Las Vegas and Lake Las Vegas

Las Vegas,^[a] colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the seat of Clark County. It is the 24th-most populous city in the United States with 641,903 residents at the 2020 census,^[9] while the Las Vegas metropolitan area has an estimated 2.4 million residents and is the 29th-largest metropolitan area in the nation. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city, known primarily for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife. Most of these venues are located in downtown Las Vegas or on the Las Vegas Strip, which is outside city limits in the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester. The Las Vegas Valley serves as the leading financial, commercial, and cultural center in Nevada.

Las Vegas was settled in 1905 and officially incorporated in 1911.^[10] At the close of the 20th century, it was the most populated North American city founded within that century. Population growth has accelerated since the 1960s and into the 21st century, and between 1990 and 2000 the population increased by 85.2%.

The city bills itself as the Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its luxurious and large casino-hotels. As of 2023, Las Vegas attracts over 40.8 million visitors annually,^[11] making it one of the most visited cities in the United States and consistently ranking among the world's top tourist destinations.^[12][13] It is the third most popular U.S. destination for business conventions^[14] and a global leader in the hospitality industry.^[15] The city's tolerance for numerous forms of adult entertainment has earned it the nickname "Sin City",^[16] and has made it a popular setting for films, literature, television programs, commercials and music videos.

In 1829, Mexican trader and explorer Antonio Armijo led a group consisting of 60 men and 100 mules along the Old Spanish Trail from modern day New Mexico to California. Along the way, the group stopped in what would become Las Vegas and noted its natural water sources, now referred to as the Las Vegas Springs, which supported extensive vegetation such as grasses and mesquite trees. The springs were a significant natural feature in the valley, with streams that supported a meadow ecosystem. This region served as the winter residence for the Southern Paiute people, who utilized the area's resources before moving to higher elevations during the summer months. The Spanish "las vegas" or "the meadows" (more precisely, lower land near a river) in English, was applied to describe the fertile lowlands near the springs. Over time, the name began to refer to the populated settlement.^[17][18][19]

Nomadic Paleo-Indians traveled to the Las Vegas area 10,000 years ago, leaving behind petroglyphs. Ancient Puebloan and Paiute tribes followed at least 2,000 years ago.^[20]

A young Mexican scout named Rafael Rivera is credited as the first non-Native American to encounter the valley, in 1829.^[21] Trader Antonio Armijo led a 60-man party along the Spanish Trail to Los Angeles, California, in 1829.^[22][23] In 1844, John C. Frémont arrived, and his writings helped lure pioneers to the area. Downtown Las Vegas's Fremont Street is named after him.

Eleven years later, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chose Las Vegas as the site to build a fort halfway between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, where they would travel to gather supplies. The fort was abandoned several years afterward. The remainder of this Old Mormon Fort can still be seen at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Washington Avenue.

Las Vegas was founded as a city in 1905, when 110 acres (45 ha) of land adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks were auctioned in what would become the downtown area. In 1911, Las Vegas was incorporated as a city.^[24]

The year 1931 was pivotal for Las Vegas. At that time, Nevada legalized casino gambling^[25] and reduced residency requirements for divorce to six weeks.^[26] This year also witnessed the beginning of construction of the tunnels of nearby Hoover Dam. The influx of construction workers and their families helped Las Vegas avoid economic calamity during the Great Depression. The construction work was completed in 1935.

In late 1941, Las Vegas Army Airfield was established. Renamed Nellis Air Force Base in 1950, it is now home to the United States Air Force Thunderbirds aerobatic team.^[27]

Following World War II, lavishly decorated hotels, gambling casinos, and big-name entertainment became synonymous with Las Vegas.

In 1951, nuclear weapons testing began at the Nevada Test Site, 65 miles (105 km) northwest of Las Vegas. During this time, the city was nicknamed the "Atomic City." Residents and visitors were able to witness the mushroom clouds (and were exposed to the fallout) until 1963 when the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty required that nuclear tests be moved underground.^[28]

In 1955, the Moulin Rouge Hotel opened and became the first racially integrated casino-hotel in Las Vegas.

During the 1960s, corporations and business tycoons such as Howard Hughes were building and buying hotel-casino properties. Gambling was referred to as "gaming," which transitioned it into a legitimate business. Learning from Las Vegas, published during this era, asked architects to take inspiration from the city's highly decorated buildings, helping to start the postmodern architecture movement.

In 1995, the Fremont Street Experience opened in Las Vegas's downtown area. This canopied five-block area features 12.5 million LED lights and 550,000 watts of sound from dusk until midnight during shows held at the top of each hour.

Due to the realization of many revitalization efforts, 2012 was dubbed "The Year of Downtown." Projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars made their debut at this time, including the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, the Discovery Children's Museum, the Mob Museum, the Neon Museum, a new City Hall complex, and renovations for a new Zappos.com corporate headquarters in the old City Hall building.^[29][30]

Lake Las Vegas is a 320-acre (130 ha) reservoir in Henderson, Nevada with a 3,592-acre (1,454 ha) developed area around it.^[2][3] The area is sometimes referred to as the Lake Las Vegas Resort. It is being developed by 5 companies including Lake at Las Vegas Joint Venture LLC.^[4]

The area includes three resorts including the Aston MonteLago Village Resort, the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort, and the Hilton Lake Las Vegas.

