The World Jewelry Center, a state-of-the-art tower with approximately one million square feet of mixed-use space, will be one of the largest jewelry hubs in the world. Located in downtown's Union Park (the 61 acres across from the World Market Center), the new center will combine the corporate offices of domestic and international gem and jewelry companies. Probity International indicates that 10 businesses have signed on for space since company officials began marketing the center in August 2006. Among them are Lucent Diamonds of Russia; cultured-pearl maker Robert Wan Tahiti; Moscow-based Estet Jewelry Co.; and Chow Tai Fook Group of Hong Kong.
Several of the newly signed companies have headquarters at established jewelry districts in New York and Los Angeles. The companies will not relocate, but would instead open satellite locations at World Jewelry Center.
The center's office tower will contain about 800,000 square feet of space, with meeting and exhibition areas, gem-grading laboratories, classrooms and a private club. Its services will include restaurants, banks, secure shipping and receiving and a foreign trade zone for lower duties and tariffs on consumer goods destined for import or export.
Plans for the building are incomplete, but it's currently designed to have 57 stories. The Federal Aviation Administration has given a clearance to the center of up to 815 feet. A 125,000-square-foot retail center open to the public will house a jewelry and gem museum, a cafe and 90,000 square feet of store space.
Up to 25 residential condominiums will line the office tower's top floors. The units will range from 1,800 square feet to 5,000 square feet.
The mixed-use project will feature:
- a world-class museum
- meeting and exhibition areas
- gem-grading laboratories
- classrooms
- a private club
- exhibition space
- office condos
- exclusive luxury residential condos (upper floors)
The World Jewelry Center will be a one-stop shop for both gem and jewelry professionals and the consuming public. The project is unique in that professionals will have the opportunity to purchase their own office condominiums. The public will also benefit from a unique, service-oriented shopping experience that is educational in nature and promotes consumer confidence.
The architecturally interesting project is slated to be upwards of 57 floors. The overall height could reach 815 feet, due to the high ceilings this building demands. This would make it the tallest building in the Las Vegas valley (excluding the Stratosphere).
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2007, with completion planned in late 2009 to mid-2010. The building, which would be at least 40 stories tall, is projected to include 500,000 square feet of commercial space plus 100,000 square feet of retail space. It has been named Project Splendor.