Economic Development Investment Strategy - City of Las Vegas

Economic Development Investment Strategy 

CITY OF LAS VEGAS 

t h e o r y i n t o p r a c t i c e 

Prepared by TIP Strategies, Inc. | www.tipstrategies.com | June 2013 

5 1 2 . 3 4 3 . 9 1 1 3 | w w w . t i p s t r a t e g i e s . c o m | 1 0 6 E a s t 6 t h S t r e e t , S u i t e

C i t y o f L a s V e g a s | E c o n o m i c D e v e l o p m e n t I n v e s t m e n t S t r a t e g y 

Contents 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... II 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 1 

INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 

SWOT ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8 

GOAL: STRENGTHEN & EXPAND THE LAS VEGAS MEDICAL DISTRICT. ................................................................................................................ 11 

GOAL: SUPPORT THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES OF THE DOWNTOWN PROJECT. ............................................................................................. 13 

GOAL: PURSUE NEW DEVELOPMENT & REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. ..................................................................................................... 16 

GOAL: ENGAGE IN A COMPREHENSIVE BUSINESS RECRUITMENT AND PROSPECT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. ....................................... 20 

GOAL: MARKET AND PROMOTE THE CITY OF LAS VEGAS AS A DESTINATION FOR NEW INVESTMENT AND EMPLOYMENT. .................. 25 

GOAL: TARGET COMPANIES RECEIVING FEDERAL SBIR/STTR AWARDS FOR BUSINESS RECRUITMENT TO LAS VEGAS. ...................... 28 

GOAL: UTILIZE NEW INCENTIVE TOOLS TO ENCOURAGE NEW DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT...................................................... 30 

GOAL: EXPAND THE CITY’S BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION PROGRAM. ............................................................................................. 33 

GOAL: ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF PLACE IN LAS VEGAS. ...................................................................................................................................... 36 

IMPLEMENTATION.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 39 

PERFORMANCE MEASURES ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 43 

APPENDIX: MEDICAL DISTRICT CASE STUDIES .......................................................................................................................................................... 45 

CASE STUDY #1: TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER | HOUSTON, TEXAS ....................................................... 46 

CASE STUDY #2: ILLINOIS MEDICAL DISTRICT | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ................................................ 49 

CASE STUDY #3: FORT WORTH NEAR SOUTHSIDE | FORT WORTH, TEXAS .................................... 51 

CASE STUDY #4: MEMPHIS MEDICAL CENTER | MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE ......................................... 53 

T I P S t r a t e g i e s | T h e o r y I n t o P r a c t i c e 

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Acknowledgements 

TIP Strategies would like to thank the many individuals who participated in the development of this plan. We are particularly 

grateful to the project steering committee who generously gave their time and input. Their knowledge and expertise contributed 

greatly to our understanding of Las Vegas and our recommendations. 

We would also like to thank the leadership and staff of the City of Las Vegas for their critical guidance, support, and feedback. 

Las Vegas City Council 

Carolyn G. Goodman, Mayor Mayor Pro Tem Stavros S. Anthony, Ward 4 

Lois Tarkanian, Ward 1 Ricki Y. Barlow, Ward 5 

Bob Beers, Ward 2 Steven D. Ross, Ward 6 

Bob Coffin, Ward 3 

Project Steering Committee 

. 

Marc Abelman 

Inside Style 

Danielle Bisterfeldt 

Howard Hughes Corporation 

Jeff Fine 

Fine Companies 

Sam Gladstein 

Newland Real Estate Group 

Dan Gouker 

College of Southern Nevada 

John Guedry 

Bank of Nevada 

Jon Leleu 

World Market Center 

Eric Louttit 

Forest City Real Estate Services 

Mike Nolan 

Fremont East District 

David Scherer 

Newmark Grubb Knight Frank 

Paul Schmitt 

Whiting-Turner 

Jody Sherman 

ecomom 

John Tippins 

ST Residential 

Marcia Turner 

Nevada System of Higher Education 

Jeff Victor 

Fremont Street Experience 

Josh Bowden 

Downtown Project 

Rich Worthington 

Downtown Alliance 

Betsy Fretwell 

Las Vegas City Manager 

Scott Adams 

Chief Urban Redevelopment Officer, CLV 

Bill Arent 

Direct of Economic and Urban Development, CLV 

Romeo Betea 

Business Development Manager, CLV 

Jeff McGeachy 

Senior Economic Development Specialist, CLV 

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Executive Summary 

The effect of the Great Recession on Las Vegas was among the most severe in the country. A near-collapse of the construction 

industry, abandoned developments, and a hollowed-out downtown left many wondering whether there was a future for the city. 

Even the Las Vegas Strip, with which the city is so often identified, was left with shell buildings and an uncertain future. But 

instead of succumbing to this gloom, a series of high-profile projects and a corporate headquarters relocation have propelled Las 

Vegas into the national limelight. This plan seeks to capitalize on those opportunities. It is less a “master plan” than a set of 

targeted recommendations designed to broaden and strengthen the economic health of the community. 

The Challenge 

Among the significant findings during 

the Discovery Phase of the project 

were those related to workforce and 

the availability of suitable office space 

in the city to accommodate new 

professional employment. 

Workforce and Employment Base 

Higher education has become a 

critical component for regions seeking 

a competitive advantage in economic 

development. This is true both for 

supplying a sufficient base of talent as 

well as for providing opportunities in 

research and innovation. According to 

US Census 2010 estimates, 20 

percent of the Las Vegas population 

possesses a four-year degree, 

compared to 28 percent of the US 

population. Helping to create new 

higher education opportunities, as well 

as supporting institutions and 

organizations dedicated to better 

preparing the city’s youth for higher 

education, are two fundamental needs 

in Las Vegas. The City’s new 

agreement to lease vacant space in 

City Hall to the College of Southern 

Nevada is an innovative example of 

the contribution it can make to this 

fundamental need. 

Educational attainment, 2010 

Highest level of education achieved by the population age 25 or older. 

no high school diploma 

high school diploma or GED 

some college but less than a 4-year degree 

bachelor's degree or higher 

28% 

29% 

22% 

32% 

USA 

14% 

Clark County 

16% 

29% 

30% 

City of Las Vegas 

20% 

32% 

22% 

33% 

Nevada 

18% 

15% 

30% 

30% 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2010 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates) 

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Another challenge for the City 

of Las Vegas is to create more 

employment opportunities in the 

city for its residents. Since 

2002, the number of people 

who live and work in Las Vegas 

has actually declined from 

80,000 to 65,000. The vast 

majority of the city's net outflow 

is actually to unincorporated 

Paradise, where many of the 

county's major employers are 

located, including the resorts 

located along the Las Vegas 

Strip, McCarran International 

Airport, and UNLV. Creating 

new employment centers in Las 

Vegas would reduce regional 

traffic congestion and expand 

the city’s tax base. 

However, the challenge goes 

beyond the volume of 

employment opportunities. Las 

Vegas needs higher quality and 

better paying jobs. The city’s 

service-oriented economy is 

reflected in its occupational 

structure. Together, the city's 

three largest occupational 

groups—sales, administrative 

support, and food services— 

account for more than 125,000 

jobs, or roughly two out of every 

five workers. Depending on the 

employer, some of city’s largest 

occupations, especially food 

preparation and personal 

services, historically pay low 

wages. 

At the other end of the 

spectrum, the three high-wage 

occupational groups that 

Net daily inbound and outbound commuter traffic for the city of Las Vegas 

300,000 

250,000 

200,000 

150,000 

100,000 

50,000 

0 

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 

Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Local Employment Dynamics (LED) database, 2002-2010 

2011 job base by occupational group in the city of Las Vegas 

Sales 

Office & administrative support 

Food preparation & serving 

Personal care & service 

Business & financial operations 

Management* 

Property maintenance 

Healthcare (technical) 

Transportation & material moving 

Protective service 

Arts, design, & media 

Installation, maintenance, & repair 

Healthcare (support) 

Construction & extraction 

Production 

Education, training, & library 

Military 

Legal 

Community & social services 

Computer & mathematical science 

Architecture & engineering 

Life, physical, & social science 

Farming, fishing, & forestry 

Inbound commuters 

Outbound commuters 

Live & work within Las Vegas city limits 

*NOTE: Management occupations include self-employed real estate agents and farmers 

& ranchers as well as construction managers and general managers. 

SOURCE: EMSI Complete Employment - 2012.2 

include computer technology, engineering, and the sciences each account for fewer than 9,000 jobs (less than 3 percent of total 

jobs). 

242 

3,997 

3,787 

2,735 

2,208 

6,339 

5,226 

4,974 

4,652 

10,808 

10,658 

10,122 

9,212 

9,148 

15,968 

15,533 

19,676 

19,501 

19,015 

18,871 

28,731 

49,392 

48,320 

0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 



Sites and Buildings 

In addition to workforce and the existing job base, Las 

Vegas also faces the challenge of developing buildings 

and sites to accommodate new business and 

employment. Years of explosive residential growth has 

left the city with a paucity of competitive commercial 

office and industrial space. In the downtown area, rising 

property values, new business growth, and rising 

demand for a mix of building types all suggest that the 

city needs to take a more aggressive approach to office 

and tech space. This should include both Class A office 

space as well as the highly adaptable communal space 

envisioned by the Downtown Project. 

Las Vegas also lacks available industrial sites and 

buildings that can accommodate large employers. With 

existing high vacancy rates for industrial properties in 

the Valley, it is not likely the market would currently 

support a new greenfield park. This is especially true for 

sites lacking surrounding development or services. Still, 

Las Vegas will continue to have a long-term need for 

shovel-ready industrial land within the city’s boundaries. 

Las Vegas Regional Office Market, Q1 2013 

# 

Properties 

Total 

Rentable 

SF 

Vacancy 

Rate 

Net 

Absorption 

QTD 

Downtown 110 3,748,832 12.2% 52,727 

Airport 306 5,228,255 22.7% 13,122 

East Las Vegas 183 6,021,321 27.8% 8,773 

Henderson 319 5,999,875 20.6% 239,098 

North Las Vegas 96 783,529 23.9% 1,040 

Northwest 403 8,895,564 25.7% 49,642 

Southwest 391 6,587,155 25.6% 197,141 

West Central 274 5,561,170 19.1% -31,275 

Total 2,082 42,825,701 22.8% 482,030 

Source: RCG Economics 

Lou Ruvo Brain Center 

Without question, the City of Las Vegas has been 

instrumental in the development of unique and 

economically important buildings and districts. These 

facilities include the Lou Ruvo Brain Center, the Medical 

District, Smith Center, the International Trade Mart, the 

Arts District, the new City Hall, the Zappos 

headquarters, the Downtown Project properties, East 

Fremont District, and Symphony Park. However, from 

an outsider’s perspective, these facilities and sites lack 

photo credit: Kirk Gittings 

the physical, transportation, and programmatic links that 

give the sense of a connected and integrated downtown. In a sense, they form an archipelago. Within its Downtown Investment 

Strategy and other planning/development efforts, the City should strive to fill in the physical and figurative spaces that separate 

these individual assets. 

The Response 

What the plan’s assessment laid bare is that the diverse projects undertaken by the city over the last five years – each with 

significant benefits – do not aggregate into a coherent whole. Nor do they, individually, meet the goals set out by this broader 

strategy. This is the basis for the guiding principles that guide the plan. 



Innovative centers of 

employment, 

commerce, and 

education 

Destination for talented 

entrepreneurs 

Richness and diversity 

of amenities 

Rising standard of 

living for all residents 

What does 

economic vitality 

in Las Vegas 

mean 

Sense of community 

Under this approach, new projects are evaluated by their impact as well as how they connect with each other. As it stands now, 

no one project “saves” the city. A coherent approach to economic vitality is the right starting point. As important as a medical 

district is to a forward-looking community, it is only one component. 

The same can be said of the Downtown Project. There is, arguably, no current urban development in the United States on a par 

with the $350 million investment in downtown Las Vegas by Tony Hsieh. The relocation of a corporate headquarters to 

downtown Las Vegas would have been cause enough for celebration. The investment into the Downtown Project changes the 

game entirely. The overall goals of the Downtown Project are to enable people to live, work, and play within walking distance; 

create the most community-focused large city in the world; and to establish Las Vegas as the co-working capital of the world. 

The realization of these goals would certainly be of enormous benefit to the City of Las Vegas. Because of its ambitious nature, it 

stretches the limits of economic development. Urban renewal, transportation, and talent attraction are all parts of the Project. 

While it may not be Tony Hsieh’s intent to “reinvent” Las Vegas, the opportunity to capitalize on that vision is significant. 

The $50M VegasTechFund in particular is a potentially transformative element of the Project. And while it is clearly beneficial to 

be attracting entrepreneurs to downtown Las Vegas, the long term benefits that come with establishing growth companies in the 

city is not guaranteed. The recent loss of the Romotive (a robotics company) to California is a signal of how important it is to 

connect with start-up companies and seek to anchor them in Las Vegas. It is not the obligation of Tony Hsieh – or the Downtown 

Project – to ensure the growth of businesses in Las Vegas. That is the responsibility of the City and it’s economic development 

partners. 

Moreover, the City cannot rely exclusively on the efforts of the Downtown Project or the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance 

(LVGEA) to bring new employers to the City. It must have a lead role in marketing Las Vegas to innovative companies, finding 

them adequate sites and space, and offering tools to help them succeed. With the current relative scarcity of industry clusters 

(outside of gaming and entertainment), Las Vegas is in a position to identify targets based on their benefit to the city rather than 

on gaps in the existing supply chain. In other words, the City shouldn’t confine itself to recruiting companies based on location 

quotients and projected job growth. It should pursue those industries that it feels will be successful in Las Vegas and will diversify 

the economic base. 



