Revitalizing Commercial Center District: Connecting the Past and Future Through Creative Placemaking and Community Development

Opened in 1963 as the first outdoor shopping center in Las Vegas, the Commercial Center District has been home to many original Las Vegas small businesses. From the days of the Rat Pack dining at Commercial Center Deli and “Jackie’s Deli” to Elvis Presley shopping at John Fish Jewelers picking out an engagement ring for Priscilla in the 60’s, the Commercial Center plays an iconic role in Las Vegas history. By 1980, Las Vegas’s population exceeded 450,000 and consumers had moved on to shopping in malls. The Commercial Center went into decline.

AIA’s Placemaking Committee is proud to have Monica Gresser, AIA, Principal Architect at BRAZEN architecture, Inc located at the Commercial Center, talk about the past, present, and future of Commercial Center and community-based redevelopment concepts driven by creative placemaking and mixed-use development.

This event is complimentary for all attendees.