The national media narrative around Las Vegas tends toward skepticism: attendance figures are cited as declining, gaming revenue is questioned, and the city’s long-term viability is framed as uncertain. Scott Acton, Founder and CEO of Forté Specialty Contractors, says that narrative does not match what he sees on the ground – and that the construction activity his firm is engaged in tells a different story about where Las Vegas is actually headed.
Las Vegas recorded over 40 million visitors in 2023, and major capital investments – from stadium construction to luxury residential developments – continue to reshape the city’s skyline. These developments suggest a market acting with confidence, not caution.
Headlines vs. Reality
Acton is direct about his frustration with how Las Vegas is covered. “A lot of the news that’s out there is Vegas is suffering, Vegas is dying, attendance is down,” he says. “It’s just not. I can’t see it on the streets, and the gaming win is still up.”
His perspective is that of a contractor working 18 to 24 months out on project pipelines, which gives him a forward-looking view of where capital is being committed. From that vantage point, the city does not look like one in decline. Deals are moving forward, clients are motivated, and Acton projects 2027 to be his firm’s biggest year yet.
That projection reflects a specific reading of what is happening to Las Vegas structurally – a set of changes Acton argues are more significant than any single quarter of gaming revenue or attendance data.
Town Becoming City
Acton’s central claim is about the nature of Las Vegas’s growth. In his view, the city is no longer primarily a tourism destination that happens to have residents. It is becoming a genuine metropolitan area with the institutional anchors that such a designation implies.
“I think it’s a town that’s now becoming a city,” Acton says. “With the baseball stadium, the hockey team, the football team – I think basketball will soon follow. And we’re still growing every day by hundreds of people.”
The arrival of professional sports franchises – the NFL’s Raiders, the NHL’s Golden Knights, and the incoming MLB team – represents a form of institutional validation that tourism alone cannot provide. These franchises require year-round infrastructure, attract corporate sponsorship and media attention, and generate the kind of civic identity that draws residents rather than just visitors. For the construction market, that distinction matters: residents need housing, offices, retail, and services in ways that tourists do not.
Population growth compounds the effect. Las Vegas has been absorbing significant in-migration, driven in part by residents leaving California and other high-cost states. Acton attributes a meaningful share of his firm’s client pipeline to this migration, noting that buyers are arriving with liquidity and urgency, looking to establish permanent residences rather than vacation properties.
Growth Drives Demand
The shift from a tourism-dependent town to a diversified city has direct implications for which construction projects make sense in Las Vegas. A city with professional sports, a growing population, and institutional infrastructure needs more than hotel renovations and casino expansions. It needs high-end residential, mixed-use development, and the kind of experiential living environments that attract and retain wealthy permanent residents.
This is precisely the segment Forté operates in. The firm’s work at the Summit Club and its history with Steve Wynn’s properties position it at the intersection of hospitality-grade construction and ultra-luxury residential – a combination that Acton argues aligns with what the city’s evolving resident base is seeking.
“When you go to Wynn, you feel a little taller, you feel a little richer,” Acton says. “People want to live like they’re on vacation – they want to have that same experience.”
The demand for that experience, in Acton’s view, is not a niche preference. This is a defining expectation for cash buyers choosing Las Vegas as their permanent home. And as the city adds the institutional markers of a real metropolitan area, that buyer pool is likely to grow.
Where Capital Flows
The Las Vegas construction market in 2026 is not a monolith. Acton sees two clear opportunities for investors and developers: affordable housing at one end and ultra-luxury at the other. “I don’t think the middle is… I think the middle is a bit stagnant,” he says, pointing to rising interest rates as the primary force squeezing mid-tier affordability and dampening demand in that segment.
At the ultra-luxury end, the dynamics are different. Acton’s clients are largely cash buyers who have already had their liquidity moment and are looking for a permanent home. Geopolitical uncertainty, rising gas prices, and interest rate volatility have little bearing on their decisions. What drives them is urgency and experience. They want to get in quickly, and they want a living environment that mirrors the hospitality standard Las Vegas has long delivered to its visitors.
For contractors operating in that upper tier, the window matters. Development momentum is accelerating, and well-positioned projects do not stay available for long. Whether the opportunity lies in the ultra-luxury residential segment or in addressing the city’s affordable housing gap, Acton’s read is consistent: Las Vegas is not a market in retreat. It is a market in the middle of a structural shift, and the capital flowing into it reflects that.
About the Expert: Scott Acton is the Founder and CEO of Forté Specialty Contractors, a luxury construction firm operating in the Las Vegas, California, and Arizona markets since 2010. His firm focuses on projects valued at $15 million and above, with significant work in The Summit Club development and prior projects affiliated with Steve Wynn’s hospitality properties.
This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. The views and opinions expressed herein reflect those of the individuals quoted and do not represent an endorsement of any company, product, or service mentioned. Readers should conduct their own due diligence and consult qualified professionals before making any investment decisions