The City’s economic development program should also not focus exclusively on business recruitment. The core of any 

successful economic development program is assisting the existing business base. This includes Las Vegas’ traditional tourism, 

gaming, and entertainment cluster. 

Goals 

The economic development strategy is built around nine goals. This is a higher number of goals than most strategic plans 

contain. However, strategic planning goals tend to be broad statements on issues such as talent development and business 

diversification. For this plan, each goal is focused on a specific initiative, project, or program recommended for action on the part 

of the City of Las Vegas and its economic development partners. Under each goal are a number of strategies and actions 

needed for implementation. 

Below are the nine goals TIP recommends the City pursue as part of its economic development program. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goal 1: Strengthen and expand the Las Vegas Medical District. 

Goal 2: Support the long-term success of the Downtown Project. 

Goal 3: Pursue new development and redevelopment opportunities. 

Goal 4: Engage in a comprehensive business recruitment and prospect management program. 

Goal 5: Market and promote the city of Las Vegas as a destination for new investment and employment. 

Goal 6: Target companies receiving federal SBIR/STTR awards for business recruitment to Las Vegas. 

Goal 7: Utilize new incentive tools to encourage new development and redevelopment. 

Goal 8: Expand the City’s Business Retention and Expansion program. 

Goal 9: Enhance the quality of place in Las Vegas. 



Introduction 

TIP Strategies was engaged by the City of Las Vegas to prepare an economic development plan for the city. The following 

recommendations are the result of a six-month process incorporating input and ideas from key stakeholders and organizations 

throughout the city. The plan is designed with the overall goal of positioning Las Vegas for long-term growth and prosperity. 

Guiding Principles 

Guiding principles reflect the values of the community. In the context of an economic development plan, they are a set of brief 

statements expressing how a city defines economic vitality. The overarching principle for the city of Las Vegas is to promote 

long-lasting and diverse economic vitality throughout the community. This approach was arrived at with the support of the project 

steering committee and encompasses values broadly shared throughout the city. Based on the input we have received as well as 

our analysis, TIP proposes the city plan be organized around the following core principles: 

 

 

 

 

 

Destination for talented entrepreneurs: Las Vegas will create an envirornment that attracts the brightest and most 

ambitious entrepreneurs. It will build the networks, expertise, infrastructure, space, and capital access needed to become a 

global hub for technology innovation and business creation. 

Innovative centers of employment, commerce, and education: Companies, agencies, and institutions will strategically 

invest in new and revitalized buildings, sites, and districts in Las Vegas. These locations will attract economic, community, 

and social actitivies that will propel the city forward. 

Rising standard of living for all residents: The rising quality of the businesses and jobs in Las Vegas will generate better 

earnings, educational opportunities, and healthcare for its citzens. The rising standard of living will positively impact all 

classes of workers and demographic groups in the city. 

Richness and diversity of amenities: Las Vegas will offer the amenities that skilled and educated professionals would find 

attractive. The City will continue building on successes such as the Smith Center for the Performing Arts to strengthen arts, 

culture, education, recreation, and mobility assets and districts in the community. 

Sense of community: The City of Las Vegas will build on the strong sense of community, cohesion, and pride that is 

growing in the city and is being exhibited by the recent and planned investments in the companies, infrastructure, facilities, 

and people of Las Vegas. 



Plan Approach 

The economic development strategy is built around nine goals. This is a higher number of goals than most strategic plans 

contain. However, strategic planning goals tend to be broad statements on issues such as talent development and business 

diversification. For this plan, each goal is focused on a specific initiative, project, or program recommended for action on the part 

of the City of Las Vegas and its economic development partners. Under each goal are a number of strategies and actions 

needed for implementation. 

Below are the nine goals TIP recommends the City pursue as part of its economic development program. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goal 1: Strengthen and expand the Las Vegas Medical District. 

Goal 2: Support the long-term goals of the Downtown Project. 

Goal 3: Pursue new development and redevelopment opportunities. 

Goal 4: Engage in a comprehensive business recruitment and prospect management program. 

Goal 5: Market and promote the city of Las Vegas as a destination for new investment and employment. 

Goal 6: Target companies receiving federal SBIR/STTR awards for business recruitment to Las Vegas. 

Goal 7: Utilize new incentive tools to encourage new development and redevelopment. 

Goal 8: Expand the City’s Business Retention and Expansion program. 

Goal 9: Enhance the quality of place in Las Vegas. 

Flowwing the goals, an Implementation Matrix assigns responsibility and sets out a time frame for implementing the strategies. 

We also list Performance Measures that should be tracked to record Las Vegas’s progress towards its economic goals. 

Appendix A presents case studies of four successful medical districts in the US. 

The Economic Assessment is provided under a separate cover as companion document. 


STRENGTHS 


SWOT Analysis 

This section highlights the city of Las Vegas’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, commonly referred to as a 

SWOT analysis. The SWOT was developed using data and quantitative analysis completed as part of the economic assessment 

(published separately) as well as direct input provided by the project steering committee. Additionally, information and input 

gathered from a number of task force meetings, focus groups, and interviews conducted as part of the regional Comprehensive 

Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) were incorporated into the SWOT. It was developed originally as a regional analysis 

and refined with elements specific to the city of Las Vegas. 

 

Image as an internationally recognized destination 

 

 

 

 

 

Cluster strength in the tourism, gaming, and entertainment industry 

Retail, dining, and entertainment amenities available at resorts 

Exceptional customer service culture 

Industry trade shows and conferences (and convention activity generally) 

Transportation infrastructure and connections: 

→ McCarran International Airport as a tourism and logistics asset 

→ Highway infrastructure (east/west access to California and north/south access to other mountain states) 

→ Rail connection to southern California 

→ Travel access (non-stop air service to major markets) 

→ Regional mass transit system 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Telecommunications and broadband infrastructure 

Climate and geological safety related to weather and natural disasters 

Pro-business climate, especially vis-à-vis West Coast neighbors 

Favorable state tax structure (no corporate or personal income taxes) 

Long-term and reliable electricity supply 

Diverse ethnic population and business community with ties to Pacific Rim and Latin American markets 

Affordability of residential, commercial, and industrial real estate relative to competitor regions 

Significant workforce strengths hidden within gaming and resort industry, especially those with IT skills and training 

CCSD Magnet & Career and Technical Academies 

Outdoor amenities (world-class rock climbing) 

Attractiveness as a retirement destination 


OPPORTUNITIES 


 

Publicity, visibility, and enthusiasm generated by the Downtown Project 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business and entrepreneurial growth in downtown Las Vegas 

Develop a new hybrid incubator/accelerator 

JumpStart Las Vegas 

Potential redevelopment of Cashman Center as a downtown business and technology park 

Development of the digital media cluster 

Leveraging the region’s strong technology sales workforce 

New incentives for business attraction at the local and regional level 

Long-term and dedicated funding mechanism and source for economic development 

Strengthening and expansion of the Las Vegas Medical District 

Development of new medical education programs and facilities 

Expansion of post-secondary education facilities and programs in downtown 

Leveraging advantages in the financial services sector (e.g., industrial banks and the intangibles industry) 

Business recruitment and attraction strategy leveraging trade show and convention base 

FAA's Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Test Site designation 

Greater involvement and financial support of public education by the business community and the general public 

Leveraging Switch-NAP and broadband infrastructure 

Aging industry and healthcare 

Local sustainability initiatives 


WEAKNESSES 

THREATS 


 

Talent development, retention, and attraction 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low educational attainment and high school graduation rates 

Small base of businesses outside of gaming, entertainment, and tourism cluster 

Lack of fully-established clusters aside from tourism, entertainment, and gaming (historical over-reliance on the 

construction trade and on service industries) 

“Adult Freedom” image campaign hinders perception as a destination for business investment and/or expansion 

and location 

Soft demand in commercial and industrial real estate market 

Access to finance for small businesses and entrepreneurs 

Current difficulty in obtaining real estate development capital 

Lack of existing real estate product for expanding or relocating companies (available downtown office and BLM 

land ownership) 

Lack of sustained, reliable funding for economic development 

Limited competitive economic development financial tools and incentives compared to other states and major 

metros 

Several years behind the competition in economic development planning 

Paucity of skilled technology workers 

Lack of adequate public funding (state and federal) to make UNLV a nationally-recognized research university 

Lack of medical education relative to demand 

 

Declining educational attainment and post-secondary enrollment 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out-migration of talented and experienced workers 

Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 

Over-reliance on traditional gaming and home construction sectors 

Water supply and cost (long-term) 

Competitive pressure from other regions, especially for capital, industry, and talent from western states 

Slow national economic recovery, as Las Vegas is currently dependent on tourism and gaming 

Cost of power, relative to regional and national markets 

1 GOAL: STRENGTHEN & EXPAND THE LAS VEGAS MEDICAL DISTRICT. 



1. GOAL: Strengthen & expand the Las Vegas Medical District. 

The Las Vegas Medical District has the potential to play a greater role in driving city and regional economic 

growth. It can also serve as a catalyst of urban renewal. This will require investing in infrastructure 

development; expanding the district boundaries; creating a new leadership structure and updated master 

plan; strengthening its major institutions and small business ; and linking it to the other institutions, 

developments, and districts in the downtown . 

OVERVIEW 

The Las Vegas Medical District encompasses 160 acres 

bordered by Charleston Blvd. to the south, Martin Luther King 

Blvd. to the east, Alta Drive to the north, and Rancho Drive to 

the west. Large public health institutions located in the district 

include the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) 

Shadow Lane Campus, University Medical Center of 

Southern Nevada (UMC), the Southern Nevada Health Distrct 

(SNHD), and Valley Hospital. The southern edge of the UMC 

campus along Charleston Blvd. has become a medical 

corridor interspersed with some retail uses. 

UMC, the NSHE Shadow Lane Campus, and SNHD have 

been renovating and expanding their facilities, technologies, 

practices, and programs within their current footprints. The 

NSHE Shadow Lane Campus commissioned its own master 

plan update to guide its efforts at becoming a shared health 

sciences campus occupied by multiple educational institutions 

and health disciplines. 

\\ 

Adopted in 2008, the Medical District is intended as an 

area for the development of health care services and 

related functions as well as related residential facilities, 

such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities and central 

housing for health care employees. 

The major physical challenge facing the Medical District is the limited ability for institutions to grow and expand within the current 

160-acre footprint. In comparison, the Memphis Medical Center (see text box, next page) encompasses 14,000 acres. One 

potential opportunity to expand its footprint is to extend the borders of the Medical District to include the Cleveland Clinic Lou 

Ruvo Brain Institute and planned medical office space in Symphony Park. Another potential opportunity is to facilitate joint 

facilities planning among local entities to better maximize the utilization of the existing footprint within the Medical District. Efforts 

are already underway to initiate such collaborative facilities and programming planning among stakeholders within the Medical 

District. Until these recent joint planning discussions, the Las Vegas Medical District was a collection of medical and healthcare 

institutions joined together by proximity and zoning. It still requires a common vision and plan for strengthening healthcare 

services, research, and education in the community and establishing Las Vegas as a premier center of medicine in the Western 

US. The following proposed action steps are designed to build on the current collaborative efforts to further enhance economic 

development within the District and improve the health of the people in Southern Nevada. 

TIMELINE 

< 12 mos 1-2 years 3-5 years 5-10 years 

POTENTIAL PARTNERS 

City of Las Vegas • UMC • SNHD • NSHE • Valley Hospital • 

Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Brain Institute 



1. GOAL: Strengthen & expand the Las Vegas Medical District. 

Continued 

APPROACH 

STRATEGY. Establish an oversight 

commission or board to guide the growth 

and development of the medical district. 

STRATEGY. Commission a district-wide 

master plan that assesses the zoning, 

physical, transportation, financial, business, 

R&D, and educational needs and 

opportunities of the district. The plan should 

establish a common vision among the 

existing institutions and lay out a long-range 

plan for growth and development, while 

identifying short- and mid-range options. 

STRATEGY. Continue to support Clark 

County/UMC and NSHE’s efforts to partner 

in the development of a robust Academic 

Medical Center at UMC. 

STRATEGY. Continue to support the planned 

expansion of the University of Nevada School 

of Medicine within the district. 

STRATEGY. Support the development of 

UNLV Nursing and Physical Therapy 

Building on NSHE Shadow Lane Campus. 

STRATEGY. Link the district physically, 

programmatically, and institutionally to other 

assets and developments in downtown Las 

Vegas and the region. 

STRATEGY. Support the continuing 

operations and expansion of the Cleveland 

Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health as a 

medical "center of excellence" for Las Vegas 

and the region. Champion additional 

Cleveland Clinic centers of excellence which 

are additive or complimentary to local medical 

care, with an emphasis on surgical specialties 

currently underserved by the local market. 

BEST PRACTICES THEMES 

TIP studied four successful urban medical districts to identify best 

practices and lessons that could be applied to the Las Vegas 

Medical District: Memphis Medical Center (Memphis, TN); Fort 

Worth Seaside Medical District (Fort Worth, TX); Texas Medical 

Center (Houston, TX); and Illinois Medical District (Chicago, IL). 

The former two represent younger districts that don’t feature a 

major medical school, while the latter two are older and more 

comprehensive. Selected themes from this research are 

presented below. Full case studies are presented in the appendix. 

Set up an organizational framework. In each of the four 

districts, a planning board or oversight commission manages 

the medical district and is critical to their success. Such 

entities helped each grow from a collection of hospitals to an 

actual district. These entities recruit new companies and 

medical facilities, manage growth and infrastructure 

planning, and collaborate with local business and 

government. The type of organization ranged from 

completely private to mixed public-private partnerships to 

completely public. 

University involvement is key. A medical school is not 

required for success – the Memphis district is a good 

example. However, some university involvement in healthrelated 

areas (Dental, Optometry, Nursing, or Public Health 

for example) is important. 

Start-ups provide another avenue. Although not essential, 

establishing a local biotech incubator is an accepted way to 

attract companies and spur job growth. 

