LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas is one step closer towards opening a new art museum.
In December, the Las Vegas City Council approved a negotiation agreement with a developer. On Wednesday, the city council secured the land for the museum, which would be located in Symphony Park at 302 S. City Parkway.
The museum would be about 90,000 square feet and include three exhibition spaces, ranging between 7,000 square feet to 21,000 square feet each, a gift shop, theater, café, exhibition staging, and an outdoor public area.
On Wednesday, the Las Vegas Museum of Art team, which includes philanthropist Elaine Wynn, announced that Frances Kéré has been selected as the architect for the project.
"The original concept for the process of selecting an architect for an art museum in Symphony Park was to only consider architects within a 500-mile radius of Las Vegas," said Roger Thomas, a trustee for the Las Vegas Museum of Art. "When Elaine Wynn discovered Frances Kéré and asked Heather Harmon, [Executive Director for the Las Vegas Art Museum], for the information regarding his buildings and his personal philosophy, we knew we had found a creator who would not only solver problems of substance and function but would create a building with the inspirational soul of a work of art, a place of a real and particular personality, and a real and lasting icon."
When it comes to design, Kéré made sure to add special nods to Las Vegas.
"The light permeating through the exterior triangles is a nod to Paul Williams' Guardian Angel Cathedral, the stone inspired by a visit to a local quarry and a reference to Red Rock and our natural surroundings," Harmon said. "Every hand that has touched this project has done so with great care."
According to Harmon, the projected cost for the museum is $150 million and the total campaign is looking to raise $200 million.
"We'll see a mix of capital funding sources that include grants, gifts, sponsorships, and donations. Once open in 2028, we've developed a long-range operating plan to set a healthy foundation for the decades to come," Harmon told the city council. "We're already having incredible momentum and support. We've raised nearly half of our building campaign goal even before securing the land, which we hope to do in this meeting. Soon, we'll open the campaign, make a public announcement, and with great excitement, will engage our community to share in bringing this monumental gift to Las Vegas."
What about parking?
"We're planning to work with the city staff on parking and the plans for that," Harmon told the city council. "There is no parking that is part of the building or part of the facility."
"We have started the conversations. We have multiple garages in that area," said Dina Babsky, the Deputy Director of Economic Development for the City of Las Vegas. "As we work through the community's needs, because we have multiple projects there, we're definitely taking that into account."
So what comes next?
Museum officials said next steps include plan development reviews, submitting permits, and closing on the land.
If they stay on track with the current timeline, construction would begin in March 2027 with the goal of completing and opening the Las Vegas Museum of Art by the end of 2028.
The museum also wouldn't take up the entire amount of land that is being set aside. According to Babsky, that could lead to additional art opportunities in the future.
"The remainder of the parcel, which is about 0.6 acres, could be entered into an agreement for a public sculpture garden and is something we can bring forward in the future," Babsky said.
As plans progress, Thomas and Wynn both said it's about time.
"Efforts to realize an art museum in Las Vegas began 45 years ago with a fundraising dinner in the home of Joyce and Jerry Mack," Thomas said. "That was then but our time is now."
"We are at a moment in time when this feels just right. The explosion of growth in our valley that has brought renewed energy to our hospitality, gaming, convention, and sporting worlds needs to extend to our citizens," Wynn said. "We need to care for those who make others dreams come true. We need to make our own dreams come true. This will be hard work but nothing worthwhile is ever easy."
