Mayor Oscar Goodman has announced that entitlements will be cut in half—from two years to one—in an attempt to weed out property flippers. The City of Las Vegas has been victim of those who purchase land, get projects approved for the site, and turn right around to sell the land for a profit. The mayor is hoping that a shorter time frame for entitlements will provide enough of a span to go through the planning and building departments, but not enough to flip the property.

To accommodate serious builders who find that extra time may be necessary, the mayor announced that developers may file for extensions if they are able to demonstrate they are moving forward with their proposed development.

But who is to say what actions are sufficient to prove “moving forward?” Much of the process that leads up to groundbreaking lies outside the developer’s control: design plans, unit plans, architectural plans, etc., and times with each could vary.

Convincing the City Council of progression may pose a challenge to some. Nevertheless, the ability get an extension on a case-by-case basis will be key.