UnCommons unveils street names after local leaders

UnCommons, the $400 million mixed-use development project, recently unveiled new street names with a local twist.

Five private streets at the 40-acre project were named after civic leaders who have made an impact in Las Vegas, according to Amalie Zinsser, director of community and belonging at UnCommons.

“Each individual is a pillar of a community here in Las Vegas. We want people to be seen and know about their background and what they did for that community and beyond,” Zinsser said. “If there’s a name that’s already out there being celebrated, I applaud it. But there’s more people that have helped this community and that is why we chose these five names.”

The five individuals include: Ruby Duncan, a longtime Las Vegas activist known for promoting welfare reform; Michael Cherry, retired Nevada Supreme Court justice; Rozita Lee, former White House Commissioner serving on President Obama’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; Tom Rodriguez, who served as the first executive manager for diversity and affirmative action programs with the Clark County School District; and Helen Anderson Toland, the first Black woman to serve as a Clark County School District principal.

Zinsser said visitors will also be able to watch video interviews with each local leader by scanning QR codes located on the campus. It took the same approach with artwork located on the campus, with visitors able to scan QR codes to learn more about the artist.

Zinsser hopes UnCommons will be able to establish itself as another unique “pinpoint” in the Las Vegas Valley similar to Downtown Summerlin and the Arts District in downtown Las Vegas.

Building in phases

UnCommons, located at Durango Drive and the 215 Beltway, started its second phase of construction in April, and developer Matter Real Estate Group is expected to complete the second phase next year. There will be a third construction phase, Zinsser said, but the timeline has not been announced.

When complete, the development will bring more than 500,000 square feet of offices, as well as eateries, health and fitness studios, and over 830 residential units.

Some office, retail and restaurant tenants have already moved into their space during the summer, Zinsser said, such as Urth Caffe, boba shop Teaspoon and Speakeasy Candle Co. Commercial real estate brokerage CBRE Group opened its local headquarters at the complex in July.

Other tenants announced at the campus include financial services giant Morgan Stanley, accounting firm BDO, luxury real estate brokerage Sotheby’s International Realty, and online sports-betting company DraftKings, which said last fall that it expects to eventually have more than 1,000 employees there.

This month, UnCommons said it would be welcoming Salt & Straw Ice Cream, offering flavors such as the seasonal “Jack o’ Lantern Pumpkin,” which combines pieces of pumpkin bread with pumpkin spiced ice cream and whip cream. The location, opening early 2023, will also mark the ice cream shop’s first Nevada location.

Zinsser also noted the planned opening of global food fall The Sundry and Kaiyo, that offers a mix of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine. The restaurants are scheduled to open in 2023 but no set dates have been picked, according to Zinsser.

It will be a few years before UnCommons is fully developed, but Zinsser hopes that doesn’t keep people away.

“This project is still under construction,” she said. “But we said we want people to come and enjoy the space. So don’t fear if you see construction workers. Come on in. We’re here. We’re open.”

Contact Sean Hemmersmeier at shemmersmeier@reviewjournal.com. Follow @seanhemmers34 on Twitter.