As one of the fastest growing areas in the entire nation, Clark County, NV, and the metropolitan Las Vegas area has seen a broad range of construction projects, both in the city itself and in the outlying subdivisions. And despite the speed in which many of these projects are built, some specifiers are still taking the time to choose quality materials. One example of this practice can be seen at the Great American Plaza, a new multi-purpose development in Summerlin, NV, where Jerusalem Gold limestone was chosen to reflect the natural environment and impart an air of refinement.

The Great American Plaza is comprised of five buildings, and it is being used for offices, retail space and restaurants. During the specification process, the stone for the project needed to be approved by the town, and the coloration of the stone was favorable because it matched the surroundings. Additionally, it was cost-competitive with cultured stone veneer, explained Amos Etiel of Amos Tile Co., the stone contractor for the project. “They also liked the durability, and liked the look as opposed to colored stucco,” he said.

The Jerusalem Gold limestone was quarried and fabricated in Israel by Jerusalem Marble A. Grebelsky Ltd., and it was used in a range of finishes, including honed, polished and hand-chiseled. A total of 30,000 square feet of stone was specified for the project, and all of the material has a thickness of 3⁄4 inch.

The stone was set over a stucco backup wall using a combination of thinset and acrylic mortar. Etiel explained that since the backup walls were not always level, the stone installation required a great amount of precision, and workers would sometimes have to build up the wall with extra mortar to assure that the pieces would be set evenly. Additionally, the corners were mitered to convey the three-dimensional qualities of the stone.

In all, the installation of the stone required 15 workers, and it was completed over a period of 2 1⁄2 months. In addition to the Summerlin project, Etiel noted that Jerusalem Stone was being specified for other residential and commercial projects around the Las Vegas region.