Livin’ in the City

centers boast.

The opening of a Whole Foods market in Detroit’s Midtown neighborhood was a seminal moment for Cummings. It changed his view of Detroit from a blighted, distressed market to one in which residents were underserved.

If the high-end grocery chain were to open a downtown Las Vegas location, many here likely would see it the same way.

But Christina Roush of HB Properties said that’s probably not imminent because there aren’t enough people living downtown, and there’s not enough of a nongaming employment base, said.

“It’s a vicious circle,” said Roush, who ran unsuccessfully for City Council earlier this year. “It’s a real chickenand-egg issue.”

Hopes are high for downtown’s future. One anticipated downtown residential building, Fremont 9, is going up now, a stone’s throw from the Fremont East entertainment district.

John Curran, the Downtown Project’s real estate portfolio manager, said demand for microunits in The 211 property “boosted our confidence and has us feeling very bullish” about Fremont 9 and beyond.

Contact Jamie Munks at jmunks@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Follow @Jamiemunksrj on Twitter.

Las Vegas City Hall will host Livin’ in the City, a downtown residential fair, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. The city is partnering with the Downtown Vegas Alliance and the Urban Land Institute for the event, which will provide information on downtown residential opportunities. Developers of existing and permitted residential projects will have booths with information on for-rent apartments, forpurchase condos, townhomes and lofts.