Chinatown to get a makeover

Plans for the redevelopment of Chinatown were approved last week, making way for a makeover of the area.

The Clark County Redevelopment Agency on Wednesday unanimously approved the presentation of the Inspiring Spring Mountain Redevelopment Plan and the Corridor Improvement Grant Program. During the meeting, two agenda items regarding the area were heard and approved.

Plans have been in the works for the redevelopment of Chinatown since May 2024, according to the Inspiring Spring Mountain website. In July, the area was officially designated as a redevelopment area by Clark County, diverting sales and property tax dollars to the area.

During the meeting Wednesday, the final proposal was approved, as well as $750,000 set aside for a “Corridor Improvement Grant Program,” which would be awarded to property owners and tenants.

“I and others recognized it as sort of a diamond in the rough,” County Commissioner Justin Jones, who has spearheaded the project, told the Review-Journal in July. “The whole idea of the redevelopment area was to identify those blighted areas, identify those uses that were outdated and make it a more cohesive area for tourists and locals alike to take advantage of the access to high-quality restaurants and shopping.”

Final proposal

At the meeting, commissioners reviewed and approved a final proposal, which outlines the needs and concerns of the community, as well as eight main goals.

These goals include: enhance mobility, walkability and transit access; strengthen economic vitality and small business resilience; preserve and celebrate cultural heritage; implement sustainable and resilient infrastructure; create safe and welcoming public spaces; promote arts culture and creative spaces; boost tourism and community identity; and expand housing options.

The document highlights multiple plans for implementation, which include pop-up activations, more shade trees and structures, better lighting and wayfinding, right-sized parking including parking garages, integration into Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority and regional tourism campaigns as well as cross-promotion with the Strip, Downtown and at the airport.

The plan included multiple catalyst projects as well, including a mural project, overlay district, placemaking, branding and wayfinding and a grant program, which was approved in the second agenda item.

The mural project would bring in local Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander artists to strengthen “cultural identity and sense of place” and drive “pedestrian activity and small business visibility.”

The overlay district will improve walkability, shade, lighting and streetscape; provide incentives for redevelopment such as mixed-use buildings and adaptive reuse; add active ground floors and pedestrian-oriented design; and implement multilingual engagement and public outreach.

The placemaking, branding and wayfinding program will create a unified brand for the district and support mobility, safety, walkability and transit. Some of the “key deliverables” include a Wayfinding Master Plan; custom bus shelters and trash bins; metal streetlight banners; public safety signage with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; and multilingual material.

Jones told the Review-Journal in July a pedestrian walkway between Chinatown Plaza and Shanghai Plaza will be constructed. It is anticipated to start at the end of this year and be completed by Lunar New Year in 2026.

He also said roadway improvements are of “highest importance.” The first will be resurfacing part of Spring Mountain Road, which is anticipated to start in the first quarter of 2026. The second is removing one of the westbound lanes of Spring Mountain Road from Decatur Boulevard to Interstate 15 to widen the sidewalks and will likely start in 2027.

Corridor Improvement Grant Program

The second agenda item approved designated $750,000 toward a “Corridor Improvement Grant Program” for property owners and tenants in the area.

Those who apply can receive up to $25,000 base and a $5,000 per acre bonus, with a maximum of $75,000 and a 25 percent cash match required, although a waiver is possible.

Tenants or property owners must be in the redevelopment area, have three or more years remaining on their lease and be in good standing with no unpaid taxes or code issues.

Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X.