Save Cleopatra's Treasures

Mariam Habashi is a 26 year old female immigrant and UNLV student. Mariam and her family immigrated to the United States in 1996 to escape anti-Christian persecution in Egypt.  She attended grade school in Las Vegas and before she graduated high school, Mariam started a buy/sell/trade clothing store in the Arts District. She is simultaneously completing her second Bachelor's Degree in forensic psychology.

She has NEVER taken a dime of assistance for school or to start her business.  It has all done through hard work and dedication.

Like a lot of entrepreneurs, Mariam bought into the story the City of Las Vegas sold everyone about the Arts District and how amazing it was going to be for business.

It has turned out to be quite the opposite for many.  From rate hiking by greedy landlords to utter abandonment from the same city that promised opportunity and prosperity for those that bought into the vision - that vision has been a nightmare for many.

Yet many like Mariam keep fighting with not even so much as a word of encouragement from those that sold the vision in the first place. Their involvement and support faded the moment many of the business owners signed on the dotted line.

Now it seems the city has changed its focus away from the promises in success with the Arts District and is pressing forward with the One Way conversion of Main Street and Commerce to give tourists a direct route to Downtown Las Vegas.

What was once merely abandonment has turned to sabotage as this new construction project has cut off many businesses on Main Street from their already scarce foot traffic.  Main Street and Commerce are experiencing drastic cuts in traffic as people avoid the construction and take alternate routes.  Additionally, the most logical alternate route, Charleston, is also closed.

The result is the businesses in the area are starving to death and dying.

Already, Sal's Furniture, a 30 year business on Main Street was forced to close their doors and others are following suit.

To make matters worse, landlords looking to get a boost from the improved construction are looking for reasons to force tenants out in favor of more profitable lease rates when the construction is complete.

This is not the American Dream. This is not the dream the City of Las Vegas sold those that invested in the Arts District, which the city stood firmly behind.

With no help or acknowledgment from the City of Las Vegas, those that bought into their sales pitch about the Arts District are finding themselves dropping like flies from the dream and into the nightmare.

Construction improvements WILL benefit the businesses on Main Street, even though a one way street will cut exposure to and from the area in half. Hopefully increased traffic will still be enough to sustain those businesses.  However, what are businesses to do starving to death while the construction is taking place?

That is the unforgivable part of the City's so-called "dream" for the Arts District. They should have created  grants or created tax breaks or worked with landlords to get the businesses through the time of economic famine.

That's why we are asking for your help to get Cleopatra's Treasures through the construction time (expected to be completed by October of 2018. 

This is a person that has worked hard to become a contributing member of our community. She received her United States Citizenship last year.  She hasn't ever taken a dime from government programs.  She did everything right... and now it's time for the same people that sold her the American Dream step up and do their part to help those that DO it right.