How the Las Vegas City Council is helping Area15 expand

The expansion of Area15, the experiential art and immersion attraction that will soon include Universal’s Horror Unleashed, is on track after the Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday tentatively approved an ordinance forming a tourism improvement district.

Council members voted unanimously to advance an ordinance that enables Fisher Brothers, Area15’s developers, to use sales tax revenue from retailers within the district for infrastructure improvements.

The ordinance, which faces final approval Oct. 16 and was introduced by Councilwoman Olivia Diaz, was approved in a group of ordinances without debate. The council earlier approved a resolution to draft the ordinance after a public hearing Aug. 21.

Horror Unleashed will be a Universal Destinations and Experiences themed area expected to open in about a year. It would become the only standalone themed horror attraction outside of Universal’s theme park strongholds in Hollywood and Florida.

The process to develop a tourism district began more than a year ago. Area15 hired Johnson Consulting Group to draft a report on findings of preponderance. According to the study, the expansion of Area15 would add the 100,000-square-foot horror-themed immersive entertainment experience; 418,000 square feet of new retail space; 320,000 square feet of office space; a 200-room nongaming hotel; and 585 multifamily housing units that would be separate from the existing Area15 property, but a new residential neighborhood.

According to the study, by 2037, the prospective year of stabilization, the expanded attraction would add 6.9 million annual visitors, $796 million in annual on-site spending and $1.4 billion in indirect and induced spending, 4,086 jobs and $384 million in increased earnings and $15.8 million in eligible sales tax revenue. The study said 56 percent of the spending would come from non-Nevada residents and there’d be no measurable displacement of sales and use tax projected.

The report also said there would be no additional stress on police and fire protection services.

In a recent interview with the Review-Journal, Area15 CEO Winston Fisher said the 35-acre expansion, bordered by Kings Way and Teddy Drive to the north, Rancho Drive to the east, Wyandotte Street and Rigel Avenue to the west and Sirius Avenue to the south, would help Area15 drive greater numbers of visitors to Las Vegas.

In addition to the City Council, the tourism improvement district, known as the New Vegas Immersive Tourism District, was reviewed and signed off by the Nevada Commission on Tourism on Sept. 11.

Area15 already is home to a variety of immersive experiences, including Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart, Illuminarium, Five Iron Golf, Dueling Axes and Laser Maze.

Additional experiences coming soon include iFLY Indoor Skydiving, Lionsgate’s John Wick Experience and Superplastic.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.