LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — New life is coming to the Historic Westside.
There's a residential and commercial development planned to help address the critical need for affordable housing and more jobs in the area. It's something longtime Historic Westside resident CJ Oatis told me he's ready to see in the area.
"I think more people should move over here and more businesses should come through and make sure there is an impact for the Westside," he said.
Oatis has called the Historic Westside home for 31 years and he lives at the corner of Jefferson and C Street. Across the street from him, his desire for more growth and development in his beloved neighborhood is about to become a reality.
On Thursday, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Historic Westside's first major new construction project in almost 70 years.
Cherry Development is building shareDOWNTOWN's third residential apartment project in the valley. It's called ShareDOWNTOWN Westside.
Cherry Development CEO Sam Cherry tells Channel 13 the five-story building will have 104 units, with 84 featuring rents capped by fair metrics set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"There is a major need for affordable and attainable housing. Is your new development going to provide that," I asked him.
"We are going to do the best we can for workforce housing. I will say one of the initiatives that we have done in the company is work with the housing authority," Cherry said. "We started that with the last project, where we can have people on their list that have jobs and can't find units to get into. "
We asked Cherry what this project means for people living here. He tells me that 14,000 square feet of retail space is meant for a business incubator program, will support food and beverage businesses, and create more jobs. He says it's all part of a 2016 initiative by the City of Las Vegas, which is aimed at revitalizing the Historic Westside.
The Historic Westside is also where Clark County Commissioner William McCurdy II was born and raised. As we walked down the streets where he grew up, he told me this development will be critical.
"This project is our ancestors' dream come to reality," McCurdy said. "There has been a lack of reinvestment for such a long time."
As for Oatis and many others like him, the promise of shareDOWNTOWN Westside goes beyond just bricks and mortar. He said this is a start but more still needs to be done for the community that has long been overlooked and underserved.
"We should have major supermarkets and everything just like other residents," Oatis said. "We have been here for so long and hopefully, other big businesses will move here."
Cherry said he anticipates the project will be complete by 2026, though they are striving to finish earlier than that.
