Las Vegas apartment complex destroyed in fire last year set to open

A Las Vegas apartment complex that burned down last year while still under construction has been rebuilt and is set to open soon.

Ely at Fort Apache in the southwest valley is scheduled to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday. The 206-unit complex, developed by The Calida Group, features a resort-style pool area with private cabanas, an outdoor kitchen with barbecue grills and kegerator, and concierge services, according to a news release.

It is expected to be move-in ready in late August.

The project, near Tropicana Avenue and the 215 Beltway, is one of multiple new rental complexes Calida is opening this summer amid Southern Nevada’s yearslong apartment construction boom.

Its debut also marks a full-circle moment for a property that was destroyed early last year in a massive, overnight blaze that forced evacuations from adjacent neighborhoods, was battled by nearly 100 firefighters and was determined to be an act of arson.

Las Vegas-based Calida is among the biggest apartment developers in Southern Nevada. As outlined in a July news release, it opened a new complex last month in Utah and is slated to open three this month in Las Vegas, including Ely at Fort Apache.

In September, it also is rebranding Fremont9, a downtown Las Vegas apartment complex it purchased this year, as Ely on Fremont.

Calida co-founder Eric Cohen said in a recent statement to the Review-Journal that his group hasn’t heard what exactly caused the fire at Ely at Fort Apache but that it was due to arson.

He also said the company is grateful Las Vegas police and Clark County firefighters “responded so quickly and were able to completely contain the fire while also ensuring no one was injured.”

The fire at the then-under-construction project at 5055 S. Fort Apache Road started just before midnight Jan. 18, 2021. It burned well into the following day and was battled by nearly 100 firefighters from different departments throughout the valley, the Review-Journal reported.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced Jan. 27, 2021, that it determined the fire was arson and had caused roughly $35 million worth of losses.

At the time, the ATF did not say where the fire had started at the construction site or how investigators determined it was arson.

According to an ATF news release, the bureau and Clark County fire officials processed the scene “to identify fire patterns, potential ignition sources and evidence.” Forensic mappers “captured photographs of the scene in a panoramic view,” investigators reviewed surveillance video, and Las Vegas and Henderson fire investigators helped examine the scene.

In the release, the ATF also said it was offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever was responsible for the blaze.

Clark County Deputy Fire Chief Warren Whitney told the Review-Journal on Friday that a suspect “has been identified but there is not enough evidence at this time to support an arrest warrant. The case is still open and under investigation.”

Contact Eli Segall at esegall@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342. Follow @eli_segall on Twitter.