MonteLago Village combines luxury homes, custom boutiques

MonteLago Village, the heart and soul of Lake Las Vegas Resort, is a world away from Las Vegas at its location in the eastern Henderson development, according to Sherri O'Boyle, sales and marketing director for the village being built by Intrawest.

Like the waterfront villages of Europe, MonteLago Village combines neighborhoods, shopping activities and entertainment.

"MonteLago Village will be to shopping what La Scala is to opera," O'Boyle said. "Great names will be here, but there also will be one-of-a-kind shops that exist only in MonteLago Village."

Merchants will soon be selected to fill about 65,000 square feet of retail space in the first phase.

Representatives from Intrawest, a developer and operator of village-centered resorts across North America, said the company looks at each of its villages as a play.

"Using the natural beauty of the surrounding lake and mountains as a world-class set, Intrawest sets the script and determines the specific use for each space, whether it be an Italian restaurant, a cigar bar, or a jewelry store," O'Boyle said. "Once the script is set, the casting process begins and Intrawest selects the best merchants to fill the spaces."

The village will have 35 to 40 stores, including custom jewelry and perfume shops. A stone bridge, inspired by Florence's Ponte Vecchio, will span the mouth of Lake Las Vegas' harbor and will house various carts and kiosks. Several hotel suites will be located above the shops.

The village will also have bars and restaurants with terraces along the waterfront and the village courtyard.

"Dining options will include everything from a Tuscan pizzeria, to a Middle Eastern feast experience, to an intimate lakeside escape," O'Boyle said. "The nightlife will start at dusk with a lively lakeside oyster and vodka bar and an old-age wine grotto and will extend into the evening with outdoor entertainment, a contemporary lounge and the perfect watering hole."

Plans call for a 350-room Ritz Carlton hotel, spa and European-style casino.

Viera, a development of furnished condominiums, is the first residential offering within the village. Ranging from studios to three-bedroom units starting in the mid-$200,000s, they will feature lake and hillside views. They are scheduled to open in winter 2002.

"There are a limited number of these exceptional resort condominiums and they are expected to sell extremely fast," O'Boyle said.

The village's cobblestone streets will play host to numerous special events, including weddings and anniversary celebrations.

Intrawest is developing MonteLago Village along with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., Cook Inlet Region Inc., and Transcontinental Properties Inc., the developer of Lake Las Vegas Resort.

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