The earthen impoundment that forms the reservoir is 192 ft (59 m) tall, 4,800 ft (1,500 m) in length, and 716 ft (218 m) wide at its base. It contains roughly the same amount of dirt as Hoover Dam does concrete, and impounds 10,000 acre-feet (12,000,000 m³) of water.^[1][5] Since the reservoir was built in the channel of the Las Vegas Wash — the valley's only storm runoff outlet — A bypass was built for the wash beneath the reservoir and dam allowing it to remain connected to Lake Mead via two 84-inch (2.1 m) diameter pipes.^[6][7] After falling into substantial disrepair, the pipes — which are owned by the city of Henderson, but maintained by the resort — were repaired in 2009 at a cost of $3 million.^[8] Above the entrance to the bypass is a flood control structure, which permit excess flood waters of the Las Vegas Wash to be diverted into Lake Las Vegas.^[9]

In 1965, J. Carlton Adair, acting for The Port Holiday Authority, acquired 160 acres on the shore of Lake Mead within the National Park Service (NPS) boundary. This was land that was overlooked and not acquired by the government for the Lake Mead impoundment. The NPS had serious objections to Adair's planned resort development and attempted to block his entry. Eventually legislation was passed in congress to facilitate a land exchange. Adair would exchange the Lake Mead shoreline acreage for 2243 acres of land in the Las Vegas Wash abutting the NPS. The exchange was for the express purpose of construction of a dam and lake with resorts. This project was to be called Lake Adair. The land was annexed into the city of Henderson, and legislation was passed by the Nevada legislature that would change the name of Henderson to the City of Lake Adair when the lake was filled.^{[citation needed]}

In 1967 Adair hired Tipton and Kalmbach (T&K) to design the dam and bypass pipelines for Lake Adair but was unable to obtain sufficient financing. He split the property into small "shares" in exchange for deposits. Barry Silverton (Pacific Malibu Development Corporation) met with the now numerous land owners and reassembled the project as Lake At Las Vegas. Silverton began the planning, permitting and design process and retained T&K to update the design for the dam and bypass pipeline system. Unable to find financing for the project, in 1987 Silverton sold controlling shares of the project to Transcontinental Properties run by Ronald Boeddeker.^[2][3] Silverton was finally bought out by Transcontinental Properties. Transcontinental Properties continued the arduous approval process for construction of the dam and bypass system. The project had many political opponents with clout at high levels.

Washington Construction was hired as the prime contractor for the project which was to be a Union project. The twin 84" Dia Bypass pipes are reinforced concrete manufactured by hydroconduit in Henderson Nv. Finally, in 1991, following the State Engineers final inspection of the dam, diversion began through the WWII era BMI pipeline to provide raw Lake Mead water to fill the reservoir.^[10][6][11] The State Engineer, Mike Turnipseed, approved the application by Steve Ainsworth, LLV Chief Project Engineer, on behalf of LLV, for 2000 Acre-Feet per year of stormwater rights. This permitted LLV to replace evaporation losses with runoff during storms. All stormwater runnoff would otherwise be lost to the State on Nevada when it entered Lake Mead and the Colorado River, which are federal waters.

In 1995, Henry Gluck, the former chairman and chief executive officer of Caesars World, became the co-Chairman of Transcontinental Properties.^[12] With Sid Bass and Lee Bass, two billionaires from Fort Worth, Texas, he developed the new community.^[12] The project cost US $5 billion.^[12]

Lake at Las Vegas Joint Venture, LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 17, 2008, with their debts estimated at between $500 million and $1 billion.^[4] Lake Las Vegas emerged from bankruptcy in July 2010 with a plan that took nearly two years to complete. All existing debt was wiped away and the development has $30 million in hand to complete several of the unfinished infrastructure projects. The Lake Las Vegas bankruptcy creditors, not Lake Las Vegas development themselves, have filed a lawsuit against the former insiders (Bass Brothers, TransContinental, etc.). The creditors' theory is that the $500 million equity loan the former insiders took against the property caused the demise of Lake Las Vegas. The creditors are hoping to recoup money from the former insiders.

In a related action, resort property owners are suing lender Credit Suisse as part of a multibillion-dollar lawsuit led by bankrupt Yellowstone Club founder Timothy Blixseth and his son Beau Blixseth who claim the Lake Las Vegas Joint Venture bankruptcy was caused by a "loan to own" scheme between the bank and resort developers.^[13] The golf course was purchased by Nevada South Shore LLC, a Hawaii-based corporation for $4.5 million on February 17, 2011.^[14] The Ritz Carlton, Lake Las Vegas, closed after 8 years of operation on May 2, 2010.^[15] The Ritz Carlton was then reopened by international boutique hotelier Dolce Hotels on February 11, 2011, as the Ravella at Lake Las Vegas.^[14] On April 30, 2013, Kam Sang Co. announced that the Ravella would be renamed the Hilton Lake Las Vegas, the name under which the hotel continues to operate.^[16] The Hilton opened June 6, 2013.^[17]

Lake Las Vegas was the subject of a lawsuit between investment fund Claymore Holdings and Credit Suisse, which was the agent for a syndicate of entities that loaned $540 million to develop the property. Claymore and others accused Credit Suisse of fraudulently inflating the value of the development in order to generate higher fees for itself.^[18] The core of the allegations centered on a new appraisal methodology conceived of by Credit Suisse executive David Miller, who in internal emails is referred to as Credit Suisse's Dr. Frankenstein.^[19] In 2015, a Texas judge ordered Credit Suisse to pay $288 million to Highland, Claymore and others. The verdict was partially offset by other payments to Highland, meaning that Claymore received most of the Credit Suisse judgment.^[20] That Judgment was reversed by the Texas Supreme Court in April 2020, and Claymore's Judgment was reduced to $26 million (plus interest).^[21]