LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Plans for a 118-unit affordable housing complex with supportive services for veterans in northwest Las Vegas are moving forward. The Las Vegas City Council voted Wednesday, May 20, to approve the plans.
I was there in city council chambers for that vote and spoke with local veterans who've been waiting for this day.
It wasn't an easy path here for the foundation behind the project and the local veterans who've been pushing for it. I've been following the story since the very beginning. Here's a look at how we got here.
In late 2024, the nonprofit Tunnel to Towers Foundation originally proposed this housing development in North Las Vegas on a parcel of land near Centennial Parkway and Pecos Road. They specifically chose that spot due to its proximity to the VA Hospital.
But North Las Vegas planning commission officials gave the project an unfavorable recommendation, saying they wanted to save that land for commercial use to house amenities for residents of new neighborhoods nearby.
City officials stated at the time that they were willing to work with the nonprofit to find another spot for the project, but Tunnel to Towers ultimately pulled the application, saying they did not feel they were being supported.
Local veterans reached out to Channel 13, saying they were upset about how it all went down, and Tunnel to Towers remained adamant about bringing this housing development somewhere to Southern Nevada, given our large veteran population and their struggles finding affordable housing.
So, they turned their attention to the City of Las Vegas.
In April 2026, the Las Vegas Planning Commission approved Tunnel to Towers' new plans for a complex near Rancho and Jones in northwest Las Vegas. Though officially within Las Vegas city limits, it was still close to the VA hospital and there is a VA clinic right across the street.
Then, on May 20, Las Vegas City Council officially gave Tunnel to Towers' the green light. It was a moment more than a year in the making.
"To be honest with you, I have chills going up and down my spine right now," said Vincent Palmieri, the commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 711. I've been talking to the local veteran from the very start of all of this.
"This is something that we needed, and what people don't realize, we've worked, the veteran's community and I, worked with Tunnel to Towers. We drilled them with a lot of questions. 'What are you going to do if this happens to the veterans? What are you going to do if that happens?'" Palmieri said. "They have everything down. They have checked every box, crossed every t, and dotted every i."
Palmieri and a group of fellow veterans were among those in attendance at the city council meeting, and they erupted into applause and cheers when the council voted on the proposal.
"The group I have behind me, there's no stopping us. Everything we do is for the betterment of the veterans' community," Palmieri said.
"This is going to help in a huge way, not only just having the housing but having other resources available, right there where they live. It's not just going to be going across town, getting a bus, having a bike ride, having a friend come pick you up. It's going to be right there where they live. They can walk down the hall and get help if they need to," said fellow veteran Krysty Lavender.
Gavin Naples with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation tells me they're most likely eyeing an early 2028 grand opening.
"It feels amazing to finally come to the conclusion of this to where we're approved and able to build this beautiful residence for our men and women veterans," Naples said. "Very, very appreciative to the mayor, to the city council for listening, for taking the time to ask the correct questions, to do the research, to apply the correct, genuine reasons to do things."
Naples added that they are not giving up hope on their original proposal in North Las Vegas. They're hopeful that the elections this year will bring a change in leadership that will make their original plan possible there, too.
"We're absolutely going to be coming to revive our North Las Vegas project and build another veterans residence for the veterans of North Las Vegas as well," Naples said.
So ultimately, there could be two of these developments in Southern Nevada.
"We've made a commitment to veterans across the nation to provide affordable housing to anyone that needs it, and a small little blip doesn't deter us. We had to wait it out, unfortunately, a little bit, but now we'll have a beautiful residence in the City of Las Vegas and our North Las Vegas project will be coming soon," Naples said.
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