Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Badlands Settlement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Las Vegas Council unanimously approves proposed Badlands settlement and sale to developer
Summary
The Las Vegas City Council voted unanimously Dec. 18 to authorize staff to finalize a settlement of the long‑running Badlands litigation that would pay $286 million and use proceeds from a proposed $350 million sale of the Badlands property to Lennar to help offset the city’s exposure.
The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday approved a proposed settlement of years‑long litigation tied to the Badlands golf course and development site, clearing the way for a sale of the property to a national home builder. City attorneys told the council the package calls for a $286 million payment to plaintiffs and a further $350 million to be funded by sale proceeds to Lennar, which proposed a roughly 1,750‑unit residential plan for the site.
City Attorney Jeff Dorkiewicz said the agreement, backed by nonbinding term sheets from EHB Companies and Lennar, reduces the city’s estimated litigation risk that officials earlier said could be at least $450 million. “We have a plaintiff that has sat down with us in good faith,” Dorkiewicz said, urging council approval to allow staff to finalize the final agreements and real‑estate documents.
The vote was unanimous. Mayor Shelley Berkley and other council members praised staff and outside counsel for months of negotiation. Mayor Pro Tem Brian Knudson said the deal reflects nine years of work by city employees and community leaders.
Why it matters: The settlement ends a high‑stakes legal dispute that city officials said exposed Las Vegas to hundreds of millions of dollars of liability. If completed, the Lennar sale would also return a major parcel to the local housing market in a city that has made housing a planning priority.
What’s next: The city manager and mayor were authorized to execute final agreements consistent with the term sheets; if material differences emerge in final documents staff must return to council. Council also held a related item in abeyance until a February meeting to preserve flexibility in finalizing documents.
Quotes: “If a majority of the city council approves the item this morning … we will advise you to follow the recommendation included in the agenda summary,” Dorkiewicz told the council. Mayor Pro Tem Knudson thanked staff for “nine years in the making.”
The council’s action does not by itself complete a sale; it authorizes execution of final agreements consistent with the presented term sheets and requires council review if final terms materially change.
