I turn left out of my subdivision and within a mile I am accosted by my first dinosaur. Men in yellow hard-hats place orange cones and unfold barriers to keep us away and safe. The dinosaur is a small one but it tears the asphalt and concrete of the road into pieces while we, in our cars, are forced into a narrow lane on the far side. Finally, I pass the destruction and head into downtown Las Vegas. Before long I am again delayed by even larger dinosaurs. I watch as they climb the sides of the new high-rise condo’s being built like King Kong climbing the Empire State Building. The swing their massive necks around and grab mouthfuls of concrete and metal and swing back again. Another breed digs down to the foundations of new buildings eating mouthfuls of dirt and rock. I am in awe as I watch them work.
The construction boom is ever increasing in Las Vegas. The latest craze is high-rise condos. I read in the local paper that there are 45 new towers of 50 stories or more already approved by the County Planning Commission. The tallest approved so far is the 72 story Ivana Tower. Which, of course, is ten stories taller than the tower being built by her ex-husband, Donald Trump just down the Strip a mile. If you look over the skyline right now you will see six of these huge dinosaur cranes working and more coming. It seems like every road you try to take is merged away from some kind of construction. The construction business is BOOMING in Las Vegas and we have been invaded by dinosaurs.
As I sit in a single traffic lane that has merged from three lanes and wait; I contemplate construction and newness. I have been in towns where it is just the opposite. Where people could not give their house away, unemployment had people losing their homes or at least worried about it. I have seen communities that have already been built out 30 years ago and are now becoming slums. The expressways are cracked and green growing up between them and no one cares. The houses haven’t been painted or improved for 25 years and garbage collects in the metal fenced corners. I would much rather sit in traffic waiting on new construction.
I can handle the dinosaurs because I know the smooth pavement is coming. I can handle the cranes because I know the jobs that are created and the new people coming. I roll down my window and breath in the diesel laced air and smile.