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Mob Museum presents west-side expansion concept to preservation commission

City of Las Vegas Historic Preservation Commission · December 11, 2025

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Summary

The Mob Museum presented a 25,000-square-foot, two-story addition concept to the Historic Preservation Commission that would add lobby, circulation and exhibit space; the presentation was informational and commissioners provided feedback on facade visibility, access and parking.

The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement (Mob Museum) presented an informational preview Dec. 10 of a proposed roughly 25,000-square-foot, two-story addition to the west side of the historic former U.S. Post Office and Courthouse in downtown Las Vegas.

Jonathan Ullman, president and CEO of the Mob Museum, said the museum welcomes more than 400,000 guests annually and that crowding in the current footprint limits guest experience and programming. The addition concept seeks to expand ticketing and arrival sequences, add program and exhibit space, and free the historic courtroom and other interiors for interpretation and events.

Historic-architecture consultant Robert Chaddell and architect Teresa Mears (LGA) reviewed design strategies: siting the addition to the west with a recessed "hyphen" connection, using warm masonry and a contemporary metal screen to reference the existing terracotta and brick, and preserving the visual primacy of the main facade through setbacks and refined detailing. The team said it has engaged the National Park Service and the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for early comments, and that covenants linked to prior federal grants require ongoing federal review.

Commissioners welcomed early engagement but raised concerns about potential loss of the west facade in photographs, material/color choices (one commissioner described a white element as "objectionable" and urged a warmer finish), accessibility routes from the public sidewalk and the project's parking provisions. The presenters said the current concept includes new on-site parking on an adjacent parcel and additional spaces behind the building, and that they will refine massing and materials in response to commission and federal comments.

This presentation was informational only; no certificate of appropriateness was requested. The design team said they will return with a formal COA application when the design is refined and federal/state comments are addressed.