Revitalizing Las Vegas with Robots

A bustling center filled with robotics, drones and startups could become a new economic powerhouse in Las Vegas, Nevada. And, The Korte Company could be a big part of it. With efforts led by The Korte Company’s Sallie Doebler, the firm partnered with Focus Development, Joseph Beare & Company and SH Architecture to form Build a Better Las Vegas, the team that won first prize in the Strong Cities Strong Communities (SC2) Las Vegas Challenge.

The Korte Company team won $500,000 for a proposal to repurpose the existing Cashman Center into the Las Vegas Unmanned Aerial and Robotics Resource Center. The proposed hub for drone and technology research calls for $20 million in construction costs over three phases and more than $100 million of invested capital in Commercial Robotics/UAS companies within the first 20 years. The proposed project includes the addition of new offices and lab areas, integrating STEM partners and expanding the City's Cultural Corridor, incorporating the existing Neon Museum and the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort, the relocation of the Las Vegas Natural History Museum and a potential new space and science museum.

The project would be built in phases through the course of 20 years and could use federal development funds to help cover costs. Industry reports project robotics will become a $735-billion industry, and with the right development, Las Vegas could play a big role in the emerging field. With Creech Air Force Base, known as the birthplace of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, and strong robotics programs at local educational institutions, the human talent already works in the region. And Nevada is the only state in the U.S. that received the designation to perform unmanned aerial testing.

For more information on the UARRC project, visit  https://youtu.be/YxQd_J8cJpc.