While the local public perception is one of runaway success, tenants of Container Park in Downtown Las Vegas say the reality doesn’t match people’s perception.
Several current and former tenants recently told the Las Vegas Review Journal that the commercial area is poorly managed, suffers from faulty elevators that cut off business to third-floor establishments, and tenants are being fined for closing during slow business hours.
Located at 707 Fremont St., Container Park is the brainchild of Zappo’s founder and CEO Tony Hsieh, through his $350 million Downtown Project, which supports local commercial and economic development. But many current and former tenants say the idea wasn’t particularly well thought out.
Tenants on the third level of the three-story development say they suffer from a lack of foot traffic, partly caused by faulty elevators that stop working every time it rains in Las Vegas. Facing slow sales, many have opted to close during slow hours, which trigger $75 fines for each instance from the Downtown Project.
Tenants sign agreements on operating hours, and when they don’t abide by those agreements, they are fined. One retailer said the fines initially were overlooked, but he recently received four in one week, which makes a bad business situation even worse for Container Park’s business tenants.
Container Park opened in December 2013, and contains more than 40 shipping containers that have been repurposed to become homes for small businesses and eateries.
