As Fremont Street Improvement Project begins, some folks have their eyes set on a new era

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Monday marked the beginning of a new chapter for the Fremont East District.

The Fremont Street Improvement Project began on Oct. 7. It's a $15 million project that is expected to take 11 months.

Crews will work on street, sidewalk, storm drain, sanitary sewer, traffic signal, street lighting, festoon lighting, and architectural and landscaping improvements on Fremont Street between Las Vegas Boulevard and 14th Street, according to the City of Las Vegas.

"I think it'll look nice, the whole project is great for the city," Swarm, a local tattoo artist said. "It'll make the whole street look nice."

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He's a tattoo artist at Downtown Tattoo, which currently has a front-row seat to the first phase of construction. Initially, Swarm says they were a bit concerned about the project driving away clients.

“They’re extending the sidewalk out, and putting some giant trees in, from what I understand," he said. “After we talked to the people doing the project, we realized that they’re not taking out the whole sidewalk. So, there’s still room for people to walk down from Fremont Street.”

Joshua Walter just opened up a new business, Mothership Coffee Roasters, about a block away in the Ferguson's Downtown complex. He says he's thrilled to see that change is on the way.

“All of the redevelopment that is going on is very encouraging to see. It’s kind of amazing to see that the City is willing to invest into making the area more walkable," he said. “This area wasn’t a place that you could come to years ago. It wasn’t very approachable, so anything they do that makes it more approachable is going to be great for everybody.”

He says the improvements, especially adding trees, will draw more visitors and business owners to the area.

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“You’re going to see a lot more creative stuff down here. I’m very excited about that," he said. “I’m mostly excited for the small businesses that are going to get opportunities down here.”

City officials say the project is a part of ongoing improvements to pedestrian safety in the downtown area. They note there will be road closures and lane restrictions where work is being done, but "safety and maintaining public access at all times to the properties will be high priorities during the work."

Work hours will be from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the week, according to the city. The project is expected to be completed by August 2020.