Stretch of North Las Vegas’ Craig Road to be ‘restaurant row’

Construction is expected to start April 9 on Cafe Rio, Blaze Pizza and other restaurants on Craig Road and Bruce Street in North Las Vegas. (Darryll Brandwine, d3 Design Studios)

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Construction is expected to start April 9 on the first Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Southern Nevada, along with Jersey Mike’s, Blaze Pizza and Cafe Rio, on a stretch of Craig Road that has been designated as “restaurant row” of North Las Vegas.

The eateries are slated to open this year on vacant land on the northeast corner Craig and Bruce Street and catty-corner to the Cannery, developer Mitch Ogron said.

Within the next few months, Ogron said, he will start looking for additional chain restaurants to move to the northwest corner of the intersection. And by the end of 2019, a mix of eateries and automotive-service businesses are slated to open on the southwest end of the intersection.

“The tenants want to be here because Craig Road is the most heavily traveled east-west arterial road in North Las Vegas …” Ogron said.

Mayor John Lee referred to North Las Vegas as a “food desert” with few options back when a handful of residents opposed the arrival of a Jack in the Box at Aliante and Centennial parkways in November 2016.

The City Council narrowly approved that project, and city officials have since made an effort to attract high-quality chain restaurants with a focus on Craig Road.

“It’s truly transformational,” said Gina Gavan, economic and business development director for North Las Vegas. “In the next 10 to 12 months, the whole corridor is going to be unrecognizably different.”

As part of that transformation, Gavan and Lee are trying to strike up a deal to develop 40 acres owned by Nellis Air Force Base at Craig Road and North Fifth Street.

A chain link-fence surrounds the vast property, where the Air Force has a pair of small wells that connect to a water line leading to Nellis.

Gavan said that negotiations are underway to consolidate the wells into a single water source so the rest of the land can be developed into businesses that are “mutually beneficial” to the city and the Air Force.

“As we’ve grown, the Air Force has started to realize that it’s important for us to reach some sort of agreement on how to develop this land that’s essentially at the center of our city,” Gavan said.

Farther west, developers plan additional restaurants and medical offices on the vacant land surrounding the Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican Hospital at Craig and Camino Al Norte/Martin Luther King Boulevard.

The property recently was rezoned for commercial use, and underground infrastructure is being laid, said Dan Sullivan, director of development for Eastern Real Estate.

Sullivan declined to name prospective tenants for the area, but Ogron said construction will start May 1 on a Starbucks at Craig and Scott Robinson Boulevard.

“North Las Vegas has rebounded substantially,” Sullivan said. “I think the market has finally corrected itself to make these projects possible.”

Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Find @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.

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Coalition: Nevada rental housing is least affordable in US | The Modesto Bee

Rising housing costs have broken a 10-year-old record in Reno, and the most recent data shows Nevada ranks last among all states for providing affordable rental housing for its poorest families.

A report released this week based on 2016 figures also ranks Las Vegas last among U.S. metropolitan areas for the second year in a row in terms of affordable rental housing. It’s the fourth year in a row Nevada has finished last statewide in that category, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

The Reno/Sparks Association of Realtors says the combined median price for an existing single-family home in Reno and Sparks reached $370,000 last month.

That tops the previous record of $365,000 set in January 2006 during the height of the housing bubble.

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Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said the statewide ranking for affordable rental housing is attributable to Nevada’s small supply of subsidized housing, its abundance of low-wage jobs and the lasting effect of the nation’s housing crisis. The coalition advocates for public policy that assures people with the lowest incomes in the U.S. have access to affordable homes.

"Las Vegas, of course, was one of the areas most impacted by the foreclosure crisis and is a really good example of people losing their homes and becoming renters," Yentel told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The rental housing supply has not kept up with demand, she said. "That’s increased costs for everyone, and the lowest income people are impacted the hardest."

Titled "The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes," the coalition study used the latest available U.S. Census survey data to identify rental housing that is affordable and available for "extremely low income" families. The federal government defines such families as making 30 percent or less of an area’s median income.

For a family of four in the Las Vegas metro area, that’s about $24,600 or less a year.

The study assumed that for housing to be considered affordable, a family should spend no more than 30 percent of its income on rent and utilities.

Las Vegas had 10 affordable rental units for every 100 extremely low income households. Nevada had 15. The national average was 35.

Las Vegas-Henderson was the only Nevada market detailed in that report.

In Reno-Sparks, prices are expected to "inch up" this year as the area enters residential real estate’s busy spring and summer season, according to Doug McIntyre, president of the Reno/Sparks Association of Realtors.

"The good news is there has been a 10 percent increase in new listings (at 532 units)," he told the Reno Gazette Journal. "With spring approaching, it’s traditionally a time when more people put their homes on the market."

Tight supply resulting from near-zero construction during the recession combined with strong demand from buyers has fueled a housing crunch in Reno marked by skyrocketing home values.

Housing supply for Reno-Sparks, which calculates how fast the current supply will sell out at the current pace of sales minus new inventory, is at just 1.3 months compared with 2.7 months a year ago.

Supply is especially limited at the lower end or entry-level part of the market. The Biggest Little City closed last year and opened 2018 with fewer than 100 existing single-family homes in the market priced below $300,000. Reno’s median household income, which has hovered between $50,000 and $55,000 in recent years, is also unable to comfortably afford the area’s median home price.

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Silver State Film Festival Invites Independent Filmmakers from Around the World to Come and Experience Las Vegas

Submissions for features, shorts and competitive projects are open on FilmFreeway at https://filmfreeway.com/SilverStateFilmFestival.For more information, please visit the website at http://silverstatefilmfestival.com."After so many months of planning, preparation, and strategizing, we are happy to be launching finally. The city of Las Vegas will be hosting very distinctive creatives from different parts of the world. Our platform provides an opportunity for independent filmmakers to find exposure and present their ideas in an environment that is receptive, engaging, appreciative, and saturated with creative people who value the arts. We hope to make this event worthwhile and beneficial for many who are looking for ways to project their films and ideas," said Jon Gursha, Festival Director of Silver State Film Festival.Silver State Film Festival is going to be one of a kind. Apart from providing a smooth submission process for creatives and filmmakers all over the world, it will also proffer an opportunity for many people to showcase their talent in the perfect environment. The festival will bring together independent filmmakers from around the world who will be screening their films, taking part in different activities and events, and networking.Silver State Film Festival will involve screening of features, shorts, and competitive projects. There will also be discussions, workshops, seminars, and exhibitions, where every participant will be able to connect and network. Filmmakers will also have the opportunity to sit on a panel, get their work reviewed, win awards, and gain more fans and popularity for their work. “We are excited to create a world class Festival in Fabulous Las Vegas," said Peter Greene, Program Director of Silver State Film Festival.There are many benefits to taking part in film festivals, especially when it is hosted in Las Vegas. Filmmakers and participants get to meet film marketing agents and have a chance to strike a distribution deal. Participants will also have the opportunity to connect and network with other filmmakers, discover new talents, and get the thrill of seeing people watch their creative work. “This year’s Festival is designed to bring together International and local Independent Filmmakers from around the world We are bringing some of the best indie filmmakers together in Las Vegas," said Eric Vollweiler, Co-Producer of Silver State Film Festival.About Silver State Film FestivalSilver State Film Festival is an independent film festival held annually in Nevada. The organizers desire to bring independent filmmakers from all over the world to Las Vegas, to come and experience a great time, network, and get discovered. For more information, please contact 818-633-5404, silverstatefilmfestival@gmail.com, or visit http://silverstatefilmfestival.com.

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