Hylo Park Is Already Hosting Youth Games: What North Las Vegas Families Can Use Now

by Ryan Rose

What Happened at the Sept. 30 Showcase

FOX5 Vegas reported that North Las Vegas officials introduced Hylo Park as a planned 73-acre sports and community complex. The city says the goal is to build on the success of Craig Ranch Regional Park and to pull more youth tournaments and events into North Las Vegas. City leaders said Craig Ranch drew about 2 million visitors last year, and roughly 660,000 of those people used its multi-use sports fields.

The headline for families is the arena. According to FOX5, the new arena at Hylo Park is already operating, with an NBA-quality basketball floor temporarily installed over the ice to host youth games while construction continues on the rest of the site. KTNV 13 added that a basketball tournament is already scheduled inside the renovated ice arena in November.

Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown spoke about what the project means for local kids. "North Las Vegas residents will be able to come here, see their children play, see their children achieve their goals and work hard and be dedicated. Our community truly deserves this," she told FOX5. She also called it "a sports tourism win" for the city's economic development department, and "really a win for our community."

City officials said partnerships are planned with Special Olympics, elite youth basketball programs, and a sports-focused charter school that will sit on the Hylo Park campus. KTNV reported more detail from the developer, Agora Realty. Agora is working to make Hylo Park the Nevada home for Special Olympics, and it announced a partnership with TruGame and Adidas. Agora CEO Cary Lefton told KTNV that this means Hylo Park athletes will compete on the national Adidas platform and get exposure to college coaches and basketball media.

Lefton also said the company hopes to set up a partnership with the NIAA, the group that runs Nevada high school sports, and to bring Elevate Sports Alliance's pre-draft training to Hylo Park. He described the whole site as more than a gym. "Hylo Park will be a place where North Las Vegas families can enjoy sports, movie nights, concerts and watch parties," he told KTNV.

Terrence Thorton, President and CEO of Special Olympics Nevada, speaks at the Hylo Park event in North Las Vegas where the site was named as the planned Nevada home for Special Olympics

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

For North Las Vegas parents, the biggest change is simple. A building that sat in limbo is being used for kids again. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the ice rink attached to the old Fiesta temporarily closed this spring because of a mechanical failure. Instead of sitting empty, the building now hosts youth basketball on a temporary court, and a charter school is working out of it too.

That charter school is Game Changers Sports Academy. Co-owner Rodney Rice told the Review-Journal the school has been operating in the building for the past year and has 52 students. It used to be based on Decatur Boulevard near Sunset Road in the southwest valley. Its planned home is the third floor of the new fieldhouse. For families looking at school options that mix regular classes with athletic training, that is a real, working option on this side of town right now.

The Special Olympics piece matters too. If Hylo Park becomes the Nevada home for Special Olympics, as Agora says it is working toward, athletes with intellectual disabilities and their families would have a central home base in North Las Vegas. That brings events, volunteers, and visitors to a part of the valley that has not had much reason for outside traffic since the casinos closed.

Then there is travel. Youth sports families from the east side of the valley, Centennial Hills, and Aliante often drive to Henderson or the southwest for weekend tournaments. A busy court complex near Rancho and Lake Mead could keep some of those Saturdays closer to home. And when out-of-town teams come in for tournaments, they need places to eat, shop, and stay. KTNV reported that the Hylo Park South shopping center, with Cardenas, In-N-Out, Ross, and Starbucks, was finished about two months before the showcase.

One thing to be clear about: the coverage does not say when public skating or hockey will return to the rink. The arena is currently set up for basketball. If your family used to skate there, do not show up with skates expecting ice. Check with the venue first.

Open Now vs. Coming Later: A Quick Family Guide

Because Hylo Park is being built in phases, it is easy to get confused about what you can actually visit. Here is how the pieces line up, based on what FOX5, KTNV, and the Review-Journal reported.

Running now:

The arena, with an NBA-quality basketball floor laid over the ice for youth games.
Game Changers Sports Academy, a charter school that mixes classes with athletic training, operating in the building with 52 students.
Hylo Park South, the shopping center on the old Texas Station side, with Cardenas, In-N-Out, Ross, and Starbucks.

On the calendar:

A basketball tournament inside the renovated ice arena in November.

Announced or in the works:

Hylo Park as the Nevada home for Special Olympics, which Agora says it is working toward.
A partnership with TruGame and Adidas for youth basketball exposure.
A hoped-for partnership with the NIAA, plus Elevate Sports Alliance pre-draft training.

Still to be built:

A 250,000-square-foot indoor fieldhouse, a Hilton hotel, more shopping, and outdoor gathering space.
New homes on the old Texas Station land, where site work is underway.

The short version: if your kid plays organized basketball, Hylo Park may already be on your schedule. If you are hoping for open gyms, outdoor lawns, or concerts, those are later phases. A "watch parties and movie nights" kind of place, as Lefton described it, is the long-term goal, not the current state. It also helps to know that "Hylo Park" covers the whole 73 acres. When someone says they are going to Hylo Park today, they could mean the arena for a game or the shopping center for a burger. Ask which side before you plug it into your phone, since both sit off Rancho Drive near Lake Mead Boulevard.

