Apartment complex at site of old Showboat hotel holds grand opening

The site of the former Showboat hotel near downtown Las Vegas may be gone, but it’s being memorialized in a new way.

City officials celebrated the grand opening Wednesday of the Showboat Park Apartments at 2800 Fremont St., south of Charleston Boulevard.

While a portion of the 344-unit complex is still under construction, Bentar Development owner ChiChi Bengochea said new tenants have already moved in with more signing leases this week.

“There’s already 60 (units occupied), and 15 or 18 were rented last week,” Bengochea said. “It is challenging to deal with the demographics on this side of town. The price point does push them a little bit, but there’s people that really want to be here. We wanted to create a difference.”

The gated complex features a 10,000-square-foot clubhouse with a full-size conference room, library, workstations and high-speed Wi-Fi that is available property-wide. The clubhouse also overlooks several amenities including Showboat Park’s swimming pool, a four-on-four, small-sided natural grass soccer field, basketball court, covered playground, barbecue and yoga areas and a fitness center.

Prices start at $974. Units range from 497 square feet for a studio to 1,077 square feet for a three-bedroom unit, according to the property’s website.

Bengochea said the project to redevelop the 25-acre site is a special one. He recalled coming to the Showboat as a high school student with friends and noted his father was a blackjack dealer at the property.

“Too often community is forgotten trying to chase the rent. … There’s a community prepared to welcome people from all professions and all walks of life,” he said.

The project is also bringing three nearby restaurants, a car wash, grocery store and storage facility — locations that will open later this year, Bengochea said.

It’s been more than a decade since a new multifamily-living option was offered in the neighborhood, according to an earlier release from developer.

Stout Management President Taylor Verhaalen, whose firm is managing the complex, said at the opening event that Showboat Park and its amenities “would stand on its own in any location in Las Vegas as a luxury community.”

“This area has been lacking in redevelopment of a new project like this for a long, long time, and we knew it would be well received,” he said, adding the first renters moved in during January.

Peter Guzman, president of the Latin Chamber of Commerce, echoed Verhaalen’s comment saying he believes change is coming for the neighborhood.

“This is in an area that unfortunately doesn’t see a lot of development as it should. But I think a lot of that is going to change under Councilwoman (Olivia) Diaz, and developers are now taking a look down here,” Guzman said.

Contact Subrina Hudson at shudson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Follow @SubrinaH on Twitter.