just prior to the 2008 recession, Kishner was involved in a deal to sell all of his property along Kishner Drive to multinational conglomerate Triple Five for $100 million. However, the economic collapse killed the sale, and Kishner held on to the property along with a $15 million deposit.
Kishner enjoyed a long, storied history in Las Vegas, developing properties and playing a role in the business of the city both during and after its golden era. However, his daughter, Clark County District Judge Joanna Kishner, and local attorney Gerald Gordon (a cousin of Kishner’s whose father, David, worked with Kishner for 20 years) said there was far more to the man than real estate deals.
“Service above self, that was his motto,” said Joanna, who pointed to Kishner’s longtime membership with the Las Vegas Rotary Club, where he served as president in 1983-84 and was on its board of directors for 13 years, and his instrumental role in many other community and business groups as proof.
“He considered himself the ambassador of Las Vegas because he loved the community,” she added. “And although he was very generous with philanthropic efforts, he always did it as a part of a group rather than trying to have his name stand out — because he thought it was more important that it be part of the community’s responsibility to help rather than have his name up front.”
Gordon agreed. “Irwin should best be remembered for the countless hours and resources he contributed to scores of civic and philanthropic organizations, causes and projects in our community over the last 50 years.”
Kishner worked right up to his death from his office in the Somerset Shopping Center on the street that bears his name. In an interview with VEGAS INC two years ago, he spoke about his personal and business plans.
“I have no plans to retire at this point,” he said. “I’ll keep working until I go to the happy hunting ground. We’re not breaking up the street, either; it will be sold as a complete package. I sold Somerset Apartments several years ago, and the owners have agreed to sell at the same time as me. It all has more value as a package than as individuals.”
Survivors include his two daughters, Joanna (Alexander) Kishner and Sharon Kishner; and four grandchildren; Joshua, Jillian, Rachel and Risa.
Services are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Thursday at King David Memorial Chapel, Las Vegas, with burial to follow at Palm Eastern Cemetery.
CORRECTION: This version of the story clarifies that Kishner's uncle was co-owner of the initial developments. | (September 6, 2017)
