Henderson mayor hopeful for economic recovery

The days of intense, rapid growth that Henderson and the rest of Southern Nevada experienced over two decades will not make a comeback, but there are subtle signs the economy is inching toward a recovery.

So said Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen on Thursday in his annual State of the City address at Green Valley Ranch Resort.

"Economic indicators lead us to believe that we will start to see some improvements, and we are hopeful that will be the case," Hafen said to more than 800 people.

Property taxes continue to lag, however, and he said assessed valuations will come in lower than projected in 2012.

How fast the worst economy in eight decades rebounds hinges on the region's ability to diversify its economy, he said, adding that he thinks Henderson will lead the charge.

"I am very happy to be able to say that we've seen an increase in companies expanding or moving to Henderson over the past year," Hafen said. "These businesses will create more than 400 new jobs and add more than $120 million immediately into our economy."

Longtime existing businesses expanded in 2011, including Levi Strauss, which built a distribution hub for its clothing line in Henderson decades ago. Hafen said the company is expanding its operation by 50 percent and will add a "significant" number of jobs.

There are three major projects Hafen thinks could accelerate the city's recovery and cement its vision to become "America's premier community."

Chief among them is the $1.5 billion Las Vegas National Sports Complex on the city's west side. Phase one of the stadium project -- to be constructed south of the M Resort and east of Interstate 15 -- would feature a 20,000-seat stadium for soccer and an arena that would be a venue for basketball, hockey and entertainment.

Phase two calls for the construction of football and baseball stadiums.

"They are working to break ground by this summer," said Hafen, who made it clear the development will not receive public funding but said the city would do everything in its power to help the development.

Another $1.5 billion project is Union Village, which Hafen described as an integrated health care and mixed-use development that would feature several hospitals.

The site at U.S. Highway 95 and Galleria Road will be home to the $63 million Henderson Space and Science Center, which will largely be funded through private donations.

Hafen said the Union Village developers hope to break ground early next year.

"There is a lot of work left to do on both of these developments, but we've seen real, tangible progress with a great chance of being game changers in the Southern Nevada economy," he said.

A more immediate impact on the city's economy and quality of life is a plan by St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Sienna Campus, to build a $158 million expansion, adding 130 beds and doubling the size of the Green Valley hospital's emergency room.

Hafen said the city last year hosted its first Global Solar Summit. And it lived up to its name. Hafen said solar panel manufacturers and developers from a dozen nations attended the event, and the city plans to hold another one in 2012.

Hafen praised the city's fire and police departments. He said protocols implemented by the Fire Department led to Henderson leading the nation in cardiac survivability rates. And the police are involved in schools, teaching students about the perils of drug and alcohol abuse. He said the department has developed a nationally recognized cybercrime unit that targets predators.

He credited the city's employees, as well as its residents, for its success.

"Henderson is defined every day by thousands of acts of kindness and caring that lift and build us," Hafen said.

Contact reporter Doug McMurdo at dmcmurdo@review journal.com or 702-224-5512.

Trending topics:

• Doug McMurdo
• Las Vegas National Sports Cente
• Mayor Andy Hafen
• Union Village

Comments

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1. JapaneseLady Feb. 10, 2012 | 5:51 p.m. Report Abuse

   criminnals.suck: You created a new gender. One more addition to my gender. You are still reading my comment!

2. criminals.suck Feb. 10, 2012 | 3:48 p.m. Report Abuse

   Japenese lady is a self admitted confused transexual

3. criminals.suck Feb. 10, 2012 | 3:48 p.m. Report Abuse

   Japenese lady...blah blah blah blah... misspelling blah blah blah... misspelling

4. 777s Feb. 10, 2012 | 1:07 p.m. Report Abuse

   Hafen's sports park and Union Village medical village are pure fantasy, and neither projects has financing or will in this continuing bad commercial market. Hafen has learned all these bad, rude tricks from Las Vegas Oascar Goodman, to make up lots of multi-billion dollar redevelopment projects, put them on lists, oops and websites, and have the Mayor brag about them too. I bet some of the crowd were rolling their eyes and choking on heir free snacks as B.S.'d those numbers.

5. MIKE VEGAS Feb. 10, 2012 | 1:07 p.m. Report Abuse

   ANDY " THE SELLOUT " HAFEN TRYS TO SELL US HOPE. MAYBE IF WE WERE IN HARRY'S POCKET WE WOULD HAVE MORE HOPE.....

6. JapaneseLady Feb. 10, 2012 | 11:50 a.m. Report Abuse

   criminals suck: Are you sure phonics? I figure you meant syllable because I haven't used my voice here. Lesson 1 to learn from you. what is "CANT"? Is it some kind of abbreviation? Similar spelled word, I only know "CAN'T". Where did you studied English Language? Not UNLV, I know. I like to be educated by any experts.

7. JapaneseLady Feb. 10, 2012 | 11:14 a.m. Report Abuse

   meadows: Henderson IS ALREADY in national talks. I hope we don't get laughed like Sharon Angle. Her name is already mentioned several times this year. I have been using JapaneseLady everywhere here. Maybe I should mention I am a Japanese Lady, just like Angle claimed she is an Asian? Then I will be a laugh stock and USA will stop laughing at Henderson. I will go to Nuclear Waste Dump articles here and there to tell them I am not a Henderson cop.

8. GARY D Feb. 10, 2012 | 11:08 a.m. Report Abuse

   What's the difference between Mayor Andy Hafen and the West Side Sports Arena he thinks is a good idea ??????---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Absolutely nothing - they are both a "HUGE JOKE !!!"

9. Otto de Fay Feb. 10, 2012 | 10:59 a.m. Report Abuse

   Nick.Nichols. when you hold the gun and badge you hold the power, so it's easy for you to 'smile'.... we citizens are (literally) forced to cringe.....Hafen needs to get a clue. After that video went VIRAL of his sergeant beating a diabetic RESIDENT, Henderson's only hope for economic recovery will be Justice, not delayed, not denied, but DELIVERED to those HPD perps. A graduating Dr. friend in CA was considering moving to HD and we encouraged her, until recently...

10. meadows Feb. 10, 2012 | 10:49 a.m. Report Abuse

    If his Cops keep beating up people, the city wont have a good future. People will just stay away from Henderson knowing that the NHP and HPD will kick the @#$% out of you for a traffic stop.

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