Purchased in the mid 1950’s by billionaire Howard Hughes, Summerlin has emerged as one of Las Vegas’ largest communities. Named after Hughes’ grandmother, Jean Amelia Summerlin, the 23,400 acre mega-community has been exploding since construction began on the land in 1990.
Located at the west end of the Las Vegas valley, Summerlin is actually divided into two parts, Summerlin North and Summerlin South. Home to some of the most lavish gated communities in Las Vegas, Summerlin South also includes world renowned golf courses like Bear’s Best, a course designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus himself. Summerlin North is also home to some of the world’s finer golf courses. TPC (Tournament Players Club) at Summerlin is host to the PGA Tour’s Las Vegas Invitational.
Adhering to Las Vegas’ growing trend of building upward, Summerlin North is the future home of One Queensridge Place, a dual tower, high-rise condominium development located just east of the Suncoast, Summerlin’s second largest hotel/casino.
Soon after development began on Summerlin in 1990, construction began on the Summerlin Parkway, an inter-community, two-lane expressway stretching from Rainbow Boulevard to the I-215 Bruce Woodbury Beltway. With the connection complete between the Summerlin Parkway and the I-215 Beltway, the doors flew open for construction on The Red Rock Station, Summerlin’s largest hotel/casino. Owned by Station Casinos, The Red Rock Station is the most expensive casino/spa/resort located off the Las Vegas Strip.
Just west of the Red Rock Station and the I-215 beltway, Summerlin communities The Paseos and The Vistas draw Las Vegas’ real estate market that much closer to Red Rock Canyon, Nevada’s most famous national park. For years, Charleston Blvd. has served as a link between Las Vegas and Red Rock Canyon. However, before development began on Summerlin in 1990, Charleston stretched several miles, unaccompanied by neither commercial nor residential entities. Today, golfers at Bear’s Best are practically one bad slice away from Red Rock Canyon.
We may never know if Howard Hughes foresaw such a booming community when he purchased those 23,400 acres over half a century ago, but we can take comfort in the fact that his grandmother’s name has been well honored.
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