Background: From Two Casinos to a 73-Acre Sports Hub

Hylo Park covers 73 acres across two neighboring former casino sites, Texas Station and Fiesta Rancho. According to the Review-Journal, Station Casinos never reopened either property after the pandemic shutdowns. It tore them down and sold the land to Agora in 2023 for about $58 million combined.

Since then, the site has been built out in pieces. Agora finished a 90,750-square-foot retail center on part of the old Texas Station site this summer and says it is almost fully leased. It also sold 36.5 acres of the Texas Station land for $26 million in late 2024. Homebuilder Lennar got city approval for a 373-lot subdivision there, called The West End, and site work is underway. KTNV reported that about 400 new homes are planned as part of the broader development.

The sports side is the last and biggest phase. KTNV calls it Hylo Park North, and it includes a Hilton hotel, a 250,000-square-foot indoor field, a renovated multi-sport arena, more shopping, and a sports academy. Mayor Goynes-Brown told the Review-Journal that before Agora stepped in, there was talk of repurposing or tearing down the ice rink, or putting warehouses on the old Fiesta land. She said those ideas did not meet the city's needs.

Agora Realty founder Cary Lefton presents North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown at the Hylo Park showcase on the former Fiesta Rancho site

The reason the city keeps pointing to Craig Ranch is that it shows what a well-used sports park can do for North Las Vegas. Craig Ranch Regional Park, home to The AMP amphitheater, pulled about 2 million visitors last year by the city's count. City leaders want Hylo Park to add more space for games and family activities, and to support jobs and business around the city center. FOX5 reported that officials tied it to a wider push that also includes restaurants, shops, and a future Nevada State University campus in and around the North Las Vegas city center.

There is also a bigger trend behind all this. At the event, Janis Burke, chief sports officer for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said nearly 2 million people came to Las Vegas last year to attend a sporting event, according to the Review-Journal. She said sports tourism generates more than $100 billion in direct spending nationwide, with a big share coming from youth and amateur sports.

What Happens Next

The next date on the calendar is November, when a basketball tournament is scheduled inside the renovated ice arena, per KTNV. That will be the first real test of how the building handles a full tournament crowd, from parking to concessions to traffic on Rancho Drive.

On timing for the full build, the two reports give slightly different language. KTNV said Hylo Park North is expected to be complete around this time next year. Agora's news release, cited by the Review-Journal, puts the finish in late 2027. Either way, families should expect construction around the arena for at least the next year. The new fieldhouse, the hotel, and the outdoor spaces are not built yet.

Watch for three things over the next several months. First, whether the Special Olympics partnership becomes a signed, official announcement. Second, whether the NIAA partnership Lefton mentioned moves forward, since that could bring high school events to the site. Third, whether the city or Agora posts a public schedule for youth leagues and open play. Right now, most of what is running is organized team play, not drop-in use.

Attendees listen to speakers inside the Hylo Park arena in North Las Vegas during the Sept. 30, 2026 showcase

Ryan's Take

I like that this project is already doing something before the big buildings go up. Too many development stories in Las Vegas are renderings that sit for years. Here, you have a working court, a working school, a finished shopping center, and homes under construction next door. That kind of steady progress is what makes a neighborhood start to feel different, and buyers notice it.

For the streets around Rancho and Lake Mead, a family sports destination is a much better neighbor than an empty lot or a row of warehouses. Craig Ranch is a good example of how a busy, well-run park can become part of why people choose a part of town. I am not going to promise that Hylo Park will lift home values by any set amount. Nobody can know that yet. What I will say is that weekend activity, new retail, and new homes going up at the same time usually mean more interest in the area. If you own nearby, keep an eye on it. If you are shopping in North Las Vegas, this corner is worth a drive on a game day.

Rendering of the planned Hylo Park North phase in North Las Vegas, with a hotel, indoor field and renovated multi-sport arena

What You Can Do

If you have kids in basketball, ask your club or league coach whether they plan to enter the November tournament at Hylo Park, or whether they will book games on the arena court. Local clubs usually hear about new venues first. If your child is interested in a school that blends classes with athletic training, you can look up Game Changers Sports Academy and ask about enrollment, since it is already working in the building.

If you have a family member involved with Special Olympics, keep an eye on Special Olympics Nevada for official news about Hylo Park. A new home base could mean more local events and more ways to volunteer. And if you are a North Las Vegas resident with thoughts on traffic, parking, or what you want at the park, city council meetings are the place to say it. The city is clearly treating this as a priority project, and resident input carries weight early on.

Finally, if you live near Rancho Drive and Lake Mead Boulevard, plan around construction and future event traffic. Tournament weekends can add cars to nearby streets. It is worth knowing the schedule before it surprises you on a Saturday morning.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime. Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC | ryan@rosehomeslv.com | rosehomeslv.com