LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The shortage of available land across the Las Vegas Valley is already impacting the growth of businesses and jobs, from companies based here to those looking to relocate here.

Around 88% of all land across Clark County is owned by the federal government, from the Bureau of Land Management to other federal agencies. The inventory of available land for businesses to build continues to shrink.

The Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance reports, since 2022, 11 businesses cancelled deals to relocate to the Valley due to the land issue. The organization works to bring diverse industries to the Las Vegas Valley, connecting them with government incentives for job creation and relocation.

“There were 11 deals lost, valued at over a billion dollars, that we’ve lost for lack of land. They cited their reason as an inability to find real estate,” said Betsy Fretwell of the LVGEA. “Frankly, at the end of the day, we need another lands bill that frees up land that’s predominantly managed by BLM,” Fretwell said.

According to a 2023 report from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, if the federal government does not release more land by 2030, the shortage will begin to stunt the growth of the Valley’s economy and pace of job creation.

The report says, out of 16,400 acres available across Clark County, only 5,000 are ideal for business development.

Fretwell said various companies are searching for plots of land that are around 200 acres.

“When you’re talking about logistics, advanced manufacturing, clean tech, you absolutely need to have larger pieces of land available to ensure the ability for a company not only just locate here, but to be able to grow here,” Fretwell said.

FOX5 has covered how the land shortage impacts the housing crisis. Builders across Southern Nevada are urging action from state and federal lawmakers to solve the Las Vegas Valley’s land shortage before a looming scenario that will worsen the housing crisis: no more land for new homes by 2032.

Fretwell said that Las Vegas Valley leaders are currently eyeing two pieces of Congressional legislation that have been reintroduced: the Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act and the Apex Srea Technical Corrections Act.

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