Monte Lago Village

By Alva D. Logsdon

This Tuscan mirage in a remote canyon where the Las Vegas Wash flowed, was born in 1986 during a helicopter flyover. Ronal F. Boeddeker, president and chairman of Transcontinental Corporation, a Santa Barbara, California development company, envisioned a real estate gold mine with all the romance of Italy.

Italy?EUR??,,????'???s Lake Como, a jewel-like oasis of tranquility, has been a popular resort destination since the days of the Roman Empire. Luxurious villas with colorful rooftops and vividly painted walls of ochre, sienna and yellow, are nestled among cobblestone streets and dot the shoreline of one of Italy?EUR??,,????'???s most romantic cities.

Boeddeker saw the potential of recreating Lake Como in the desert terrain. The canyon was excavated to depths of 150 feet and 4.1 million cubic yards of soil were placed at the eastern end, forming an 18-story dam creating what is now Lake Las Vegas. Huge pipes were placed beneath the lake to preserve the environmentally sensitive waters of the wash as they continue their journey to Lake Mead. The price tag topped out at more than $7 billion for the 320-acre manmade lake.

Cobblestone walkways throughout the development provide Italian old world charm and a sense of history.

Located 17 miles east of the famed Las Vegas strip, investors were initially hesitant to develop the 10-mile shoreline. The combined vision and financial resources of two industry giants, Transcontinental and Sid and Lee Bass of Fort Worth, Texas, took a piece of desolate land and developed a beautiful Tuscan locale. The 11,918-foot Mt. Charleston provides a beautiful backdrop to the planned development, as well as source water for the Las Vegas Wash. Descending from the desert mountainside to the serene water?EUR??,,????'???s edge, Lake Las Vegas Resort is a premier residential and resort oasis offering an array of unparalleled amenities: Two world-class hotels, three challenging, signature golf courses, exquisite spas, gourmet restaurants, elegant casinos, a helipad, a full service marina with watercraft rentals and yacht cruises, Monte Lago Village plus many shops can be found in the 2,600 acre project. Within months of opening, one luxury hotel was awarded the prestigious AAA Five Diamond rating. With the colorful desert mountains, crystal blue lake surrounded by a white sandy beach, Monte Lago Village also offers wedding packages that are far more memorable than the chapels located along the strip.

Lake Las Vegas is about making design dreams come true. One villa features elevator push buttons for the homeowners?EUR??,,????'??? dogs. Another has five waterfalls including one in the master bedroom. One has a dog park with built in misters, and another has a motorized glass table in the middle of the living room that is raised and lowered at the push of a button to accommodate cocktails or dinner. Infinity-edge pools, remote control fire pits, and oversized garages are among the more common features. The 50-acre village opened in August and includes walkways, faux European architecture and cobblestone streets with names like Via Brianza and Via Bel Canto. To provide a sense of history, the resort?EUR??,,????'???s marketing team even created a fictional town fable. With humble beginnings as a quaint fishing village, this elegant Tuscan estate has evolved and developed over the decades into the majestic wonderland and today boasts it?EUR??,,????'???s own winery and bell tower. The winery itself is an illusion in that instead of wine, it houses a European style casino.

?EUR??,,????'??Monte Lago Village is a mixed-use resort containing 58,000 square feet of restaurant/retail space and 177 condos with underground parking,?EUR??,,????'?? said an Intrawest Development spokesman said. ?EUR??,,????'??As well, there is a significant pedestrian-oriented space. The variety of paver shapes and installation patterns provide different character for each area while enhancing the old world, Italian theme of the village. Several fountains and significant softscapes complement the paving stones throughout the property.?EUR??,,????'??

Pave stones set in a circle pattern provide a dramatic center point where several pathways meet overlooking the majestic Lake Las Vegas. They also allow access to underground utilities without disrupting the beauty of the design.

The charming cobblestone paths, designed to mimic those of the Roman empire, tie it all together creating a relaxing ambience for leisure strolls. Shopping, dining and casinos are connected together by the pathways. The property?EUR??,,????'???s architectural details include rambling, clay-tiled rooflines, jutting balconies, recessed terraces, trickling fountains, intricate stonework and a light-washed, candy-colored paint scheme that completes the re-creation of an Italian village.

?EUR??,,????'??The developer was trying to achieve a certain look which the pave stones pulled off,?EUR??,,????'?? Lamar Day, president, Paver Pros explained. ?EUR??,,????'??At one time stamped concrete was considered for the entire project, but this would have been a mistake.

The project would have missed the authenticity that paving stones bring for true old world feeling.?EUR??,,????'??

To create the authentic cobblestone streets of the village, 240,000 square feet of interlocking pave stones were used.

The village comprises 140,000 square feet with an additional 100,000 for the adjoining casino and resort hotel. A variety of paving stone shapes, colors and textures were used throughout the project: Cobblestone (classic European elegance in a three-stone system), Holland Stone (a singular rectangular shape), City Stone II and City Stone III, Plaza I (rectangles and squares with a soft rounded pillowtop), and Plaza III which creates fans in a repeating pattern. The installation patterns also varied and include runner bond, random runner bond, ashlar, herringbone and fans. A dramatic tone was designed for the approach viewed from an elevated Porte Cochere and the fan pattern delivered the desired impact. Using a completely different and contrasting color and paving stone shapes helped to delineate areas of different use.

For example, paving stone installations provide the needed distinction between an outdoor caf????(C) and the adjoining street. Both tumbled and non-tumbled paving stones were used to further convey the message of a village that has developed over time.

?EUR??,,????'??A number of streets make up the village,?EUR??,,????'?? Jeff Cooper, Pavestone Company, Las Vegas, explained. ?EUR??,,????'??A combination of several pave stone shapes and patterns were used to differentiate the individual streets. This helps visitors know where they are in the village. And as on many fast-track projects, there was not much time left for pave stone installation before opening. On-time project completion was accomplished by bringing in additional installation teams to work on different village streets.?EUR??,,????'??

Holland stone installed in herringbone patterned walkways draw homeowners and visitors to the shoreline of Lake Las Vegas.

?EUR??,,????'??Las Vegas is rapidly becoming a world class city in the same category as London, New York, Paris and Hong Kong,?EUR??,,????'?? Cooper said. ?EUR??,,????'??In an area where one of the finest concert halls in the world is constructed for the specific purpose of being the permanent performing home for a major recording star, and is situated across the street from a half scale replica of the Eiffel Tower and just down the street from an active faux volcano, it should come as no surprise that the charm of a 500-year old Mediterranean village was produced in one year.?EUR??,,????'??

This newly unveiled Mediterranean-inspired setting offers a unique departure from the typical Las Vegas experience. Today Monte Lago Village is more than a mirage, it?EUR??,,????'???s fast becoming the jewel of the desert Nile.

Property Owner: Intrawest Monte Lago Village; Reno, Nevada

Landscape Architect: Stevenson & Associates, Vancouver, BC

General Contractor: UPA Construction Group, Resorts & Hotels, Las Vegas, Nevada

Hardscape Installation Contractor: Paver Pros, Las Vegas, Nevada

Hardscapes Manufacturer: Pavestone Company, Las Vegas, Nevada