Developers give Historic Preservation Commission update on Huntridge Theatre; cell-tower relocation and theatre coalition under negotiation

Jay Dapper, principal of Dapper Companies, updated the Las Vegas Historic Preservation Commission on the Huntridge Theatre project at 1208 E. Charleston Blvd., saying the developer is coordinating with the city and prospective arts tenants as it finalizes design changes and leasing plans.

Dapper told commissioners the site is being used temporarily as a staging area by a city public-works contractor working on a Charleston Boulevard storm-drain project and that the contractor fenced part of the theater parking lot and put in surveillance and equipment under a month-to-month agreement that can be terminated on 30 days' notice. "If you've gone by there recently and you've seen some fencing up and then some construction vehicles and things in the parking lot, that's what that's for," Dapper said.

The developer said litigation over a rooftop cell tower with the operator — named in earlier filings as AT&T and Crown Castle — is no longer active and that negotiations are under way to renew the operator's lease and relocate the tower to the back corner of the property. "I'm happy to report that, there's no current litigation going on. We're in talks right now with them to renew their lease and to relocate, to the back corner of the property," Dapper said, adding he expects an agreement within months.

Dapper described progress on tenanting and programming for the theater. Soho Playhouse holds a lease for the performance space and has added new board members, including Dr. Keith Bowman, who Dapper said brings experience from the Smith Center and connections to a coalition of local theater organizations. That coalition, Dapper said, has raised new design requests — notably rehearsal space — that the team is evaluating with theater consultants Fisher DAX (FDA) and architect Gensler. "They hired a consulting firm named FDA... They started to work with Gensler, our architect, to suggest some changes that we could make to our existing plan to accommodate things like, rehearsal space," Dapper said.

Dapper said the team is investigating whether recommended changes can be made without triggering a new public hearing or otherwise requiring a repeat of prior approvals. If changes stay within the approved project envelope, the developer will update architectural, mechanical, electrical and life-safety plans, submit them to the city and then seek building permits before starting construction. "One of the things that we were a little worried about is some of the recommendations could have caused us to have to potentially go back into the public hearing process... So it's my hope that we don't have to go back through the approval process," he said.

On commercial tenancy, Dapper said the former post office at the front of the site has been leased to a concept called Bar Central, a roughly 6,200-square-foot space whose tenant-improvement plans are complete and expected to be submitted to the city for permitting soon. He said the developer is exploring whether Bar Central could be permitted and opened before work on the theater proper, though civil and core-and-shell work across the adjacent buildings could complicate a staggered schedule.

Commissioners asked about schedule impacts and site security. Dapper said the staging use of the parking lot is not expected to delay the project because the contractor can vacate on 30 days' notice. He described existing private security that patrols multiple downtown properties and noted the contractor's presence and fencing have improved security and reduced trespass and arson risk; he recounted one small winter fire that was quickly extinguished by the fire department.

Dapper invited further questions and said the team will continue investigating changes and tenant coordination.

The presentation was an informational report; no formal action or vote was taken by the commission on the Huntridge update.