On the Downtown Project’s website, among several lofty goals—such as adding ground-level density and creating passionate communities for downtown Las Vegas—one goal sticks out as a bit different, if not simply odd: "Create the shipping container capital of the world."
If you’ve been to downtown Las Vegas in the last few years, you’ve likely been to Fremont Street, specifically the caged section near several historic casinos that hosts a nightly laser light show. But, thanks to the Downtown Project, the neighborhood is now home to a large and diverse concentration of startups, each slowly making their mark on the landscape.
I am standing in Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh’s apartment in downtown Las Vegas. He’s not here. A housekeeper is here. And a dozen strangers are here, taking a tour of the Downtown Project, Hsieh’s urban renaissance initiative. A "tour" which, for the most part, takes place right here, in Tony Hsieh’s apartment.