Have a plan. In addition, each district developed a master 

plan to guide long-range growth. Before beginning certain 

aspects of its plan, Memphis evaluated its existing health and 

medicine programs to identify areas where they may already 

have local strengths. In doing so, Memphis discovered a local 

strength in orthopedics, for example, and then built out 

aspects of their plan to capitalize on that specialty. 

Source: TIP Strategies research 

2 GOAL: SUPPORT THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES OF THE DOWNTOWN PROJECT. 



2. GOAL: Support the long-term objectives of the Downtown Project. 

The Downtown Project represents a unique opportunity to revitalize and transform the economy of the East 

Fremont Street area of downtown Las Vegas. The successful implementation of the Project’s principles of 

collisions, co-learning, and connectivity could spawn a new city within a city, one that draws on the themes 

of this plan: entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation. The challenge for the City of Las Vegas is to 

integrate the vision of the Downtown Project and to ensure its sustainability. 

OVERVIEW 

The Downtown Project was spawned by Zappos 

relocating to downtown Las Vegas and occupying the 

former City Hall building. To make the downtown a more 

desirable location for the company’s 1,200 employees to 

work and live in, Zappos’ CEO, Tony Hsieh, launched the 

initiative to transform the area. While his goal was to 

make the area around city hall more hospitable for 

Zappos’ employees, it has rapidly expanded into the most 

innovative and cohesive urban development effort in the 

US. Of the $350 million dedicated to revitalizing the old 

downtown of Las Vegas, $200 million is in real estate, $50 

million in small businesses, $50 million in education, and 

$50 million in tech startups through the VegasTech Fund. 

The Project intends to use these funds to catalyze a 

“vibrant, connected urban core” within five years. 

Source: Powerpoint presentation, “Zappos.com: Delivering 

Happiness | Downtown Project” 

To help ensure the Project’s goals, the City must define a supportive role for itself that includes the traditional responsibilities of 

efficiently processing permits and licenses, conducting site inspections, ensuring public safety and sanitation. Downtown Project 

leaders indicated this is a primary need from their perspective. Additionally, the City should work to ensure the economic benefits 

generated by the Project (e.g., business creation, job growth, new construction, rising property values, population increase) are 

leveraged fully to impact areas outside of its investment footprint. In other words, the City must work to extend the vitality created 

by the Downtown Project to other areas of Las Vegas. 

The relocation of Zappos to downtown Las Vegas, major property acquisition (especially on East Fremont), and the bold vision of 

Tony Hsieh to create a livable and walkable downtown core, are unique components of an economic revitalization that has 

transformative power. Nevertheless, the Downtown Project itself does not automatically address city-wide goals and objectives. 

How local businesses are supported, how they can find additional space for growth, and how new businesses can be brought 

into the wider community are challenges that must be met by the city. 

TIMELINE 



City of Las Vegas • DowntownProject.com • Downtown 

Alliance • downtown neighborhood and social service 

organizations • commercial development community • local 

higher education institutions • Fremont East Entertainment 

District 




Continued 

APPROACH 

STRATEGY. Work with downtown businesses, land-owners, and organizations, including the Downtown Project, to support 

the ongoing efforts of the Downtown Las Vegas Alliance to establish Business Improvement District (BID) in order to 

promote community and economic development in downtown Las Vegas. (See text box for three example organizations.) 

STRATEGY. Form an internal rapid response team focused on working with the Downtown Project and its partner 

organizations to efficiently and rapidly address permitting, zoning, licensing, entitlement, public safety, and sanitation issues. 

STRATEGY. Incorporate the principles of the Downtown Project into the Downtown Investment Plan the City is preparing. 

→ More flexible zoning, including greater use of mixed-use 

→ More diverse options in transportation, housing, and building design 

→ Continued emphasis on creating density 

BEST PRACTICES 

Many urban areas have benefited from the presence of an organization dedicated to facilitating, marketing, maintaining, 

and investing in downtown community and economic development projects, programs, and services. These organizations 

can take different forms. Three more common models include nonprofits, Business Improvement Districts, and Public 

Improvement Districts. Below are brief descriptions of three examples of these models. 

Midtown Detroit, Inc. (MDI). MDI is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization created in 1976 to support and enhance 

community and economic development in Detroit’s Midtown area. MDI spearheads a number of different types of 

community improvement initiatives, including maintaining the aesthetic value of local public spaces; providing 

walkable passage to area attractions and businesses; championing new construction; encouraging reinvestment; 

historic preservation; and marketing and special events. http://midtowndetroitinc.org/ 

New York City BID Program. New York City is home to the nation's largest, most comprehensive network of 

business improvement districts (BIDs) in the country. BIDs are a key public/ private partnership in New York City and 

have helped revitalize neighborhoods and catalyze economic development throughout the City. The City's 67 BIDs 

annually invest over $100 million worth of programs and services in neighborhoods across the five boroughs. 

http://www.nyc.gov/html/sbs/html/neighborhood/bid.shtml 

The City of Austin Public Improvement District (PID). Austin’s Downtown PID was established in 1993 by the 

Austin City Council to provide constant and permanent funding to implement downtown initiatives. The PID is a 

means for the Downtown Austin community to provide adequate and constant funds for quality of life improvements 

and planning and marketing of Downtown Austin. Properties in the District are assessed an additional 10¢ per $100 

in assessed value. The City contracts with the Downtown Austin Alliance to manage the downtown initiative program 

and promote growth and revitalization in Downtown Austin. The DAA consists of owners of downtown property, 

downtown tenants, and other interested Austinites. http://austintexas.gov/department/downtown-public-improvementdistricts#overlay-context= 




Continued 

STRATEGY. Develop the space and physical infrastructure needed to support successful tech companies in Las Vegas. 

→ Work with local entrepreneurs and investors to develop a new incubator/accelerator facility for young high-growth 

tech companies in need of office space and mentoring. (See Goal 3, Strategy 2.) 

→ Explore a longer term goal of establishing a downtown technology park or mixed-used commercial park in or near 

downtown Las Vegas. (See Goal 3, Strategy 3.) 

→ Establish a technology infrastructure grant program. (See Goal 7, Strategy 2.) 

STRATEGY. Work with local and regional organizations to expand the local talent pool of technology and knowledge 

industry workers. 

→ Encourage UNLV, CSN, and other educational institutions to expand academic programs and curricula in 

information technology, software, computer science, and digital media. 

▪ 

▪ 

UNLV operates two teaching programs at the 5th Street School, including the School of Architecture’s 

Downtown Design Studios. 

CSN’s Division of Workforce and Economic Development has recently signed an agreement with the City of 

Las Vegas to lease unoccupied space at City Hall to develop job training and academic programs for city 

employees and residents and begin offering noncredit classes. CSN will also offer business consulting 

services and workforce certificate programs for specific industries located in the downtown. 

→ Work with the Las Vegas Metro Chamber, JumpStart Las Vegas, and the Downtown Project to retain existing and 

recruit new technology workers to Las Vegas. 

▪ 

One recent example of a region actively recruiting IT workers is workIT Nashville, a multi-faceted marketing 

campaign spearheaded by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. workIT Nashville features a jobmatching 

website where applicants can post resumes and companies can post openings; a guidebook for 

recruiting talent; and a digital media marketing strategy. (See http://talent.workitnashville.com/.) 

STRATEGY. Target sectors and companies compatible with (and sought by) the Downtown Project’s Vegas Tech Fund, the 

Nevada Capital Investment Corporation's Venture Fund, and other angel and venture capital (VC) funds in Las Vegas. 

→ For example, digital media and 3-D printing companies 

STRATEGY. Encourage the Downtown Las Vegas Alliance and the Downtown Project to collaborate on joint marketing, 

visitation, and development promotion activities. 

3 GOAL: PURSUE NEW DEVELOPMENT & REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. 



3. GOAL: Pursue new development & redevelopment opportunities. 

The City of Las Vegas should continue working with developers, private employers, and public sector 

partners to support the development and redevelopment of sites and facilities that will expand the city’s 

employment and business base. 

OVERVIEW 

One of Las Vegas’ most pressing economic 

development needs is the development of 

buildings and sites to accommodate new business 

and employment. Years of explosive residential 

growth has left the city with a paucity of 

competitive commercial office and industrial space. 

In the downtown area, rising property values, 

new business growth, and rising demand for a 

mix of building types all suggest that the city 

needs to take a more aggressive approach to 

office and tech space. This should include both 

Class A office space as well as the highly 

adaptable communal space envisioned by the 

Downtown Project. 

Las Vegas Regional Office Market, Q1 2013 

# Properties 

Total 

Rentable 

SF 

Vacancy 

Rate 

Net 

Absorption 

QTD 

Downtown 110 3,748,832 12.2% 52,727 

Airport 306 5,228,255 22.7% 13,122 

East Las Vegas 183 6,021,321 27.8% 8,773 

Henderson 319 5,999,875 20.6% 239,098 

North Las Vegas 96 783,529 23.9% 1,040 

Northwest 403 8,895,564 25.7% 49,642 

Southwest 391 6,587,155 25.6% 197,141 

West Central 274 5,561,170 19.1% -31,275 

Total 2,082 42,825,701 22.8% 482,030 

Source: RCG Economics 

Without question, the City has been instrumental in the development of unique and economically important buildings and 

districts. These facilities include the Lou Ruvo Brain Center, the Medical District, Smith Center, the International Trade Mart, the 

Arts District, Las Vegas Premium Outlets, and new government buildings, including City Hall. Other assets are either in the 

planning stages or currently under development, including the Zappos headquarters, the Downtown Project properties, East 

Fremont District, Symphony Park, and a convention center. However, from an outsider’s perspective, these facilities lack the 

physical, transportation, and programmatic links that give the sense of a connected and integrated downtown. In a sense, they 

form an archipelago. Within its Downtown Investment Strategy and other planning/development efforts, the City should strive to 

fill in the physical and figurative spaces that separate these individual assets. 

Las Vegas also lacks available industrial sites and buildings that can accommodate large employers. With existing high vacancy 

rates for industrial properties in the Valley, it is not likely the market would currently support a new greenfield park. This is 

especially true for sites lacking surrounding development or services. However, Las Vegas has a long-term need for shovelready 

industrial land. This need could be accelerated if Southern Nevada were to secure an FAA UAS Certified Test Site, 

Cybersecurity (Regional) Center of Excellence, or other large R&D/industrial facility. Therefore, the City of Las Vegas should 

begin the process of planning for a park and exploring development options. 

TIMELINE 



City of Las Vegas • Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce 

• DowntownProject.com • downtown developers and land 

owners • entrepreneurs and venture capitalists • LVCVA • 

UNLV • GOED 




continued 

APPROACH 

STRATEGY. Continue efforts to construct a new downtown convention center. 

→ A new convention center has the potential to further revitalize the downtown area. With the right dimensions, 

amenities, and location, such a facility would bolster Las Vegas’ entertainment sector and support conferences 

and events focused on digital media, film, music, education, and e-commerce. 

→ Ideally, the facility would be located in between Symphony Park and the Downtown Project. Such a location would 

provide it close proximity to the existing hotel base and allow it to physically connect the two areas. 

STRATEGY. Connect and integrate the downtown’s key buildings and districts. 

→ Work with land owners, developers, institutions, and other stakeholders to develop greater physical, 

transportation, and programmatic links. 

→ Strategically target the location of new developments to help bridge gaps in downtown development. 

→ Emphasize connectedness in an updated Downtown Investment Strategy and other planning efforts. 

STRATEGY. Encourage and support the private development of new high-tech commercial office space and flex-tech space. 

→ Market planned commercial office properties (e.g., Symphony Park and Forest Cities) to investment prospects. 

STRATEGY. Work with local entrepreneurs and investors, UNLV, and business technical service providers to develop a 

new incubator/accelerator hybrid facility for young high-growth tech companies in need of office space and mentoring. 

→ Such a facility would be designed to provide small open (co-working) spaces for young, growing companies, 

especially those that may have graduated from an accelerator without significant VC funding and in need of a 

“soft landing” location. To be successful, it should be more than just a commercial real estate development that 

provides low-cost office space. It should have a strong value proposition for its potential users, including expertise 

and assistance, access to capital, and networking and mentoring. It could be formed as a non-profit organization, 

programmatically tied to a higher education institution, or funded and managed by private investors/mentors. 

FOCUS ON VALUE-ADDED SERVICES 

Access to expertise and capital are two of the most valuable services incubators and accelerators can provide. Assembling a 

network of experts—as part of the management team, board of directors, or by establishing a team of mentors—can improve 

the value of services and increase the chances of successful outcomes. The Austin Technology Incubator has built a team of 

experts composed of at least one staff person and a group of advisors in four target industry sectors. Some incubators, such 

as the Ann Arbor SPARK Business Accelerator, actually provide financing. Others, like the North Texas Enterprise Center, in 

Frisco, Texas, spend time building relationships with venture capitalists and angel investors to facilitate their clients access to 

these sources of capital. The Power Plant (an Ocala, Florida, incubator) uses monies raised locally from banks, retirees, and 

businesses to provide seed funding and angel investing to member companies. 





STRATEGY. Explore a longer term goal of establishing a 

downtown technology park in or near downtown Las Vegas. 

→ Follow the steps outlined in Strategy 6 below to 

determine the market feasibility of such a park. 

SELECTED INFRASTRUCTURE 

REQUIREMENTS OF 

TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES 

▪ 

A possible site for such a development is 

Cashman Center. The 50-acre site currently 

features 98,100 sq. ft. of exhibit space, a 

theater, a 10,000-seat baseball stadium, and is 

home to the Las Vegas 51s, the AAA affiliate of 

the New York Mets. It is owned and operated 

by the LVCVA. Should the Cashman Center 

cease to be operated and maintained by the 

LVCVA, ownership of the facility would revert to 

the City of Las Vegas. The site is large enough 

to accommodate a technology business park 

 

 

 

Reliable power supply, such as dual feed 

electric service with underground 

distribution system for reduced interruption. 

