Symphony Park
Coordinates: 36°10′13″N 115°9′6″W / 36.17028°N 115.15167°W
Symphony Park is a 61-acre site situated in downtown Las Vegas. The downtown area is located just a few miles north of the Las Vegas Strip and centrally within the Las Vegas Valley.
Once housing a Union Pacific rail yard, Symphony Park currently is being master developed for mixed-use by the city of Las Vegas, which is also the landowner. Symphony Park is home to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and the DISCOVERY Children’s Museum.
Surrounded by major developments, Symphony Park’s neighbors include the 5.1-million-square-foot World Market Center Las Vegas, the 175-store Las Vegas North Premium Outlets and the multistory Clark County Government Center.
Symphony Park is the only project in the state of Nevada to be accepted into a national pilot program for green neighborhood developments. Symphony Park was awarded gold certification under stage 2 of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development. (LEED®-ND)
The Smith Center for the Performing Arts Named in honor of Fred W. and Mary B. Smith and opened in March 2012, this performing arts center offers a blend of performances including dance, music and Broadway shows. It is home to resident companies, Nevada Ballet Theater and Las Vegas Philharmonic, and also houses the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce. The Smith Center includes a 2,050-seat main hall, a 300-seat Cabaret Jazz club that overlooks a park and the 200-seat Troesh Studio Theatre. The facility has been rated among the top five U.S. venues for overall attendance. (Ranked by Venues Today, a leading international trade publication.)
Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health The Frank Gehry-designed Center for Brain Health is an institution dedicated to researching and finding cures for Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and other forms of memory disorders. Its clinic, which opened during the summer of 2009, provides assistance for both patients and caregivers. The facility also houses the Keep Memory Alive Event Center, which made its debut in May 2010, where a variety of programs are held.
DISCOVERY Children’s Museum Symphony Park has been home to the DISCOVERY Children’s Museum at the Donald W. Reynolds Discovery Center since March 2013, when it relocated from a smaller facility in another downtown location. The center focuses on science and nature, art and culture and early childhood development with 26,000 square feet of interactive, hands-on exhibits. The 3-story museum is complete with nine interactive galleries featuring traveling exhibitions, daily programs, demonstrations and cultural programming.
History
July 19, 2000 City Council authorizes City staff to enter into negotiations With Shopco Advisory Group (representing Lehman Brothers) for the purchase of the 61-acre parcel; City willing to exchange 98 acres in the Las Vegas Technology Center plus $2 million.
September 25, 2000 Environmental Risk Management Report completed by Converse Consultants.
October 4, 2000 City Council holds the agreement that allows the City to exchange 99 acres in the Las Vegas Technology Park plus $2 million for the 61.5 acres.
October 18, 2000 City Council approves the agreement between PAMI and the City of Las Vegas for the acquisition of the 61.5-acre parcel located at Grand Central Parkway and Bonneville.
September 2001 Risk-Based Evaluation completed – Converse Consultants; after completion of the market analysis, second risk-based evaluation completed to determine extent of future remediation requirements for proposed uses of hospital, residential and retail.
January 2003 City Council approves City Parkway to act as master developer.
January 2005 Mayor announces gift of land on site to Ruvo for Alzheimer’s Clinic ($1.4 million or 2 acres).
March 2005 Las Vegas Performing Arts Center Foundation enters into agreement with Donald W. Reynolds Foundation for $45 million endowment plus $5 million grant.
December 2005 City enters into agreement with Performing Arts Center Foundation.
February 2006 City enters into agreement with Lou Ruvo Brain Institute for development of Frank Gehry-designed center.
October 2006 The Smith Center for the Performing Arts announces design team for performing arts center: Design Architect David M. Schwarz/Architectural Services, Inc.; Executive Architect HKS Architects; Theater Consultant Fisher Dachs Associates, Inc.; and Acoustical Designer Akustiks, LLC.
November 2006 City Council approves Design Standards and Master Parcel Plan.
February 2007 Lou Ruvo Brain Institute construction starts.
August 2007 Only project in Nevada accepted into Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED®-ND) pilot program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.
October 2007 The Smith Center for the Performing Arts receives $100 million challenge grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.
November 2007 City Council approves a $1.71 million agreement with the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company to handle pre-construction services for The Smith Center For The Performing Arts.
July 2008 Awarded Gold certification status under stage 2 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), through their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED®-ND) green building rating system.
August 2008 Temporary Certificate of Occupancy issued for administrative offices of Lou Ruvo Brain Institute.
February 2009 Cleveland Clinic and Lou Ruvo Brain Institute announce partnership. Institute renamed Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
March 2009 Completion of Phase I infrastructure improvements.
May 2009 Clinic portion of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health begins operations.
City Council approves construction contracts for The Smith Center. Groundbreaking and construction start of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts held on May 27.
City Council approves name change from Union Park to Symphony Park to reflect significant role new community will play as cultural and artistic center.
July 2009 Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health commences seeing patients.
May 2010 Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health opened its Keep Memory Alive Event Center.
March 2012 The Smith Center for the Performing Arts debuts.
March 2013 DISCOVERY Children’s Museum at the Donald W.Reynolds Discovery Center opens.
References
- http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/Government/
- http://www.downtown.vegas
- http://keepmemoryalive.org/about_us.php?sub=story