News: Las Vegas Design Center’s April First Friday Seminar Highlights Smith Center’s Plans to Reshape Downtown Las Vegas
03.23.10
(LAS VEGAS)—Myron Martin sits at the helm of The Smith Center for Performing Arts and its quest to become the cultural epicenter of Las Vegas. The president and CEO of the Smith Center will discuss the impact of the arts complex and what it means for the city at World Market Center Las Vegas Friday, April 2 at 10 a.m., as a part of Las Vegas Design Center’s First Friday design series.
The $470 million Smith Center will present first-run touring attractions, Broadway shows and performances from Nevada Ballet Theatre and the Las Vegas Philharmonic. The 4.75-acre cultural complex is expected to play a defining role in Downtown redevelopment.
Located in the 61-acre Symphony Park, The Smith Center broke ground in 2009, and in February 2010 topped off its highest point, placing a 50-ton piece of steel on its 170-foot carillon bell tower. The Smith Center will open in spring 2012 as the only LEED-certified performing arts center of its size and scope in the country.
“The dream of bringing a world-class stage to Las Vegas inches closer to reality every day,” said Martin. “It’s both gratifying and exhilarating to watch construction workers make such significant progress on this magnificent facility that will soon enhance the cultural landscape of our city.”
While poised to diversify Las Vegas’ economy upon opening, the construction of the Smith Center has already made an impact. Upon completion, it will have taken more than 25 architects, engineers, designers and consultants along with more than 1,000 construction workers putting in more than 1.5 million hours over 32 months to build the complex. The project was made possible thanks to a public-private partnership and a $150 million donation from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.
The physical elements of The Smith Center are measurable, from the 4,000 tons of structural steel to the 2,458 tons of Indiana limestone. Martin plans to shed some light on the less tangible impact of the performing arts center and the ways it will enrich Las Vegas.
First Friday at Las Vegas Design Center is a unique, not-to-be missed shopping day for local and out-of-market design professionals. The monthly event features educational opportunities, showroom specials, hospitality and other exclusive offerings for the trade.
Martin will speak from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 2 in C-176 at World Market Center Las Vegas, 495 South Grand Central Parkway. To R.S.V.P. or for more information on either First Friday seminar, please e-mail LVDC@LVDesignCenter.com or call (702) 599-3093.
About The Smith Center for Performing Arts
The Smith Center for the Performing Arts is a public/private partnership that will become the centerpiece of cultural life in Las Vegas, offering a blend of performances by resident companies as well as first-run touring attractions. The 4.75-acre cultural complex will feature inviting lobbies with beautiful balconies, refined acoustics and a tastefully landscaped plaza linking surrounding hotels, restaurants, shops and offices in downtown’s 61-acre urban development, Symphony Park. For more information about The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, please visit www.thesmithcenter.com. To keep up with The Smith Center for the Performing Arts’ news and events, visit us on Facebook.
About Las Vegas Design Center at World Market Center Las Vegas
Sitting at the epicenter of the world’s fastest growing home furnishings complex, Las Vegas Design Center at World Market Center Las Vegas is a year-round resource for design-seeking consumers and designers showcasing top names in fine furniture, decorative accessories, wall décor, lighting, floor coverings, fabrics and trim. Now open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., LVDC boasts hundreds of leading manufacturers’ lines. An important source of education for the industry, Las Vegas Design Center also attracts many of the industry’s most prominent thought leaders to its comprehensive slate of seminars, networking receptions and other sought-after events. Las Vegas Design Center is home to the recently opened Mundo: A Culinary Haute Spot. For more information, visit www.lvdesigncenter.com.