High-grade electrical capacity (can be as 

much as 25 to 30 watts per square foot 

versus 5 to 6 watts per square foot for 

average commercial tenant). 

Multiple options for telecommunications 

access, including fiber optics. 

STRATEGY. Engage the real estate development community 

to determine the market feasibility of new industrial and/or 

commercial office park developments in the city and also to 

determine if public sector involvement is needed. 

 

High floor loading capacity (metal floor 

plates), and 14 foot or greater ceiling 

heights to accommodate computer and 

telecommunications equipment racks. 

→ Develop a system for evaluating and scoring the 

various options, including such parameters as: 

▪ 

▪ 

Availability and cost of land; 

Environmental and other constraints; 

 

Ample parking, with some covered parking 

desirable for higher-end tenants. 

Attractive landscaping, greenbelts, and 

recreational amenities. 

▪ 

▪ 

▪ 

Access to highways and rail; 

Flat land, good drainage; 

Access to utilities (water/waste water, electricity, gas); and 


▪ 

Access to telecommunications infrastructure, including broadband internet. 

→ Work with an experienced developer and/or engineering firm to evaluate the site and develop a master plan. 

→ Determine the ownership structure for a park, exploring options to include: 

▪ 

▪ 

▪ 

Public-sector development, ownership, and management; 

Public/private partnership (public ownership, private development and management); and 

Private ownership supported by public sector development incentives. 




continued 

→ Develop a business plan for the park including operations, maintenance, targeted industries/tenants, and pricing 

structure for lots. 

→ If the City determines the development of a publicly-owned industrial park is not feasible, alternative strategies 

should be considered to encourage new employment sites. 

▪ 

▪ 

▪ 

Purchase a single site or building. Such a purchase could be part of an incentive deal the City negotiates 

with an investment prospect. For example, the City would agree to buy an existing site and sell or lease it 

back to a company at below-market terms. 

Another option is to acquire private land or buildings and set them aside for future targeted development 

when market conditions warrant. This practice, commonly referred to as land banking, is a viable option for 

communities seeking to preserve undeveloped land for a specific future purpose. 

Evaluate undeveloped land owned by the Bureau of Land Management for potential development. 

STRATEGY. Continue development of entertainment, retail, and sports facilities and districts. 

→ Maintain efforts to develop a new arena and sports entertainment district within Symphony Park. 

→ Continue seeking to attract a major professional sports franchise (i.e., NBA or NHL) to downtown Las Vegas. 

STRATEGY. Work with GOED and their Certified Sites program to certify buildings that are occupancy ready and 

development sites that are shovel ready. 

4 GOAL: ENGAGE IN A COMPREHENSIVE BUSINESS RECRUITMENT AND PROSPECT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. 


2012 Jobs 

2022 Jobs 

Percent 

change 

2012 LQ 


4. 

GOAL: Engage in a comprehensive business recruitment and prospect 

management program. 

Prospect recruitment and management is a core economic development activity. With a nascent medical 

district and a nationally recognized revitalization effort, the city of Las Vegas can become a true magnet for 

digital media and E-commerce, IT services, healthcare, and financial services. 

OVERVIEW 

Formerly known as the Nevada Development Authority (NDA), the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA) is the regional 

economic development agency for Southern Nevada. The NDA was reconstituted as the LVGEA as a result of a state plan to create 

10 regional economic development authorities in Nevada that would contract with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development 

(GOED). The recently completed Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) will guide the economic development 

priorities and activities of LVGEA and its regional partners in the coming years. 

While the LVGEA is developing its organizational structure, policies, and work plans, the City’s Economic and Urban Development 

Department (EUD) should continue leading the city’s economic development efforts. This includes business recruitment and prospect 

handling efforts. Moreover, an expanded EUD business recruitment staff may also play a regional recruitment and attraction role in the 

short term. Central to its efforts will be targeting marketing to companies involved in digital media, E-Commerce, business IT 

ecosystems, health and medical services, and financial services. Once the LVGEA has established its marketing and recruitment 

program, the City will continue working closely with the LVGEA on site location services and prospect handling. 

The relocation of Zappos to downtown Las Vegas, combined with the efforts of the Downtown Project and the City to attract digital 

media, E-tail, video gaming, and other software and IT entrepreneurs and start-ups, has created a unique opportunity to establish 

an emerging business cluster in downtown Las Vegas. The buzz surrounding the Downtown Project has already resulted in the 

City receiving a surge of inquiries from companies interested in Las Vegas. The City should continue to capitalize on this 

opportunity by launching a targeted digital media attraction program and building the infrastructure, support services, and talent 

pool this cluster will require to thrive in Las Vegas. 

While relatively small compared to 

other major industry centers, the 

digital media cluster in the Las 

Vegas Valley shows significant 

potential for employment growth 

over the next decade. According to 

EMSI projections, regional employment 

in electronic shopping (Ecommerce) 

should increase by over 

50 percent through 2022. This 

expansion may largely be tied to 

growth directly and indirectly 

connected to Zappos. 

Las Vegas Regional (MSA) Digital Media Cluster 

NAICS Descripton 

541511 Custom Computer Programming Svcs 3,286 4,132 26% 0.59 

454111 Electronic Shopping 2,563 4,001 56% 1.92 

511210 Software Publishers 793 1,075 36% 0.41 

423430 

Computer /Peripheral Equipment and 

Software Merchant Wholesalers 

345 453 31% 0.26 

454112 Electronic Auctions 51 46 -10% 0.49 

Total 7,037 9,706 38% 

Note: Cluster defined using the State of Maryland’s digital media industry definition. Source: EMSI Complete Employment 2013.1 

TIMELINE 



City of Las Vegas • Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance • 

GOED • Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority 



4. 



continued 

APPROACH 

STRATEGY. Target companies in sectors with recruitment and growth potential in Las Vegas. 

→ Build awareness of Las Vegas as an emerging center for digital media and E-commerce, IT services, healthcare, 

and financial services within the region and other targeted markets. 

▪ 

▪ 

▪ 

▪ 

▪ 

▪ 

Develop and maintain a database of companies in each target industry. 

Compile and maintain resource information for each target industry sector. This would include identifying 

associations for each industry sector as well as following industry trends by monitoring trade publications or 

purchasing industry data and reports from private sources. 

Join and become active in trade or industry associations for the priority target sectors. Economic development 

staff should research appropriate organizations and become active participants in events and meetings, 

including sponsorships and advertising. Regional and statewide organizations should be pursued first to 

minimize costs. 

Organize and train economic development staff to become an effective “sales force” for Las Vegas. This may 

include assigning specific target industries or geographic markets to staff members. Staff development should 

also include internal or external training for sales and business development skills, including such topics as 

consultative sales, client relationship management, prospecting, lead management, and proposal 

development. 

Conduct at least four call trips/marketing missions per year (once each quarter) to regions where target 

industry concentration is highest. These trips can be conducted separately or in conjunction with trade shows 

or other events organized by LVGEA. 

As resources allow, implement a direct mail and electronic newsletter campaign to target sector companies. 

The campaign should highlight Las Vegas’ competitive advantages and include a highly visible Web address 

that directs prospects to a redesigned City economic development website. 

→ Work with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to attract events and conferences that appeal to the 

tech and digital arts community. 

▪ 

▪ 

Partner with the Downtown Project to host off-site events in the downtown. 

Participate in industry trade events, especially those taking place in Southern Nevada. 

→ Encourage educational institutions to locate digital and creative arts programs in the downtown. 



4. 



continued 

STRATEGY. Ensure that the LVGEA is aggressively marketing and promoting existing sites in Las Vegas as part of its 

business recruitment efforts. 

→ Meet with LVGEA leadership and staff to communicate the City’s concerns and interests regarding new business 

investment in Las Vegas. 

→ Closely coordinate with LVGEA staff on business recruitment and marketing activities. 

STRATEGY. Work with the LVGEA, GOED, and regional economic development representatives from other jurisdictions to 

develop short-term and long-term plans for regional business recruitment and site location assistance. 

→ In the short-term, the City of Las Vegas should have a central role in regional lead generation and site location 

assistance. 

▪ 

▪ 

This will require the City to add at least one additional full-time economic development staff member to 

support recruitment and prospect handling. 

Las Vegas should refer investment leads that are not a fit for the city to other jurisdictions in Clark County. 

→ Over the long-term, the City will collaborate with the LVGEA and GOED in regional business recruitment marketing 

and prospect coordination. 

▪ 

The City would still continue providing site location and prospect handling services. 

TARGET INDUSTRIES 

To support Las Vegas’s economic development recruitment efforts, TIP identified target industry sectors. They a 

departure from the city’s traditional business base of tourism, gaming, and entertainment. The development of these 

sectors also represents an opportunity to further the diversification of the Las Vegas economy. The recommended sectors 

capitalize on existing and emerging assets in Las Vegas. They were also selected based on projected employment 

regionally and nationally. 

 

 

 

 

Digital media 

Financial services 

Health & medical services 

Business IT ecosystems 

The table below breaks down each target sector and provides targeting rationale. 



DIGITAL MEDIA 

Challenges: Compared to other technology metro 

areas, Las Vegas’s digital media cluster is 

comparitively small. Companies will have difficulty 

identifying skilled technology professionals in the 

region. There is a shortage of adequate office space 

with the needed broadband infrastructure in 

downtown Las Vegas. 

Opportunities: Most industries within the cluster 

are projected to see employment growth in the 

region. The sector is a funding priority of the Vegas 

Tech Fund. The presence of Zappos could lead to 

new E-commerce ventures. The city is benefitting 

from the substantial publicity the Downtown Project 

is generating. The hotel/gaming industry employs a 

significant number of skilled IT professionals. 

Selected Digital Media Industries | Las Vegas MSA 

2012 Jobs 

2022 Jobs 

Percent 

change 

2012 LQ 


541511 

Custom Computer 

Programming Svcs 

3,286 4,132 26% 0.59 


511210 Software Publishers 793 1,075 36% 0.41 

423430 

Computer /Peripheral 

Equipment and Software 345 453 31% 0.26 

Merchant Wholesalers 

454112 Electronic Auctions 51 46 -10% 0.49 

Total 7,037 9,706 38% 

Source: EMSI Complete Employment 2013.1 

HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES 

Challenges: There are relatively low location 

quotients for most healthcare sectors in the region. A 

high percentage of Medicare and Medicaid patients 

seek care in the Medical District. The implementation of 

the US affordable care act presents many uncertainties 

for the healthcare industry and is causing the delay of 

new investments until the law’s long term 

consequences are better understood. 

Opportunities: The expansion and coordinated 

management of the Las Vegas Medical District will 

attract new service providers and investment. New 

medical academic and R&D programs are being 

located and planned in the district. A task force is 

studying the potential of growing medical tourism in the 

region and Las Vegas is hosting the World Medical 

Tourism Congress in September 2013. Healthcare 

employment is projected to rise locally and nationally. 

Demographic trends, coupled with the region’s assets, 

such as the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain 

Health, make Health & Medical Services a logical fit. 

Selected Health & Medical Services Industries | Las Vegas MSA 

NAICS 

6215 

6223 

Descripton 

Medical and Diagnostic 

Laboratories 

Specialty (except 

Psychiatric and Substance 

Abuse) Hospitals (Private) 

2012 Jobs 

2022 Jobs 

Percent 

change 

2012 LQ 

2,558 3,121 22% 1.62 

1,520 1,976 30% 1.17 

6212 Offices of Dentists 5,546 6,298 14% 1.02 

6222 

6219 

Psychiatric and Substance 

Abuse Hospitals (Private) 

Other Ambulatory Health 

Care Services 

595 819 38% 0.93 

1,716 1,916 12% 0.87 

6211 Offices of Physicians 13,264 15,048 13% 0.82 

6213 

Offices of Other Health 

Practitioners 

6,002 7,700 28% 0.78 

6214 Outpatient Care Centers 2,898 3,722 28% 0.70 

6216 

6221 

Home Health Care 

Services 

General Medical and 

Surgical Hospitals 

(Private) 

5,779 7,803 35% 0.59 

14,194 15,783 11% 0.53 

Total 54,072 64,186 19% 

Note: Cluster defined from TIP Strategies refinement of 

Brookings study. Source: EMSI Complete Employment 2013.1. 


2012 Jobs 

2012 Jobs 

2022 Jobs 

2022 Jobs 

Percent 

change 

Percent 

change 

2012 LQ 

2012 LQ 


FINANCIAL SERVICES 

Challenges: Las Vegas will face competition for 

top talent in the industry from metropolitan areas 

that tend to pay higher salaries. 

Opportunities: As revealed in the regional CEDS 

document, the Las Vegas region has potential 

competitive advantages in certain industry niches 

such as industrial banking and intangible assets 

subsectors. The region enjoys relatively strong 

location quotients in many financial services 

industries. Employment in the industry is projected 

to grow regionally and nationally. 

Selected Financial Services Industries | Las Vegas MSA 


523910 

Miscellaneous 

Intermediation 

8,171 11,885 45% 3.79 

523920 Portfolio Management 6,635 8,569 29% 1.17 

523930 Investment Advice 7,157 9,852 38% 0.99 

523991 

Trust, Fiduciary, and 

Custody Activities 

1,822 2,808 54% 2.79 

525120 Health and Welfare Funds 3,371 5,687 69% 6.49 

525190 Other Insurance Funds 2,509 4,308 72% 3.48 

525920 

Trusts, Estates, and 

Agency Accounts 

3,376 4,986 48% 6.70 

551114 

Corporate, Subsidiary, and 

Regional Managing Offices 

17,591 19,668 12% 1.43 

Total 50,632 67,763 34% 


BUSINESS IT ECOSYSTEMS 

Challenges: Wages associated with low 

technology fields in the sector (mail-order houses) 

tend to be lower. The relatively low concentration of 

technical consulting fields jobs is below average, 

suggesting lack of a regional advantage for 

technical occupations. 

