Lennar begins site work at the former Badlands golf course, where plans call for 1,480 homes in a community called The Preserve

What happened

Construction is now underway on the former Badlands golf course in Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Homebuilder Lennar Corp. began site work on the long-closed course a few months ago, according to Joy Broddle, president of the company's Las Vegas division.

The property, now called The Preserve, covers roughly 250 acres. The Review-Journal noted that the start of work follows years of litigation that cost Las Vegas taxpayers a large sum of money.

Where the work is happening

According to the Review-Journal, roads and homesites are beginning to take shape at the corner of Alta Drive and Hualapai Way. That corner sits in the northwest section of the property. The newspaper did not report a timeline for when the first homes would be finished.

What is planned at The Preserve

Housing mix

Plans for the community have called for 1,480 homes, the Review-Journal reported. The project is expected to include a mix of townhomes, condos and freestanding houses, giving the site several types of housing rather than a single product.

Community amenities

The plans also include shared amenities. According to the Review-Journal, these include a community pool, a fitness center, a playground, and courts for basketball and pickleball.

How Lennar ended up with the site

A long legal fight

The Badlands was the center of a yearslong legal battle. The Review-Journal reported that Lennar was not part of that dispute, which involved the city and the prior owners of the land.

Control through a settlement

Lennar took control of the property as part of a settlement between the city and the former landowners, the newspaper reported. The settlement opened the way for the builder to begin the site work now visible at Alta and Hualapai. For more on building projects around the valley, see our development coverage.

What the builder says

Broddle told the Review-Journal that no land deal the company takes on these days is simple. She said the Badlands deal stood out because it was a golf course with "some rough history." She added that Lennar's goal is to "turn that around" and make the project a "positive story" for the community.

The local market around the project

The Review-Journal has also reported on conditions in the broader Las Vegas housing market. Nearly 67 percent of local home sales included seller concessions in August, the newspaper reported, as elevated mortgage rates and a growing supply of homes gave buyers more negotiating power.

With mortgage rates above 7 percent, sellers are increasingly being asked to help buyers lower monthly payments instead of cutting asking prices, according to the Review-Journal. Local real estate agent Forrest Barbee told the newspaper that inventory has returned to levels last seen in October 2022. Read more about sellers offering rate buydowns and rising home inventory.

Lennar is active elsewhere in the city as well. The Review-Journal reported that the company held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a large project on Washington Avenue at Las Vegas Boulevard.

What to watch next

• Continued site work on roads and homesites at Alta Drive and Hualapai Way, in the northwest section of the property.
• Progress toward the planned 1,480 townhomes, condos and freestanding houses at The Preserve.
• Construction of the planned pool, fitness center, playground, and basketball and pickleball courts.