Opening

The District opened on April 15, 2004,^[14][9][15] as the Las Vegas Valley's first mixed-use project, predating Town Square (2007) and Downtown Summerlin (2014).^{[13][9][15][16]} It contained seven buildings for a total of 406,260 sq ft (37,743 m²).^[8][17] Among them was a three-story office building with 65,000 sq ft (6,000 m²), located on the property's southeast corner. Residential units were located in other buildings, above the ground-floor retail tenants.^[13] The District had 42 retail spaces totaling 195,000 sq ft (18,100 m²). The open-air mall opened with 29 retailers,^[9] while additional stores opened later in the year.^[18][19] Retailers included Anthropologie, Coldwater Creek,^[13] and REI's first Las Vegas location.^[20][21] Restaurants included Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que and P. F. Chang's,^[11] The District includes a total of 88 condominium units, previously planned as apartments. A 150-space parking facility was built underground for residents.^{[1][22][23][24]}

In April 2005, American Nevada began construction on its second phase for The District, located east of the first phase. It was built on half of a 40-acre parcel, and included retail and office space.^[1] The second phase was designed by JMA Architecture Studios, with Korte Company as the general contractor.^[25] Some tenants in the second phase, such as The Cheesecake Factory, began opening in August 2005. Others, such as Whole Foods, would open the following year.^[1][26][27]

New owners and changes

The District was negatively affected by the Great Recession, and a loan on the project was put into default in 2009, in an attempt to restructure its debt.^[16][28] After 16 months of unsuccessful negotiations, the District was sold to its lenders in January 2011. It was purchased through foreclosure for $50 million, although American Nevada continued to manage it.^[29][30] The District was sold again at the end of 2011, for $79 million. The new owners were Vestar Development and Rockwood Capital.^[31][32] A carousel was not part of the purchase and was removed from the District.^[33] American Nevada ended its managerial role following the sale, and business subsequently increased,^[34] with more than 20 new tenants being added over the next four years.^[16]

When the first phase opened in 2004, it included a street that ran between the buildings, before being turned into a pedestrian walkway the following year. In November 2012, Vestar proposed turning the pedestrian walkway back into a street. It would include 45 angled parking spaces and would lead straight to the Green Valley Ranch resort. Some businesses located along the walkway had struggled to attract customers, whereas a road would provide quick and easy access. Construction on the project began in mid-2013. Some residents opposed the change, viewing the pedestrian walkway as a signature feature.^[35] The new roadway was finished in October 2013, and opposition to the change had decreased by then.^[36] Aside from the street, other new features included new lighting, landscaping, and a splash pad. Vestar took over full ownership in July 2015, buying out Rockwood's stake for $120 million.^[37]

In 2006, American Nevada had plans to build townhouses on the remaining acreage of the District's eastern parcel. However, the project received opposition from residents of Green Valley Ranch.^[24] In 2011, The Calida Group proposed building a 438-unit apartment complex on the land. Previous plans for condominiums were scrapped following the Great Recession. Residents were opposed to the apartment project, believing it lacked an adequate number of parking spaces and would contribute to traffic problems, so the project was later downsized to 360 units. Construction was underway in 2014,^[38][39][40] and the project opened the following year as Elysian at the District.^[41][42]

American Nevada retains ownership of a vacant two-acre lot on the north side of the first-phase parcel. In 2020, the company announced plans to eventually build more restaurant, retail and office space on the site.^[43]