More than 1,000 new family homes are coming to the sites of the shuttered Cashman Center and a neighboring Nevada State office building near downtown Las Vegas.

The project, proposed by Greystone Nevada LLC — a Lennar Corp. subsidiary — won city approval Wednesday when the City Council voted to formalize development agreements with the company.

“We know that we need housing desperately, especially affordable and attainable housing within our community,” said Councilwoman Shondra Summers-Armstrong last month before the council approved a bevy of items, including tentative maps.

The councilwoman represents Ward 5, where the proposed project will sit near Washington Avenue and North Las Vegas Boulevard.

“I was demanding as I am,” Summers-Armstrong said about the planning process, “because I really want our community; those folks who need this type of housing, to not get just any old thing.”

Lennar is proposing 781 homes for the Cashman site, and 290 at the Grant Sawyer property.

‘It’s truly exciting’

The project began to gain steam last year when Lennar won a city of Las Vegas auction to buy the 50-acre Cashman Center at 850 N. Las Vegas Blvd. for $36.25 million. Shortly after, Lennar offered Nevada $10.6 million to buy 22 acres including the shuttered Grant Sawyer State Office Building at 555 E. Washington Ave.

The Cashman sale occurred as Las Vegas was working to offset loses incurred in yearslong litigation with the would-be developer of the defunct Badlands golf course. Lennar took over the 250-acre course and plans to build 1,480 upscale homes there .

Nevada had struggled to find a buyer for the government complex after state offices were relocated to the south Valley, officials said. Twice, it received no bids on a $19.45 million valuation.

Councilwoman Olivia Diaz compared finding a purpose for the Cashman site to chasing whales.

“It’s truly exciting to see the revitalization of these two sites,” she added.

A construction timeline wasn’t provided. Councilman Brian Knudsen proposed partnering with the developer when it demolishes the old baseball complex.

Officials didn’t widely discuss what possible qualifications prospective buyers would need to meet. Summers-Armstrong spoke about city outreach to let people know about home ownership options, such as grant opportunities.

Three-story townhomes

Attorney Stephanie Gronauer, who spoke on behalf of Lennar, presented tentative maps and showcased concept renderings of the yet-to-be-named neighborhoods during the Jan. 21 City Council meeting.

Most of the attached and detached homes will stand at three stories and occupy their own plot, she said. Amenities include pools and a trail on Cashman’s current parking space.

Lennar is trying to offload 2.6 acres for a possible future commercial development between the Neon Museum and the Las Vegas Science & Natural Science Museum, Gronauer added.

She said the developer hopes that the project will be a catalyst for the downtown area.

“I hope this is phenomenally successful and a model for what we can be doing in this city to help with housing that everybody can access, because I think that no matter where you live, it’s a big deal,” Councilwoman Kara Kelley said. “It’s terrific that this land and this property in this space has worked this way.”

Mayor Shelley Berkley joined the chorus of praise, noting how home ownership had changed her family’s life when they moved to Las Vegas.

“It changed our family’s self-image: we owned something, we belonged here, we were property owners and we’re part of this community,” she said.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.

LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A medication traditionally used in cancer treatment has received FDA fast-track approval as a new therapy for children with autism, offering hope to Nevada families seeking treatment options.

Leucovorin, a generic drug typically used with cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, was fast-tracked for FDA approval in September 2025 for autism treatment. The medication works as a folic acid supplement for children who have a folic acid deficit.

“It’s a new medication in the sense of treating children with autism. It’s not a new drug, though. It’s been around. It’s typically been used with cancer patients undergoing chemo,” said FOX5 reporter Talia Kirkland. “So new, but not so new, if that makes sense.”

Las Vegas family tries new treatment

Seven-year-old Christopher Wilson, who has autism and is nonverbal, is among the first Nevada children to try the new treatment. His father, Sean Wilson, said the family was desperate for answers after Christopher was diagnosed as an infant.

“Even getting a diagnosis can be difficult,” Kirkland said, describing the Wilson family’s experience. “So there’s already some type of hardship that these families go through from the beginning.”

Christopher experienced what doctors initially thought was blindness at birth before receiving his autism diagnosis. The family has been using leucovorin for about 30 days under the care of a local pediatric neurologist.

“Little bottle of hope”

The autism community has embraced leucovorin with cautious optimism, with some calling it “the little bottle of hope.”

Shawn Wilson, Christopher’s father, told FOX5 he had read stories online about dramatic improvements.

“I’ve read stories where sometimes when they begin using leucovorin, he’s seen that one, two, three day and then the child is talking,” Kirkland said, describing Wilson’s research.

However, the Wilson family has not yet seen major improvements after 30 days of treatment.

Doctor emphasizes realistic expectations

Dr. Devraj Chavda, one of the few pediatric neurologists in Las Vegas, is prescribing the medication but emphasizes realistic expectations for families.

“We shouldn’t look at autism as something that is curable. He kept saying that, you know, it’s treatable,” Kirkland said, describing the doctor’s approach. “And even he told Shawn with trying this medication with Christopher, that this is a treatment [not a cure].”

The doctor explained that even if the medication helps children begin speaking, medical professionals still need to determine the root cause of speech delays.

“Even if we get those amazing results where he does begin to speak, we still have to figure out what was the root cause, what was blocking that speech,” Kirkland said.

Limited specialists create challenges

Finding medical experts for the story proved challenging due to Nevada’s shortage of pediatric specialists. The reporting process, which began in November 2025, took months to complete because of the limited number of pediatric neurologists in the Las Vegas area.

“That even just from a journalistic point of view, to find experts is difficult,” Kirkland said. “There are so few pediatric neurologists in this area.”

Federal study planned for 2026

While Christopher Wilson is not part of an official study, the federal government plans to conduct a major trial of leucovorin for autism treatment in 2026. Currently, children like Christopher are receiving the medication anecdotally through their doctors.

“His doctor, I’m sure, is with every patient that he’s prescribing this. I’m sure he’s watching and keeping very detailed notes just to see how this works,” Kirkland said.

Concerns about generic medication quality

Because leucovorin is a generic drug, doctors have concerns about quality.

“One of the big concerns is that because it’s a generic, generics can vary a little,” Kirkland said. “So doctors do have that concern that if we’re using this medication in this capacity, that the quality is all going to be standard across the board.”

Parent’s perspective

Despite not seeing immediate results, Shawn Wilson remains committed to trying the treatment for his son.

“You just want to do the best thing you can do for your kid. You want to help them out, and you want them to have as normal of a life as you would expect,” Shawn said.

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