Opportunities: The sophistication of security 

systems used by the region's gaming cluster offers 

intriguing possibilities for adaptation to a wider 

customer base. These types of security consulting 

services would be incorporated under other 

scientific and technical consulting (NAICS 541690), 

which is a high-wage, high-growth industry 

nationally. Environment consulting services also 

shows strong growth potential regionally and 

nationally due to the heightened attention on issues 

related to energy, water, air quality, etc. 

Selected Business IT Ecosystem Industries | Las Vegas MSA 



454113 Mail-Order Houses 2,113 1,286 -39% 2.13 

541690 

561621 

541620 

Other Scientific and 

Technical Consulting 

Services 

Security Systems Services 

(except Locksmiths) 

Environmental Consulting 

Services 

1,536 2,321 51% 0.70 

743 711 -4% 0.83 

641 869 36% 0.79 

Total 7,596 9,188 21% 


5 GOAL: MARKET AND PROMOTE THE CITY OF LAS VEGAS AS A DESTINATION FOR NEW INVESTMENT AND 

EMPLOYMENT. 



5. 

GOAL: Market and promote the city of Las Vegas as a destination for 

new investment and employment. 

Breaking free of a one-dimensional marketing theme for Las Vegas has always been a challenge. With new 

projects and new strategies already well underway, this is a task that can now be undertaken without 

reservation. 

OVERVIEW 

In addition to marketing Las Vegas to companies in target industries, the City should also reach out directly to site selection 

consultants and commercial real estate brokers. The purpose of this strategy is to raise awareness of sites, development, and 

investment opportunities in Las Vegas among real estate professionals who often represent employers in site selection efforts. 

The City will also need to make some progress in diversifying the image of the city. Las Vegas (and the region) has long been 

defined as a global destination for gaming, hospitality, and entertainment. For the City and its regional economic development 

partners to diversify the local economy beyond that cluster, it will have to project a parallel image as a destination for innovative 

companies seeking a pro-business environment where they can find talent, grow, and prosper. 

To help support its marketing and business development efforts, the City and its regional partners should coordinate and expand 

the use of the Web and of digital media. 

When searching for information on-line, Wikipedia entries often rank near the top of the search results. Consequently, Wikipedia 

is frequently the first (and sometimes only) source of information people use to learn about a community. Currently, the Las 

Vegas entry on Wikipedia offers very basic information on the city and very little in terms of the recent efforts to diversify the 

economic base. 

Maintaining the entry could be a joint effort between EUD and the Las Vegas Metro Chamber. To edit the site, the responsible party 

will need to register with Wikipedia. There is an “Edit” tab in the upper right corner of the page. Clicking on this tab allows users to 

update and introduce new content and photos to the page. 

TIMELINE 




GOED • Las Vegas Metro Chamber • Las Vegas 

Convention and Visitors Authority 



5. 



continued 

APPROACH 

STRATEGY. Market Las Vegas directly to site selectors and commercial real estate brokers. 

→ Create a database of developers, brokers, and site consultants in the western United States. TIP will provide the 

City of Las Vegas with a database of over 580 site selection consultants. This database was created by TIP in 

2012 and includes contact information for site selectors in all 50 states. To develop the database, TIP mined 

various websites, including Economic Development Directory Publishing LLC, LinkedIn, Site Location Partnership, 

Site Selection Group, and Site Selection magazine. 

→ Periodically host events that showcase specific assets, such as available land and buildings or new projects. 

Local and regional developers, site consultants, and industrial and commercial brokers should be invited to 

attend. For example, the City could hold a “developer’s day” or “familiarization tour” event for site consultants and 

regional industrial and commercial brokers. 

→ Call on site consultants in targeted metropolitan areas, such as Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and Phoenix. Utilize 

TIP’s site selection database to identify targets and periodically set appointments to discuss the Las Vegas 

market and development opportunities. 

→ Maintain and update information typically of interest to commercial and industrial site selectors on the City’s 

economic development website. 

→ Attend regional and national site selector trade shows and conferences. 

STRATEGY. Explore opportunities to re-brand Downtown Las Vegas. 

→ Construct an alternative to the image of the city generated by the Strip. Engage the Downtown Las Vegas 

Alliance to solicit business feedback on a branding effort for downtown Las Vegas. 

→ Complement the Downtown Project’s “Downtown Las Vegas will make you smarter” slogan. 

→ Leverage the principles of “creativity and ideas” embraced by Symphony Park. 

STRATEGY. Prominently feature the LVRDA website on the EUD page within the City’s website. Visitors to the EUD page 

should be clearly directed to the LVRDA.com for information on investment and site selection information in Las Vegas. 

→ Have the EUD page automatically redirect to the LVRDA site. 

→ Incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) into the LVRDA site so that it comes to the top of a Google search 

on “Las Vegas economic development”. 

STRATEGY. Continue distributing The Urban Renaissance e-newsletter to local businesses, regional public officials, site 

selectors, real estate developers, investment prospects, and other key stakeholders. 



5. 



continued 

STRATEGY. Actively influence the image of Las Vegas portrayed on the Web and through social media. 

→ Assume ownership of Las Vegas’ entry on Wikipedia. Regularly update the information and data with references. 

When searching for information on communities using Google or another search engine, Wikipedia entries often 

rank near the top of the search results. Consequently, Wikipedia is frequently the first (and sometimes only) 

source of information people will use to learn about a community. 

→ Work with other local and regional organizations to utilize Facebook and Twitter to update and inform businesses 

and residents of new announcements, upcoming events, and salient issues. The City should request that these 

partner organizations post Las Vegas success stories on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. 

→ Ensure that information being communicated on the Web about the city of Las Vegas by local organizations is 

consistent and accurate. 

6 GOAL: TARGET COMPANIES RECEIVING FEDERAL SBIR/STTR AWARDS FOR BUSINESS RECRUITMENT TO LAS 

VEGAS. 



6. 

GOAL: Target companies receiving federal SBIR/STTR awards for 

business recruitment to Las Vegas. 

The City of Las Vegas should actively target young, high growth technology companies that have received 

R&D funding from the federal government through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program 

and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. Such a strategy offers a unique approach to 

business attraction that leverages the resources and assets of other institutions and organizations in the 

state, including UNLV, the Downtown Project, and GOED. 

OVERVIEW 

Economic development organizations struggle to identify legitimate targets for recruitment. Often they rely on purchasing 

secondary databases of companies within certain geographic locations, industry associations, or NAICS codes. Significant staff 

and financial resources are then dedicated to conducting blind cold call and direct mail (physical and digital) campaigns to 

generate leads. 

Targeting companies that have received federal SBIR/STTR awards allows for targeted recruitment of potential high-growth 

companies with products/technologies in development and receiving federal research funding. The US Small Business 

Administration’s (SBA) Office of Technology administers the SBIR/STTR Program. Through these two competitive programs, 

SBA ensures that the nation's small, high-tech, innovative businesses are a significant part of the federal government's research 

and development efforts. Eleven federal departments participate in the SBIR program; five departments participate in the STTR 

program awarding $2 billion to small high-tech businesses. Data on specific companies that have received awards is publicly 

available on the SBIR website (e.g., type of project, award info, address, contact info, etc.). 

Enterprises in Clark County companies picked up over 11 million dollars in SBIT/STTR awards between 2001 and 2010. Coinciding 

with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, 2010 saw the highest value of awards during the period. Three companies in 

Clark County—Rocky Research (Boulder City), Idea International (Las Vegas), and E-Viz (Las Vegas)—have received SBIR/STTR 

awards of more than $1 million in aggregate ever since 2001. 

Aggregate of federal SBIR & STTR awards in Clark County, NV 

Data aggregated by year and by federal agency source 

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 

Agency 

total 

Annual 

total ($) 

162,756 960,228 1,252,274 2,803,678 79,670 297,268 1,756,499 639,594 336,394 3,001,189 — 

DOD 62,756 860,314 1,152,531 2,803,678 79,670 198,000 139,605 336,394 1,857,156 7,490,104 

Army 914,503 139,605 67,730 716,553 1,838,391 

MDA 62,756 661,501 69,626 734,352 1,528,235 

USAF 99,333 99,815 1,249,751 1,448,899 

DARPA 198,000 99,000 1,140,603 1,437,603 

NAVY 99,480 68,587 819,575 79,670 69,665 1,136,977 

DLA 99,999 99,999 

HHS 100,000 197,325 1,558,499 1,855,824 

DOE 99,743 1,144,033 1,243,776 

NSF 99,914 99,943 499,989 699,846 

Note: Includes the sum of Phase 1 and Phase 2 grants for each year shown. 

Source: US Small Business Administration, Technet 



6. 

GOAL: Target companies receiving federal SBIR/STTR awards for 

business recruitment to Las Vegas. 

continued 

APPROACH 

STRATEGY. Initiate a recruitment campaign that targets 

companies that have been awarded SBIR/STTR grants 

from the federal government. 

→ Targeted companies should be contacted via a 

combination of direct mail and visitation. 

→ With almost 29,000 awards since 2003, firms 

located in California, especially in target 

industries, represent a logical pool of candidates 

for pursuing. 

STRATEGY. Companies should be individually researched 

and contacted with customized information that addresses 

potential needs. 

STRATEGY. A relocation/incentive package should be 

tailored to the company’s needs, including: 

→ Space, 

→ Data storage access, 

→ Talent recruitment, 

→ Workforce training, and 

→ R&D linkages & facilities 

STRATEGY. SBIR/STTR companies should also be a 

target for business retention and expansion. 

→ Call on companies located in Las Vegas that 

have received SBIR/STTR awards. 

→ Offer customized assistance for expansion. 

STRATEGY. Encourage Las Vegas companies to work 

with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development to 

pursue federal SBIR and STTR grants, as well as other 

federal research and innovation funds. 

TIMELINE 


7 GOAL: UTILIZE NEW INCENTIVE TOOLS… 

ABOUT THE SBIR PROGRAM 

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 

Program is structured in three phases: 

 

 

 

Phase I. The objective of Phase I is to establish 

the technical merit, feasibility, and commercial 

potential of the proposed R/R&D efforts and to 

determine the quality of performance of the small 

business awardee organization prior to providing 

further federal support in Phase II. SBIR Phase I 

awards normally do not exceed $150,000 total 

costs for 6 months. 

Phase II. The objective of Phase II is to continue 

the R/R&D efforts initiated in Phase I. Funding is 

based on the results achieved in Phase I and the 

scientific and technical merit and commercial 

potential of the project proposed in Phase II. 

Only Phase I awardees are eligible for a Phase II 

award. SBIR Phase II awards normally do not 

exceed $1,000,000 total costs for 2 years. 

Phase III. The objective of Phase III, where 

appropriate, is for the small business to pursue 

commercialization objectives resulting from the 

Phase I/II R/R&D activities. The SBIR program 

does not fund Phase III. For some federal 

agencies, Phase III may involve follow-on non- 

SBIR funded R&D or production contracts for 

products, processes, or services intended for 

use by the US government. 

Source: www.sbir.gov 



GOED • Las Vegas Metro Chamber • UNLV • Vegas 

Young Professionals 



7. 

GOAL: Utilize new incentive tools to encourage new development and 

redevelopment. 

To compete for new business investment and expansion, the City of Las Vegas will need to continually 

review its existing financial incentives and determine if new tools need to be adopted. 

OVERVIEW 

Las Vegas is operating in a highly competitive environment for business relocation and expansion. The devastating impacts of 

the Great Recession have caused many states, regions, and cities to offer very generous financial incentive packages to 

companies. Indeed, in recent years, the State of Nevada has more actively used financial incentives to attract new investment. 

The City of Las Vegas currently offers a number of small business development programs to assist local businesses. These 

include the Quick Start Program, the Visual Improvement Program, the Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District, The Fast Track 

Program, and the Downtown Retail Program. These programs have resulted in multiple business launches, expansions, and 

improvements in Las Vegas. 

Going forward, given the lack of immediate greenfield sites in Las Vegas, the majority of new development, especially 

commercial office, will be infill and redevelopment projects. These types of projects frequently face higher land acquisition costs 

and development costs than greenfield sites because of surrounding uses, contamination, and/or the effects of market 

speculation. As a result, these types of projects are often more difficult to finance through traditional means. Specific actions to 

address this challenge include identifying opportunities for increased public participation in the form of incentives and other 

strategies to reduce costs. 

TOOL: NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS 

The Las Vegas Community Investment Corporation (LVCIC), a nonprofit Community Development Entity (CDE), has 

been created to pursue a New Market Tax Credit Allocation (NMTC) in the amount of $75 million. The purpose is to 

address socio-economic impacts to the city of Las Vegas’ low-income communities. LVCIC will use NMTCs to provide 

flexible financing to borrowers that are focused on delivering exceptional service to the city of Las Vegas’ impoverished 

neighborhoods. The service area includes all of the city of Las Vegas’ highly distressed neighborhoods, but the LVCIC is 

specifically targeting the communities most severely impacted by Nevada and Las Vegas’ dramatic economic downturn. 

This includes the downtown vicinity as well as the Eastern Avenue and MLK Boulevard corridors extending north from 

downtown. 

Source: City of Las Vegas 

TIMELINE 




GOED 



7. 



continued 

APPROACH 

STRATEGY. In addition to New Markets Tax Credit 

financing, support the capitalization of new nontraditional 

financing programs through the City-controlled Las Vegas 

Community Investment Corporation (see text box, prior 

page). 

STRATEGY. Consider creation of a technology 

infrastructure grant program. 

