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.