COLUMN: Movin' on up in Las Vegas

Recently I had the pleasure of touring two hot trends in Las Vegas home building -- Park Towers and Turnberry Place.

Irwin Molasky and Steve Wynn have a definite winner in Park Towers. From the elegant entry to the objets d'art, every attention to detail has been met.

One of the most lavish features is the wine cellar, a monument to good taste. It features 90 lockers that hold 30 bottles each, kept at the proper temperature and humidity. The ceiling is equipped with halogen lighting so residents can evaluate properly the color and clarity of the wines. A digital satellite system provides a range of music for tasting or entertaining in the cellar.

The flooring is crafted from 150- to 200-year-old tiles reclaimed from mansions in France. Underneath the floor is a radiant heating system controlled by a default timer to provide warmth during tastings without compromising the temperature of the room.

Other community features include a barbecue area, card room, theater, library, swimming pool, sauna, massage rooms and a gym.

The twin towers radiate from the communal areas so everything can be reached in climate-controlled comfort.

Homeowners are moving into the towers. In fact, the exteriors have been finished for a while and about the only construction going on now involves design work in the individual homes.

One thing Park Towers and Turnberry Place have in common is their recognition of the importance of the concierge.

People who move into this caliber of high-rise want to be pampered and the concierges at both communities are geared up to do that. Want your dog walked? Laundry picked up? Plants watered while you're out of town? The concierge is there to provide that kind of service.

The first tower in Turnberry Place is occupied and workers are feverishly topping out the second tower. John Riordan, vice president of sales, said the second tower is nearly 80 percent sold and reservations are being taken for the third tower.

While the towers are going up, the Stirling Club is being finished and expected to open late this summer. The club is the focus of all four towers and will present members a place to exercise, swim, party, and meet their neighbors for drinks. It will feature a gymnasium, pool and spa, massage areas, restaurants, bars, and meeting rooms.

The towers offer elegant communal areas in a more modern atmosphere, with a lounge area that overlooks the tower swimming pool.

Riordan is justifiably proud of the look of Turnberry Place and the resort atmosphere enhanced by the Stirling Club. Because the club is private and offers membership to people who are not necessarily homeowners, Riordan believes it will become an elegant meeting place for movers and shakers in Las Vegas.

Of all the factors involved in these elegant high-rise communities, one of the most important is security. These buildings are not accessible to the general public and therefore offer residents the knowledge that if there's a knock on the door, that person has a right to be in the building. That's especially important to buyers who use the condos as a retreat.

The face of housing in Las Vegas is undergoing a constant reinvention. So far, it all has been to the good.

Carmel Hopkins, real estate product manager for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Las Vegas Sun, can be reached at 380-4574. Her e-mail address is Carmel_Hopkins@ lasvegasnewspapers.com Snail mail is P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.

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