→ One of the biggest challenges to relocating tech 

and knowledge-based companies to downtown 

Las Vegas is the lack of existing commercial 

office space with adequate technology and 

broadband infrastructure. The City of Las Vegas 

should look at offering a new grant program that 

offers to assist building owners with making 

technology infrastructure upgrades. The program 

could be designed similarly to the existing Quick 

Start incentive program. 

STRATEGY. Explore the feasibily of offering development 

fee rebates. Under this type of incentive, a portion or the 

entire amount of all city fees charged in the regulation of 

land development is rebated back to the developer, 

typically in exchange for meeting specific criteria. 

TOOL: “PACE” BONDS 

The proceeds of a Property Assessed Clean 

Energy (PACE) bond are provided to commercial 

and residential property owners in the form of a 

loan to finance energy retrofits (efficiency 

measures and small renewable energy systems). 

The loans are then repaid by the property owner 

over 20 years via an annual assessment on their 

property tax bill. 

PACE bonds can be issued by municipal financing 

districts or finance companies and the proceeds 

can be typically used to retrofit both commercial 

and residential properties. 

So far, 28 states, including Nevada, have PACE 

enabling legislation. However, there are currently 

no PACE prgrams operating or in development in 

the state. 

Sources: pacenow.org 

rael.berkeley.edu/financing 

STRATEGY. Consider establishing an energy efficiency retrofit grant program. 

→ Public assistance for energy efficiency retrofit grants is an innovative tool for promoting new investment and 

reinvestment in commercial and industrial properties. Such measures are increasingly welcomed by the private 

sector as they help to reduce energy costs, improve property market values, and support individual company 

efforts to become “greener” and more environmentally conscious. One financing tool allowing local governments 

to assist with private energy efficiency retrofits is a Preferred Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) bond (see text box). 

Nevada has enacted PACE enabling legislation, but there are currently no PACE programs operating or in 

development in the state. 



7. 



continued 

STRATEGY. Look for opportunities to increase public participation in land development. 

→ To encourage certain commercial, industrial, or residential developments, public participation may be appropriate. 

The City’s role in such projects can take a number of forms including acquiring property and constructing a buildto-suit 

facility, using sale-leaseback arrangement (see text box), and rebating sales taxes to pay some or all of the 

costs of required infrastructure. 

→ Pursue development of additional pulic parking in underserved downtown areas to stimulate new office 

development. 

STRATEGY. Explore transit-oriented development opportunities with the Regional Transportation Commission to alleviate 

the need to build structured parking for new mid-rise and high-rise projects. 

STRATEGY. Consider establishing a revolving loan fund (RLF) using Economic Development Administration (EDA), 

Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program funds. Explore 

creating a new non-profit organization to apply for federal grants to establish a RLF, administer the loan application/award 

process, and manage the loan portfolio. 

TOOL: SALE-LEASEBACK INCENTIVE 

The sale-leaseback incentive provides an alternative to a traditional arrangement community whereby a community pays 

for the development of a new build-to-suit facility for a specific employer and charges a rental rate substantially below 

market rents. Under a sale-leaseback arrangement, a community would sell a build-to-suit facility to an investordeveloper 

for an amount above construction cost. The community would receive a bonus cash payment from the 

investor who will own the building. In turn, the community would sign a long-term fixed lease (15-20 years) on the facility 

at a market rate, which it would then sub-lease to an employer for the same period at the community's rental rate. 

The sale-leaseback investor will pay the community more than the brick and mortar cost of the building as the investor is 

paying for the building on the basis of the long-term lease commitment of the community. The community then has one 

of three options: (1) it takes the cash bonus from the investor-developer for itself; (2) it passes the bonus on to the 

company as a cash grant or forgivable loan; or (3) it reduces the rent to the company by the amount of the cash bonus. 

By investing the cash bonus into an interest-bearing account, the community may further reduce rents by the amount of 

interest generated. 

Because the community has master-leased the entire building, it may not be obligated to pay real estate taxes. In many 

jurisdictions, this benefit can be passed on to the community's tenant as an additional incentive. 


8 GOAL: EXPAND THE CITY’S BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION PROGRAM. 



8. GOAL: Expand the City’s Business Retention and Expansion program. 

A well-organized business retention and expansion (BRE) program is the cornerstone of any economic 

development program. Las Vegas should expand its BRE program by identifying, reaching out to, and 

assisting high growth companies in the city, including the tourism, gaming, and entertainment cluster. 

OVERVIEW 

According to the Small Business Administration, about 60 percent of US private-sector net new jobs are from existing 

establishments. Successful businesses that expand in their existing community provide the best opportunity to expand a city’s 

employment and tax base. A BRE program can identify barriers to survival and growth that local businesses face. Actively 

meeting with existing businesses and offering support is crucial, especially as those companies often get overlooked in a 

community’s enthusiasm to recruit new headline-generating employers. Ensuring the long-term success of existing companies 

also aids business attraction, as firms considering moving will often talk to existing firms in the community. 

To meet this need, the Economic and Urban Development Department should develop the internal staff capacity to allow for a 

dedicated outreach, visitation, survey, and reporting program for the existing business base in Las Vegas. This base includes the 

tourism, gaming, and entertainment cluster, which remains an economic foundation for the city. Efforts to grow high quality 

tourism, gaming, and entertainment options in Las Vegas will hasten economic recovery and also support ongoing economic 

diversification efforts by creating more demand for retail and dining options in downtown. This in turn will provide more services 

and amenities for the employees of businesses such as Zappos. 

JUMPSTART LAS VEGAS 

Jumpstart Las Vegas is a collaborative Entrepreneurial Business Network which organizes the resources of the Las 

Vegas Metro Chamber, Vegas Young Professionals, Downtown Project, Switch, Vegas Valley Angels, Hamilton Lane, 

Nevada Capital Investment Corporation, and local entrepreneurs to further the tech startup community in downtown Las 

Vegas. It provides high growth, high tech start-ups with: 

 

 

 

Access to qualified resources such as legal, accounting, marketing, and human resources 

Educational programming designed to help fundable business ventures 

Coordination of existing startup resources within the Southern Nevada ecosystem 

Source: http://www.jumpstartlv.com/ 

TIMELINE 




Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce • JumpStart Las 

Vegas • Downtown Business Alliance 

T I P S t r a t e g i e s | T h e o r y I n t o P r a c t i c e P a g e | 3 3



continued 

APPROACH 

STRATEGY. Support the growth of high-quality tourism, gaming, and entertainment options. 

→ Remain committed to opening a new upper end casino hotel in Symphony Park. 

→ Assist existing casino hotels to make upgrades and improvements. 

→ Promote the continued development and growth of the Fremont East Entertainment District. The Fremont East 

Entertainment District offers an eclectic mixture of bars, clubs and restaurants along Fremont Street from Las 

Vegas Boulevard to Eighth Street. The district continues one block north of Fremont Street to Ogden Avenue and 

one block south to Carson Avenue. 

▪ 

▪ 

Determine the strategic planning and land use goals for “East Village” district, which is the area east and 

north of the existing Fremont East Entertainment District. 

Continue working closely with the Fremont East Entertainment District Business Improvement District (BID). 

STRATEGY. Contribute to the launch and implementation of JumpStart Las Vegas. (See text box, prior page.) 

STRATEGY. Build and maintain a database of existing businesses in Las Vegas. 

→ Maintain an inventory of the types of businesses already in the community, as well as new locations and 

expansions. 

→ Utilize existing valuable sources of information about the local business base, such as the city business license, 

tax records, utility hookups, and ownership transfers. 

STRATEGY. Administer a regularly scheduled employer survey. The current Business Needs Assessment Survey located 

on the department’s website is not adequate to capture critical information and data. A new survey instrument should be 

developed and distributed through a variety of outlets. 

→ This survey could be administered alongside the business licensing process or separately. 

→ Ideally, the survey could be conducted online along with the small business licensing application so that data 

could be analyzed efficiently and updated annually. For example, Survey Monkey and Google Forms are useful, 

free or low-cost online survey options that allow for the rapid analysis of data. 

→ The survey results should be entered into the department’s CRM system. 

STRATEGY. Expand the on-site business visitation program. 

→ Evaluate the existing business visitation program and make necessary changes to optimize the process. 

→ Assess the method by which businesses are identified and prioritized for visitation. 




continued 

→ Business visitations should be prioritized using criteria such as employer size, employer growth rates (if known), 

and target industries. 

→ Tailor the employer survey instrument to best capture critical information from business executives and owners 

during the visit. 

→ Establish procedures for entering information gathered from the visit into the CRM system. 

→ Set specific goals for the program (e.g., conduct at least 50 visitations annually). 

STRATEGY. Explore partnering with other regional organizations such as the LVGEA and the Las Vegas Metro Chamber 

on BRE efforts. 

STRATEGY. Expand networking opportunities. 

→ Create a regular business forum. These events provide opportunities for local businesses to meet regularly with 

the City’s leadership, economic development staff, and community planning staff. 

→ Hold a quarterly business forum or industry roundtables organized around a specific topic of interest (such as 

planning and zoning issues or transportation infrastructure). The purpose of these forums is to provide a venue for 

the City and local businesses to discuss issues, exchange ideas, and maintain an open line of communication. 

→ Continue sponsoring the business legal issues seminars for local businesses. 

9 GOAL: ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF PLACE IN LAS VEGAS. 



9. GOAL: Enhance the quality of place in Las Vegas. 

For Las Vegas to become a true destination for world class companies and talent, it must continue investing 

in its quality of place. While quality of life tends to highlight the values and preferences of the existing 

population, quality of place describes how attractive a community appears from outside the community. 

OVERVIEW 

US employers rely on the skills and talent of their workforce to 

maintain or gain a competitive advantage. This holds especially 

true for knowledge-based industries. As a consequence, 

companies often seek to attract and retain talented workers by 

locating operations in communities with a strong sense of place. 

This is because communities offering a multitude of amenities 

are the ones attracting many of today’s skilled and talented 

workers. While no set definition for “quality of place” exists, the 

one common factor is the wide availability of choices in housing, 

entertainment, culture, recreation, retail, and employment. 

Las Vegas enjoys a number of “quality of place” assets, most of 

which center around the city’s traditional tourism, gaming, and 

entertainment cluster. In addition to its casino hotels and the 

Fremont Street Experience, Las Vegas also offers a variety 

developing assets and districts focused on arts and culture, 

including the Smith Center, the Dicovery Children’s Museum, 

the 18b Arts District, the Mob Museum, and the Cultural 

Corridor. The latter includes the Las Vegas Library, the Natural 

History Museum, Shakespeare Company, the Neon Museum, 

and the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort and State Park. The 

Downtown Project is also investing heavily in the retail, dining, 

education, residential, and mobility amenities of downtown Las 

Vegas. 

The City and its partners should accelerate the momentum to 

expand and diversify the amenities Las Vegas has to offer. The 

focus of these efforts should be in or near the downtown, on the 

facilities and features that would appeal to visitors as well as 

existing and potential residents. 

TIMELINE 


The Importance of Art in Economic Development 

"Any plan that addresses economic growth and 

urban and neighborhood revitalization has to 

include the arts. We know and we can prove that 

when you bring arts and artists into the center of 

town, that town changes.… Artists are great 

placemakers. They are entrepreneurs and they 

should be the centerpiece of every town’s strategy 

for the future." 

An Interview with Rocco Landesman, 

Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts 

Published in: GIA Reader, Vol 24, No 1 (Winter 2013) 


photo credit: America’s Byways© 

City of Las Vegas • 18b Arts District • 

DowntownProject.com • Downtown Alliance • Las Vegas 

Convention and Visitors Authority • Higher education 

institutions • Cultural Corridor Coalition • RTCSN 




continued 

APPROACH 

STRATEGY. Continue developing and expanding arts and cultural facilities. 

→ Work closely with the leaders and businesses 

in the 18b Arts District to encourage the 

redevelopment of existing structures and the 

expansion of entrepreneurship in the district. 

→ Partner with the arts and philanthropic 

communities to develop a major art museum 

in Las Vegas. 

→ Continue supporting and promoting First 

Friday events in downtown. 

STRATEGY. Improve the connectedness and 

walkability of Las Vegas. 

→ Work with the Regional Transportation 

Commission of Southern Nevada (RTCSN) to 

expand bus rapid transit infrastructure and 

service in the city. 

→ Work with the Downtown Project and other 

downtown neighborhood and business 

districts to identify downtown streets suitable 

for installation of new bike lanes and 

pedestrian infrastructure. 

→ Continue planning for construction of the 

Symphony Park Pedestrian Bridges. 

REDEFINING PLACE 

Much has been written about the importance of 

quality of life to the site selection process. 

Communities throughout the nation have positioned 

themselves by touting their advantages in this 

regard—good schools, safe streets, pleasant 

weather. Such factors are important. However, they 

also tend to be narrow in their focus. Quality of life 

assumes that everyone thrives in the same 

environment and is attracted to the same amenities. 

It assumes that current residents’ view of what 

makes a community would be shared by all. 

By contrast, quality of place considers what is 

attractive to a range of residents, both old and new. 

The idea of quality of place accommodates growth 

and recognizes the benefits of change. It recognizes 

that one person’s “good place to raise a family” 

might translate into another’s “there’s nothing to do 

in this town.” Quality of place is about providing 

options, not just for current residents, but for those 

who will be residents in the future. 

Source: TIP Strategies 

STRATEGY. Expand post-secondary educational campus facilities and programs in downtown Las Vegas. 

→ Locate building/spaces that may accommodate higher education functions downtown. 

→ Expand the space made available to CSN in City Hall for classrooms should demand for the program grow. (See 

Goal 2, Strategy 5.) 

→ Work with higher education partners to determine additional space needs and timelines. 

→ Determine the short-term and long-term needs of local higher education with current partners. 

→ Explore the opportunities with potential non-local higher education partners who may wish to locate downtown. 




STRATEGY. Expand the quality and variety of K-12 educational offerings in the community. 

