Las Vegas construction pioneer Charles Heers dies
Charles M. Heers, a pioneering contractor who built the first tract homes in Las Vegas, died Saturday afternoon in Newport Beach, California. He was 94.
According to Heers’ son Brett Heers, the elder Heers had recently been diagnosed with COVID-19, and was hospitalized for pneumonia at the time of his death. Marilyn Heers, his wife of 62 years, is among his survivors.
“Dad was the kind of man who made Vegas, Vegas,” Brett Heers said Monday afternoon. “There aren’t many from his era around anymore.”
The father and son purchased the 17.5-acre property where Tuscany Suites stands in 1990, launching the hotel in 2001. The younger Heers took over operations in 2009, as his father’s health began to decline.
Charles Heers began conducting business in Las Vegas in 1953, when he lived in Riverside, California. Heers founded Twin Lakes Village, off Rancho Drive and U.S. 95, as the first neighborhood of track homes in Las Vegas. The residences served primarily as homes for employees at the Nevada Test Site.
The family moved to town in 1961. The Heers family, including Charles Heers’ brother, Carol, also founded Vacation Village hotel-casino, which today is Town Square. The resort was open for about 12 years ending in 2002. The family planned the Caribbean hotel-casino, with a full-scale ship at the Tuscany site trumpeting that project, which was never launched because of operating costs.
The Heers family also owned property on the Strip where the Mirage and The Venetian were built. They founded Paradise Spa townhome community in 1965, too.
“He built thousands of homes, and everyone knew him back in the day,” Brett Heers said. “We were friends of the Maheus, Adelsons and Kerkorians. Around town, my dad would always hear, ‘We grew up in one of your houses.’”
Tuscany, etc.
More from the Tuscany front:
*Heers says that Friday was one of the biggest days ever for gamblers at the hotel, with players taking away close to $2 million in payouts. A married couple hit slot jackpots of $18,000 and $12,000, just a few hours apart.
*Tuscany Gardens Italian steakhouse is also pulling a larger profit at 25-percent than it did pre-COVID. The restaurant was a surprise Gold Medal winner in uber-competitive Best Fine Dining and Best Wine categories in the Best of Las Vegas poll. The Gardens staff is also turning three tables per night, compared to one (if that), pre-pandemic.
*Across the hall from the restaurant, Kenny Davidsen lit up Piazza lounge again on Friday night. Try on this triumvirate, of host Cian Coey singing Barbra Streisand’s lyrically knotty “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” then rockers Cassie Stone and Christian Brady blowing out Evanesecne’s “Bring Me To Life” and ending with Michael Kaczurak coverint Counting Crows’ “A Long December.” That was some serious, ambient entertainment.
The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. Las Vegas Sands Corp. operates The Venetian.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
