Years after Windsor Park began sinking, developer Frank Hawkins takes on the challenge of creating new homes for the remaining residents of this North Las Vegas neighborhood.
Hawkins’ nonprofit, Community Development Programs Center of Nevada, was awarded a $37 million contract by the Nevada Housing Division last year to construct a new housing tract in Windsor Park, which has long suffered from extensive structural damage.
His plans include a 93-lot subdivision aim to provide much-needed housing solutions for homeowners displaced by the sinking ground.
The project is funded primarily by $25 million from federal COVID relief funds that have a spending deadline of the end of 2026, as per the contract stipulations.
However, a significant concern arises from the remaining $12 million sourced from the state, which must be committed for expenditure by June 30 and spent by September 15 of this year. The state records indicate that delaying the use of these funds could mean losing them to Nevada’s general fund.
“It’s a concern,” stated Christine Hess, chief financial officer of the Housing Division, in her testimony to lawmakers last month.
She reported that over $11 million has already been expended on the project, mostly stemming from Hawkins’ nearly $10 million land acquisition.
State Senator Dina Neal, who championed the bill in 2023 that facilitated this funding, has been actively seeking solutions to these tight deadlines.
To address the urgency, she previously introduced a legislative measure to extend the deadlines and acquire additional funds, but those efforts have not progressed as planned.
Neal emphasized the need for urgency, saying, “Clearly, it’s a concern” as officials grapple with how to quickly allocate and spend the remaining $12 million.
Although under the terms of the contract, Hawkins’ team can seek extra funding from other sources, Neal noted that the idea of seeking outside loans has not been entertained as of yet.
Instead, she is contemplating asking state lawmakers for supplementary funding if they are unable to utilize the allocated state money.
As the developer moves forward, Hawkins remains focused on the project without having begun construction.
His team secured the project site along Carey Avenue, west of Martin Luther King Boulevard, in April, with North Las Vegas Planning Commission recently approving plans for the 18-acre development.
Hawkins is ready for the City Council’s upcoming vote on the plans scheduled for July 2.
In an interview, Hawkins assured, “We have $37 million to build up to 93 homes, and that’s what we’re going to do.” He expressed confidence about meeting the spending deadlines, stating that if he had any concerns, there was nothing more he could do about it.
Windsor Park has a troubled history, having been constructed atop geological faults in the 1960s. Consequently, homes, roads, and utilities in the area began to sink as groundwater was extracted from an underground aquifer.
Neal’s initial 2023 legislation, known as the Windsor Park Environmental Justice Act, grants homeowners in Windsor Park the option to exchange their current houses for newly built ones in a nearby location.
She proposed a bill in March aimed at revising the original legislation. This proposal included seeking an extra $26 million from the state to finance the project and extending the deadlines for committing and spending the original $12 million in state funds.
During a Senate Finance Committee meeting last month, Neal argued that the deadlines needed to be postponed to ensure the project’s completion. She asserted that additional funds were crucial to fully realize the redevelopment initiative.
Neal also acknowledged the challenges faced in gaining support for the project, noting comments suggesting the initiative would not be financially viable. She highlighted political friction but recognized the considerable progress made, stating, “We still overcame and found our way here.”
Despite her efforts, the bill stalled and ultimately did not reach Governor Joe Lombardo’s desk during the conclusion of this year’s legislative session, which wrapped up in early June.
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