→ Work with the Clark County School District to improve the educational performance of the region’s schools and 

students. 

→ Support the partnership efforts of Teach for America and the Downtown Project. 

→ Encourage the development of new public and private K-12 schools in the downtown area to make it more 

attractive to young families. 

→ Map out potential sites with education partners interested in expanding. 

→ Develop a long-term conceptual plan with partners regarding necessary infrastructure. 

STRATEGY. Promote the development of new downtown residential properties. 



Implementation 

The following matrix combines all the goals and strategies in a single table. It also includes potential partners and allies as well 

as a recommended time horizon for implementation. The purpose of the implementation matrix is to provide a graphic 

representation when the actions should realistically be implemented and the most appropriate organizations to carry them out. 

TIMELINE 

STRATEGIES 

Ongoing 


TIMELINE 

STRATEGIES 

Ongoing 


TIMELINE 

STRATEGIES 

Ongoing 


TIMELINE 

STRATEGIES 

Ongoing 


Performance Measures 

An important piece of any strategic plan is developing the metrics by which the success of the plan’s implementation will be 

measured and tracked. The types of performance measures normally established and used by organizations include: 

 

 

 

 

 

Input measures, which identify the amount of resources needed to provide a particular product or service, including 

labor, materials, equipment, and supplies; 

Output measures, which represent the amount of products or services provided, and focus on the level of activity 

involved in providing a service or making a product (workload measures are one of the most common type or output 

measures); 

Efficiency measures, also known as productivity measures, which reflect the cost of providing products or services, 

either in terms of dollars or time; 

Quality measures, which reflect the effectiveness in meeting the expectations of customers and stakeholders in 

providing a service or product, and can include reliability, accuracy, courtesy, competence, responsiveness, and 

completeness associated with the product or service provided; and 

Outcome measures, which reflect the actual results achieved with a service or a product. 

To assess the economic health of Las Vegas, TIP recommends EUD focus on tracking outcome measures. Outcome measures 

are the true indicators of a program’s effectiveness. They are broadly defined by various authoritative publications on the subject 

as “benefits or changes for participants occurring during or after their involvement with a program.” Successful outcomes 

concentrate on changes in the lives of clients. 

While it is difficult to directly connect the success of the economic development plan to certain economic statistics at the local 

level (e.g., median household income), tracking such indicators does provide a general understanding of the relative economic 

vitality of Las Vegas. 

In addition to the business and project development measures assigned to EUD within its 2012 Strategic Business Plan, TIP is 

proposing the department measure and track the following economic indicators as a measure of overall economic vitality in Las 

Vegas. 

Suggested Metric 

Data Source 

Number of business site visits 

Number of jobs created 

Number of jobs retained 

Annual unemployment rate 

Private non-farm employment 

EUD records 

Business interviews, surveys, media, and 

business license records 



Nevada Department of Employment, Training & 

Rehabilitation 

Nevada Department of Employment, Training & 

Rehabilitation 



Amount of private sector investment 

Number of new businesses formed (retail and non-retail) 

Increase in share (%) of non-gaming and construction jobs created and 

retained 

Increase in number of non-gaming and construction businesses created 

and retained 

Increase in ratio of private to public investment in the city 

Office square footage added to the local market 

Industrial square footage added to the local market 

Annual population estimates 

Population over age 25 with a bachelor’s degree or higher 

Total taxable assessed value of commercial property 

Tax base diversification (increased non-residential share of property tax 

revenues) 

Increased median household income 

Median wages of new jobs created 









City of Las Vegas and County Tax Assessor 

Regional commercial office brokerage 

(e.g., CB Richard Ellis) 

Regional commercial office brokerage 

(e.g., CB Richard Ellis) 

U.S. Census - American Community Survey 

(1-year estimates) 



County Tax Assessor 

County Tax Assessor 





New investments and jobs are likely to occur in Las Vegas without the City’s assistance. These successes should still be 

counted toward the targets as they contribute to Las Vegas’ overall economic vitality. Finally, the EUD’s ability to track, record, 

store, count and report this data will depend on its staffing and internal systems capacity. 



Appendix: Medical District Case Studies 

In support of our recommendation to strengthen and expand the Las Vegas Medical District, we compiled information on four 

successful urban medical districts. The objective of the research was to to identify best practices and lessons that could be 

applied locally. The resulting case studies are presented below. 

Texas Medical 

Center 

Illinois Medical 

District 

Fort Worth Near 

Southside 

Memphis Medical 

Center 

Location Houston, Texas Chicago, IL Fort Worth, TX Memphis, TN 

Date 

established 

1945 1941 1996 2005-2006 

Size (acres) 1,345 560 68 14,000 

# of employees 92,500 20,000 21,483 40,000 

# of students 41,000 3,300 n/a 10,000 

Planning board 

Total # of 

institutions 

Texas Medical Center 

Corporation 

Illinois Medical District 

Commission 

Fort Worth South, Inc 

Memphis Medical 

Center 

54 53 n/a 51 

# of hospitals 15 4 6 5 

# of medical 

schools 

# of govt. 

institutions 

Annual impact 

($) 

Website 

Facebook 

3 2 0 

0 (There are 4 allied 

health, health sciences 

and/or nursing schools.) 

26 13 0 6 

>$10 billion 

http://texasmedicalcent 

er.org 

https://www.facebook.c 

om/pages/Medical- 

Center-Houston-Texas 

>$7 billion with 50,000 

total direct and indirect 

jobs 

http://www.imdc.org 

https://www.facebook.c 

om/pages/Illinois- 

Medical-District 

>$21 million in direct 

health related 

expenditures 

>$80 million in retail 

impact 

http://www.fortworthsout 

h.org 

https://www.facebook.co 

m/nearsouthside 

>$9 Billion 

http://www.memphisme 

dicalcenter.com 

n/a 




Case Study #1: Texas Medical Center | Houston, Texas 

Location: Houston, the largest city in Texas, is 

located in Harris County in South East Texas. The 

metropolitan area of Houston -Sugar Land – 

Baytown has a population of 6,086,538 per the 

2011 Census Estimate. In the last several years, 

Houston has a relatively strong economy 

compared to the rest of the country, including an 

increase in GDP of 8% from 2010 to 2011. 

History: The first medical buildings in what is now 

the Texas Medical Center (TMC) were built in the 

early 20th century. In 1940, the City of Houston 

and Harris County began collaboration on a 

Hospital District and in 1945 the Texas Medical 

Center was established with the following charter 

members: the newly formed MD Anderson Hospital 

Main Street within the Texas Medical Center 

Photo credit: Socrate76 via Wikipedia 

of Cancer Research, Baylor College of Medicine (relocated from Dallas), the University of Texas School of Dentistry, and 

Hermann Hospital. The original inception of the Texas Medical Center was a place where people from all walks of life could have 

access to the finest medical care. In keeping with that mission, the TMC accepts only not-for-profit institutions. In 68 years, the 

TMC has grown to 54 institutions, including fifteen hospitals, two specialty institutions, three medical schools, six nursing 

schools, schools of public health, pharmacy and dentistry. 

Urban Renewal Strategies: Texas Medical Center vision for strategic growth reflects the need to plan within the regional 

context. To that end, the 2006 master plan calls out several areas within which TMC is working with the region to improve the 

entire metropolitan area. 

 

 

 

Access: TMC is working with regional transportation initiatives to improve access for TMC employees to public transit and 

denser land use patterns for affordable and accessible housing for TMC employees. 

City Planning for Main Street: TMC is cooperating with City of Houston Initiatives, especially the Main Street Corridor 

Initiatives. There are five urban districts along Main Street that the City of Houston is renewing: Downtown, Midtown, 

Museum, Medical Center, and Reliant Park 

Open Space Initiatives: Houston has experience significant flooding from hurricanes in recent years. Improving the open 

space and drainage of downtown Houston will not only improve aesthetics, but also provide for improvements for flood 

management. 



These goals are captured in nine key initiatives for TMC: 

→ Coordinate Growth 

→ Improve Streets and Access 

→ Integrate Transit and Parking 

→ Enhance Open Space 

→ Implement Stormwater Management Strategies 

→ Expand Utility Services 

→ Strengthen Main Street 

→ Develop Mixed Use Centers 

→ Promote Sustainability 

Recent accomplishments by the TMC include: 

→ Completed Hazard Mitigation Master Plan with FEMA  

→ Mid and South Campus Development Plan prepared 

→ Stormwater Management Design Guidelines published 

→ Former Nabisco Bakery purchased and developed into the John P. McGovern Campus, resulting in substantial 

office and lease space for member institutions 

→ Regional Mobility Plan developed and implemented 

→ METRO Light Rail and Transit Center incorporated into the TMC circulation system 

→ Brays Bayou widening and beautification project initiated 

→ Strengthened communication with the City of Houston; Harris County; Houston- Galveston Area Council; and 

state and federal government officials 

→ Expanded collaborative spirit of member institutions on infrastructure development and roadway replacement 

→ New Health and Biomedical Sciences Building at the University of Houston 

→ Added two new member institutions: The University of Houston-Victoria School of Nursing and The Menninger 

Clinic 

Job Growth Strategies: Job growth has been very steady at TMC. Texas Medical Center Corporation actively recruits non-profit 

health-related institutions to locate within the medical center. The impacts of this recruitment can be seen in a 2001 article that 

demonstrated the economic impact of the Texas Medical Center, an urban medical district, is nearly 5 times the impact of a 

regional medical center like the one affiliated with UT Southwest Medical School in Dallas. 

TMC has developed several initiatives supporting job growth or targeting employment within a certain sector. 

 

In 2012, TMC implemented Hiring: Red, White and You! A campus-wide initiative aimed at hiring more veterans at TMC 

member institutions. As of October 2012, this program had resulted in the hiring of 600 veterans. 



 

 

 

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC-H), Office of Technology Management has two 

programs that support Startups and Technology Growth within the TMC: The Biotechnology Commercialization Center and 

the Entrepreneur-In-Residence program. 

The Biotechnology Commercialization Center (BCC) opened in 2010. The BBC incubates UTHealth and Houston based 

companies and helps them bring their products to Market. Currently there are 11 companies in the BCC. 

The Entrepreneur-In-Residence program provides a very small stiped for serial entrepreneurs to work with UTHSC-H 

technologies. The EIRs work on early business planning processes and analysis, which may lead to CEO positions as the 

companies move to market. 

TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER INSTITUTIONS – NAME AND YEAR JOINED 

1 Baylor College of Medicine (1943) 28 St. Dominic Village (2008) 

2 Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital (1986) 29 St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System (1951) 

3 

City of Houston Department of Health and Human 

Services (1963) 

30 Texas A & M University Health Science Center Houston (1986) 

4 DePelchin Children’s Center (2012) 31 Texas Children’s Hospital (1951) 

5 Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center (1988) 32 Texas Heart Institute (1971) 

6 Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences (1983) 33 Texas Medical Center Hospital Laundry Cooperative Association (1972) 

7 Harris County Medical Society (1954) 34 Texas Medical Center YMCA (1988) 

Harris County Public Health and Environmental 

8 

Services (2007) 

Harris Health System – Ben Taub General Hospital 

9 

(1960) 

Harris Health System – Lyndon B. Johnson General 

10 

Hospital (1989) 

Harris Health System – Quentin Mease Community 

11 

Hospital (1986) 

35 Texas Southern University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences 

(2002) 

36 Texas Woman’s University Institute of Health Sciences-Houston (1961) 

37 The Menninger Clinic (2012) 

38 The Methodist Hospital (1950) 

12 Houston Academy of Medicine (1952) 39 Thermal Energy Corporation (TECO) (1978) 

13 

Houston Academy of Medicine Texas Medical Center 

Library (1949) 

40 The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at 

Houston (1970) 

14 Houston Community College System (1977) 41 The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) 

(1972) 

15 Houston Hospice (1983) 42 UTHealth - Brown Foundation Inst. of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention 

of Human Diseases (1995) 

16 Houston’s Ronald McDonald House (1989) 43 UTHealth - Harris County Psychiatric Center (1984) 

17 Institute for Spirituality and Health (1955) 44 UTHealth - School of Biomedical Informatics at Houston (1997) 

18 

John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical 

Science (1995) 

45 UTHealth - School of Nursing (1972) 

19 LifeGift Organ Donation Center (1989) 46 UTHealth - School of Public Health (1970) 

20 Memorial Hermann –Texas Medical Center (1944) 47 UTHealth - The University of Texas School of Dentistry (UTSD) (1943) 

21 

Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions 

(1973) 

48 The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (1942) 

22 

Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center 

Houston (1985) 

49 The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) (2010) 

23 Prairie View A & M University College of Nursing (1982) 50 The University of Texas Medical School at Houston (1971) 

24 Rice University (2003) 51 TIRR Memorial Hermann (The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research) 

(1957) 

25 Sabin Vaccine Institute (2012) 52 University of Houston (2009) 

26 Shriners Hospitals for Children – Galveston (2011) 53 University of Houston College of Pharmacy (1980) 

27 Shriners Hospitals for Children – Houston (1952) 54 University of Houston – Victoria School of Nursing (2012) 



Case Study #2: Illinois Medical District | Chicago, Illinois 

Location: Chicago, the largest city in 

Illinois, is the third largest city in the 

United States. Chicago is located in 

Cook County in Northeast Illinois. The 

metropolitan area of Chicago has a 

population of 7,922,566 per the 2011 

Census Estimate. In the last several 

years, Chicago has a moderate 

economy growth compared to the rest 

of the country, with an increase in 

GDP of 4% from 2010 to 2011. 

