LAS VEGAS — San Diego-based developer Matter Real Estate Group has started construction of UnCommons, a $400 million mixed-use project in Las Vegas.
Designed by Gensler, the development is located on a 40-acre site at Interstate 215 and Durango Drive on the city’s southwest side. Plans currently call for 500,000 square feet of Class A office space and 830 multifamily units, as well as retail and restaurant space. Completion of Phase I is scheduled for early 2022.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that construction on the project was delayed due to COVID-19. Subsequently, the development team has pivoted to “near hospital-quality” HVAC systems and interior finishes made of materials designed to limit the spread of diseases like the novel coronavirus.
“We recognized with COVID-19 that a fundamental shift was taking place that would render many office structures as unsafe and therefore obsolete practically overnight,” says Jim Stuart, partner at Matter Real Estate Group. “With the adjustments we made to our building systems, plus additional design attributes, we believe we have unlocked the answer for employee safety that will serve as the preferred model moving forward.”
The retail and restaurant component will take the form of a public outdoor venue that blends music and movies, a beer garden, restaurants, cafés, health centers, fitness studios, a multi-purpose conference center, a pedestrian trail and public art.
UnCommons will also house Platform One, a food hall concept that has been redesigned to adhere to protective measures against COVID-19, including touchless pickup and carry-out systems and elevated cleaning protocols.
The development team will pursue certification by Green Globes, a nationally recognized green assessment program that recognizes sustainability goals for new construction projects.
“We have pushed through many long hours over the last several months adjusting the UnCommons plan to capture the best practices for the modern workplace in a post-pandemic world,” says Darrel Fullbright, Gensler’s principal in charge for UnCommons. “We are entering a new phase of shifted priorities where employee heath, wellness and safety will be the standard going forward.”
— Taylor Williams