Art museum proposed for Symphony Park area

Las Vegas is one step closer to having an art museum after city officials approved a tentative agreement with developers for a downtown site earlier this month.

Las Vegas City Council members unanimously approved an exclusive negotiation agreement on Dec. 6, giving the Las Vegas Museum of Art six months to develop a plan for the proposed site in Symphony Park.

The proposed structure, which would be located at South City Parkway and Symphony Park Avenue, is expected to span between 60,000- and 90,000-square-feet spread across three stories.

The museum is projected to cost $150 million and could break ground as early as 2026, with an expected opening date in 2028.

“We feel this is the missing piece of the puzzle in a long series of accomplishments we’ve made in Las Vegas, from the Smith Center, the Raiders’ Stadium, Formula One and feel that the art museum is a great next step in our cultural chapter,” Heather Harmon, a representative with the museum, told council members.

Harmon said there’s plans for three exhibition spaces that will constantly rotate.

“We want to make sure that we always have something on view for our audience, that we’re never dark,” Harmon said.

The museum also has partnerships with the Elaine P. Wynn &Family Foundation and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which is expected to provide the Las Vegas art museum support through borrowed artworks and expertise.

The art museum has also received state support, including a combined $5 million appropriation from the legislature. The funds must be first allocated by the Interim Finance Committee.

“We may want it, but our community needs it,” said Councilman Cedric Crear, who represents the area where the proposed site is located. “This isn’t something that’s a beauty project. This is something that is needed in our community that is going to round out any great city.”

Las Vegas is the largest city in the United States that doesn’t have an art museum, Harmon said.

Contact Taylor R. Avery at TAvery@reviewjournal.com. Follow @travery98 on X.