Illinois Medial Distict: the nation’s largest urban medical district 

Photo credit: istcoalition.org 

History: The district had its beginning in the late 19 th century after the great fire in Chicago. After the fire, the Cook County 

Hospital, Rush Medical College, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons were built on the near west side of Chicago. Over 

the next 60 years, more facilities were built in the same area of Chicago and, in 1941, the Illinois Medical District (IMD) was 

officially established by an act of Illinois State Legislature with the goal of creating the best Medical Center in the world. Today, 

the Illinois Medical District spans 560 acres, contains universities, medical research facilities, a biotech incubator and more than 

40 medical facilities and institutions. 

The Illinois Medical District Commission is a seven-member body appointed by the Governor, Cook County President and the 

Mayor of Chicago. The commission is tasked with the operation, acquisition and development of land for the IMD. 

Urban Renewal Strategies: In 1998, the IMD commissioned a master plan. The master plan recognized that growth of the IMD 

required the revitalization of the surrounding Near West side area of Chicago. This region of Chicago had not been improved for 

several decades. 

The master plan focused on the following goals: 

 

 

 

 

 

New facilities for medical, academia, research and technology 

New multi-member shared support services 

Infrastructure improvements including parking, traffic patterns, street improvements 

Campus revitalization with open space expansion and streetscape enhancement 

Community revitalization 

By 2010 the IMD accomplished steps toward many of the goal of the master plan including: 

 

 

 

A new Orthopedics tower and parking garage completed 

A central steam plant added to support power and heat needs 

A playground developed in collaboration with Easter Seals 



 

An exchange of land with the City of Chicago, providing space for a Costco and Vertiport for the IMD and a Ball Field and 

Park for the City 

Job Growth Strategies: In the 1998 master plan, the IMD set a goal of bringing and additional $2.5 billion in new economic 

activity to the Near West Side of Chicago through coordinated planning efforts with civic groups and City agencies. The vision is 

an area of safe, mixed income neighborhoods with new schools, shopping and parks. Several of these initiatives are underway. 

New parks and parkland have been established and major retail stores, like Costco planned or opened. Each of these brings 

additional jobs directly to the area, as well as, encouraging further development. 

In addition, IMD has long had a commitment to growing the Chicago economy through the Chicago Technology Park. Chicago 

Technology Park Corporation established the Chicago Technology Park (CTP) technology and life science incubator was started 

by the IMD in 1987 and operated on behalf of the University of Illinois, Chicago. CTP contributed to the growth of companies and 

relocation of many companies to Chicago, contributing directly to the growth of the Chicago area economy. In 2009-2010, IMD 

turned over management of CTP to the UIC and will continue to support the program. Currently approximately 30 successful 

biotech firms are located there. The average growth rate of CTP companies is 200% over 4 years and the number of employees 

has increased from 80 to 300. 

ILLINOIS MEDICAL DISTRICT INSTITUTIONS 

1 The University of Illinois Medical Center 28 Laurence Armour Day School 

2 The John H. Stroger, Jr., Hospital of Cook County 29 UIC Children’s Center 

3 Rush University Medical Center 30 New Zion Missionary Baptist Church Child Care Academy 

4 Jesse Brown VA Medical Center 31 

The Chicago Lighthouse Development Center for Blind, Multi- 

Disabled Children 

5 Anatomical Gift Association of Illinois 32 Easter Seals’ Autism Therapeutic School, Chicago 

6 Cook County Bureau of Health Services 33 Montefiore Therapeutic Day School 

7 Cook County Medical Examiner 34 Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education 

8 Hektoen Institute of Medicine 35 Rush Day School 

9 Fantus Health Center of Cook County 36 Children of Peace School 

10 Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary 37 Washington Irving Elementary School 

11 Johnston R. Bowman Health Center 38 Chicago Hope Academy 

12 Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center 39 UIC College Prep 

13 Union Health Services Medical Center 40 District Security Group 

14 IMD Guest House Foundation 41 American Red Cross of Greater Chicago 

15 Anixter Village for People with Spina Bifida and Similar Disabilities 42 Chicago 311 Alternative Emergency Response Center 

16 Archdiocese of Chicago’s Holy Trinity School for the Deaf 43 Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center 

17 Chicago Lighthouse for People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired 44 Chicago Department of Public Health 

18 

Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago Therapeutic Day School & 

Center for Autism Research 

45 Chicago Police Department 12th District 

19 Illinois Centers for Rehabilitation & Education – Wood 46 Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center 

20 Illinois Centers for Rehabilitation & Education – Roosevelt 47 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Chicago 

21 Rush Day School 48 Illinois Department of Public Health Division of Laboratories 

22 Illinois Action for Children 49 Illinois State Police Forensic Science Center at Chicago 

23 Youth Outreach Services 50 Illinois State Police Protective Services Unit 

24 Barton Assisted Living Facility 51 State Public Health Laboratory 

25 City of Chicago Senior Services 52 Chicago Technology Park 

26 City of Chicago Disability Resources 

27 Carole Robertson Center for Learning 



Case Study #3: Fort Worth Near Southside | Fort Worth, Texas 

Location: Fort Worth is the seat of Tarrant County, the 

5th largest city in Texas and the 16th largest city in the 

US. Fort Worth has a population of 758,738 per the 2011 

Census Estimate; this does not reflect the population of 

the entire Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) metropolitan area. In 

the last several years, the entire DFW metropolitan area 

has experienced good economic growth compared to the 

rest of the country, with an increase in GDP of 6% from 

2010 to 2011. 

History: For many years, Fort Worth citizens referred to 

the regional medical area where Tarrant County’s five 

major hospitals are located as “The Medical District”, 

although there existed no formal district. In 1996, a group 

of business and community leaders collaborated to create 

John Peter Smith Hospital 

Photo credit: Near Southside Progress Report 2010 

the Fort Worth South, Inc (FSWI)., a private, member-funded, non-profit development company with the goal of implementing a 

strategic plan for revitalizing Fort Worth’s Near Southside, a historic area of Fort Worth that fell into decline over the last half 

century. Included in that area of Fort Worth is the Medical District, and developing it as a district was a goal of the FWSI. The 

strategic plan resulted from a joint public-private partnership, including the City of Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Transportation 

Authority and the major hospitals. 

Urban Renewal Strategies: FSWI’s mission is urban renewal of Fort Worth South side with the goal of creating a appealing, 

mixed-use urban neighborhood. The goals of the FSWI are: 

 

 

 

 

Public Relations to improve knowledge of the Southside to attract real estate development, support local business and 

attract new business 

Support private and public project that support the FSWI mission 

Provide sponsorship for special events to attract visitors to the area 

Partner with City and community organization initiative that support the FSWI mission 

Specific accomplishments include: 

 

 

 

 

 

Doubling of development activity in the region in the three years 2008-2011 compared to 2004-2007 

Establishment of the first new city park in decades 

Sustained apartment occupancy rates above 95% 

Southside is now regional destination for entertainment and restaurants 

More than $400 million in New Medical Center Facilities including: 



→ New Women’s Hospital 

→ Islet Cell Transplant Laboratory at Baylor All Saints Medical Center 

→ Heart Center 

→ Trauma Center at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital 

→ Dialysis Center 

→ Rehabilitation Hospital 

→ Expansion of Cook Children’s Hospital 

→ Moncrief Cancer Institute 

Upcoming Projects: 

 

 

 

200 new units of housing 

Continued improvements of streets to increase pedestrian accessibility, bicycle accessibility and beautification 

New Public Transit to DFW airport 

In addition, a Tax Increment Finance District was created in 1997 that allows for tax revenues generated by new development in 

the district to be used to support public improvement in the district. 

Job Growth Strategies: Through the revitalization of the community and the half a billion dollars in new facility construction, 

thousands of new jobs have been created with in the Fort Worth South Side. Comparing annual job reports from 2008 to 2011 

saw 2300 jobs added in Healthcare alone in the Near Southside Medical District. The addition of 3 new medical facilities in 2012 

should add between 1000 and 1500 additional jobs at those facilities and an estimated 1300 to 1800 jobs in the regional area 

economy. 

FORT WORTH NEAR SOUTHSIDE MEDICAL DISTRICT INSTITUTIONS 

1 Baylor All Saints Medical Center 9 Texas Health Resources 

2 Cook Children’s Medical Center 10 Harris Heart Center 

3 Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital 11 Andrew’s Women’s Hospital 

4 JPS Health Network 12 Tarrant County Public Health Department 

5 Plaza Medical Center 13 Health Center for Women 

6 Moncreif Cancer Institute 14 Fort Worth Center of Rehabilitation 

7 Plaza Medical Center 15 Multiple Independent Clinics and Offices 

8 Alliance for Children 



Case Study #4: Memphis Medical Center | Memphis, Tennessee 

Location: Memphis is in the Southwestern 

Corner of Tennessee and is the county seat 

of Shelby County. It sits on the Mississippi 

river and is the largest city in Tennessee. 

Memphis has a population of 652,050 per 

the 2011 Census Estimate. In the last 

several years, the Memphis area has 

experienced extremely moderate economic 

growth compared to the rest of the country, 

with an increase in GDP of 2% from 2010 to 

2011. 

Church Health Center 

Photo credit: faithandfitness.net 

History: In 2001 Memphis’ Center City Commission drafted a master plan that included revitalizing the existing area locally 

referred to as “The Medical Center”. In the mid-2000s, the Memphis Medical Center was created to implement aspects of that 

plan. The MMC creation was spurred by the announcement that the UT Baptist Research Park to be developed on the former 

Baptist Hospital Site in the heart of the Medical Center. The Memphis Medical Center is a centralized group dedicated to 

addressing issues such transportation, zoning and security, housing, economic development and other development issues. The 

goal of the MMC is to implement the strategies in the master plan and create a safe district committed to education, innovative 

research, development and medical care that attract new businesses and talent to the area. 

Urban Renewal Strategies: The targets from the original Memphis Center City Commission master plan drafted in 2001 

included: 

 

 

 

 

Residential: Up to 1000 new residential units 

Medical Technology Business Park: Up to 450,000 SF of office and lab space and 10% of the businesses in a Medical 

Technology Business Park with a medical focus 

Retail: Up to 150,000 SF of new retail in mixed use developments 

Hotels: Up to 500 new hotel rooms 

To date more than $1.4 billion in projects have been completed or initiated resulting in the following additions to the Memphis 

Medical Center. 

 

 

 

 

 

Residential: More than 1000 new residential units 

Medical Technology – 25,000 sf of specialized research space 

Hotels: 50 short term units for patients and families 

Medical/Educational Facilities New Construction – Approximately 1.5 million square feet of new construction in 6 projects 

Renovation and Expansion of 4 Hospitals 



There are two boards that incent business to relocate with the Memphis Medical Center, Center City Revenue Finance 

Corporation and the Center City Development Corporation. These boards offer incentives including: a Tax-Freeze program that 

allows for commercial property taxes to be frozen at a predevelopment level for a set amount of time, a low-interest development 

loan program, a forgivable loan program for retail businesses where loans can be forgiven if the business stays in business for 5 

years, a façade improvement grant program and office improvement grant program. 

The growth of the Memphis Medical Center and the business incentives are working and, in addition to the impressive list of 

accomplishments, there is nearly $1 billion dollars in ongoing improvements. Including the ongoing construction of the UT/Baptist 

Research Park and renovations Methodist University Hospital 

Job Growth Strategies: Memphis and Shelby County implemented several job growth strategies for the region through the 

Memphis Medical Center and other organizations. The Memphis Bioworks Foundation, established in 2001, is a collaboration of 

public, private, academic and government entities. The Foundation is tasked with expanding Memphis’ bioscience economy in 

sectors where the Memphis Medical Center demonstrated excellence, such as medical devices and orthopedic medicine. 

The Memphis Bioworks Foundation supports several projects that will contribute to job growth in Memphis. For example, the 

UT/Baptist Research Park, the original $450 million dollars bioscience technology park that initiated the MMC, includes an 

incubator program to support new bioscience business. In addition, in 2007 the Memphis Bioworks Foundation created Innova, 

an early stage investment group focused on high growth bioscience and technology companies. They have invested in 11 

companies to date. Additionally, Innova received some of its initial funding from Memphis Fast Forward. 

In 2005, the Mayors of Shelby County and Memphis worked with Memphis Tomorrow to create a strategic growth plan called 

Memphis Fast Forward focused on four key industries, including bioscience. The city and county targets for the plan are nearly 

50,000 new jobs and more than $80 million in new tax revenue. The first five years produced 15,000 new jobs with an average 

salary of nearly $40,000. 

MEMPHIS MEDICAL CENTER INSTITUTIONS 

1 St. Jude Children's Medical center 19 FedEx Family House 

2 Le Bonheur Children's Hospital 20 Lifeblood 

3 University of Tennessee Health Science Center 21 Victims Assistance Center 

4 Memphis Mental Health Institute 22 Harwood Center for Disabled Children 

5 Southern College of Optometry 23 Commission on Missing and Exploited Children 

6 Methodist University Hospital 24 MIFA 

7 Regional Medical Center of Memphis 25 The Urban Child Institute 

8 Veterans Affairs Medical Center 26 Child Advocacy Center 

9 Shelby County Health Department 27 Catholic Charities 

10 HealthSouth 28 Teen Challenge 

11 Church Health Center 29 Manna House 

12 Hamilton Eye Institute 30 Memphis Food Bank 

13 UT College of Pharmacy 31 Church Health Center 

14 UT Cancer Research Institute 32 Serenity 

15 Regional Forensic Center at Memphis 33 Memphis Union Mission 

16 Ronald McDonald House 34 Memphis City Beautiful 

17 Harrah's Hope House 35 Memphis Housing Authority 

18 Memphis Crisis Center 36 Juvenile Court 

cont. next page 



MEMPHIS MEDICAL CENTER INSTITUTIONS CONT. 

37 GTx 41 Inmotion Orthopaedic Research Center 

38 Medical Education and Research Institute 42 Innova 

39 Christie Medical Holdings 43 Auto-Chlor System 

40 Memphis Bioworks 44 The Commercial Appeal

Economic Development Investment Strategy - City of Las Vegas

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