Hughes Corp., Sunrise Colony celebrate beltway extension

A joint celebration marked the recent opening of a four-mile stretch of the Las Vegas Beltway between Sahara and Tropicana avenues. Government officials, construction representatives, and associates of The Howard Hughes Corp. and Sunrise Colony Co. were on hand for the occasion.

"The opening of the Las Vegas Beltway to Town Center Drive and West Sahara Avenue has a significant impact on Summerlin and the residents of its villages, including (Sunrise Colony Co.'s) Red Rock Country Club and Siena," Dan Van Epp, president of The Howard Hughes Corp., the developer of Summerlin, said.

Frank Countner, chief operating officer for Sunrise Colony Co. in Nevada, agreed.

"For many of our residents, access to McCarran International Airport is an important consideration," Countner said. "Now, residents of Red Rock Country Club, Siena and other Summerlin villages can take the beltway south and arrive at McCarran International Airport and the Green Valley area in a matter of minutes."

The festivities included a 50-meter scooter race on the new roadway. Participants included Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny; Las Vegas City Councilman Michael Mack; Jeff Rhoads, director of advance planning at Hughes Corp.; Bryan Nix, vice chairman of the Clark County Regional Transportation Commission; and Tom Gilbertson, general manager of Red Rock Country Club.

Following the race, Hughes Corp. and Sunrise Colony Co. donated 50 scooters and 50 helmets to The Salvation Army's Angel Tree Program, which provides holiday gifts for less fortunate children.

"The No. 1 requested gift this holiday season among the children in our program is ... scooters," Lt. Col. Jim Sullivan of The Salvation Army said. "As we were entering the holiday season with so many requests for these scooters, we didn't know what we were going to do.

"When we were informed that Sunrise Colony Company and The Howard Hughes Corporation were donating 50 ... scooters and 50 helmets, we were ecstatic."

As a partner in the beltway project, Hughes Corp. provided about $60 million in property and excavation services to expedite the roadway's construction through Summerlin. In addition, the company developed and funded artistic enhancements to beltway overpasses with petroglyph-like images of the Native American story rock art found at the Little Red Rock area near Summerlin.

The road opening marks the completion of 18 construction projects, 23 miles and 53 bridges for a total construction value of $303 million on the project.

Summerlin aligns the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley.

The community is home to eight golf courses, 12 major parks, more than 45 neighborhood parks, 16 public and private schools, houses of worship, shopping centers, cultural facilities, business parks and more than 60 neighborhoods. Homes are priced from under $100,000 to more than $1 million, and built by more than 30 builders.

To visit the Summerlin Home Finding Center, travel west on Sahara Avenue past Hualapai Way to Town Center Drive. Or, take the new portion of the beltway to Town Center Drive and turn right. The center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunrise Colony's Red Rock Country Club is adjacent to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Single- and two-story homes are available, priced from the $290,000s to more than $2 million. Floor plans range from 2,100 to more than 8,000 square feet.

Sunrise Colony is also developing Siena, a guard-gated, age-qualified community in Summerlin. Fourteen single-story floor plans are available, ranging from 1,200 to more than 3,000 square feet. Prices range from the mid-$140,000s to more than $300,000.

Both of these communities may be reached by taking the extended beltway west to the Town Center Drive exit and turning left to Siena, or exiting at Sahara Avenue and turning left to Red Rock Country Club.

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