Anthem, Henderson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anthem
Anthem in 2014
Country	United States
State	Nevada
Counties	Clark
City	Henderson
Area	Las Vegas Valley
ZIP code	89052, 89044
Area codes	702, 725

Anthem is a special kind of neighborhood in Henderson, Nevada. It's called a master-planned community. This means everything, like homes, parks, and shops, was carefully planned out before it was built. Anthem is part of the bigger Las Vegas Valley area in Nevada. A company called Del Webb Corporation started building Anthem in 1998.

Building Anthem

How Anthem Started

The company Del Webb developed Anthem. In November 1997, the city of Henderson approved the first part of Anthem. They added about 2,535 acres of empty land to the city.

Del Webb got this land by trading property with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This land swap had been planned for two years. Del Webb wanted to start building by the end of 1997. They expected Anthem to take 15 to 20 years to finish completely.

What Anthem Would Include

Anthem was planned to have between 11,000 and 13,000 homes. It would also have a country club and a special community for older adults called Sun City. About 72 acres of the first part of Anthem were set aside for parks and fun activities.

The city of Henderson made sure there would be enough water for the new community. As part of the agreement, Del Webb and the property owners would pay for things like paving roads and installing water and sewer lines. Del Webb also agreed to build a fire station. They worked with the Clark County School District to find a 20-acre spot for a middle school.

The Land Deal Discussion

In January 1998, some people looked into the land swap deal. They wondered if the land was valued correctly. The land was valued at $10,900 per acre. However, some critics said each acre was worth more, around $36,000.

People also asked questions about how Bruce Babbitt and Senator Harry Reid were involved. Both supported the land deal. Mr. Babbitt, who was in charge of the U.S. Department of the Interior, had worked with Del Webb before. He stepped back from the Anthem deal, but later helped speed it up. Other land deals were on hold at the time. Senator Reid had also received support from Del Webb in the past. He said his support for Anthem was not connected to that.

The land was later valued at $12,210 per acre. Still, some thought it was worth more, possibly $15,000 to $17,000 per acre. This would mean a loss for taxpayers. However, Del Webb and the BLM explained that Del Webb was also spending $250 million to build roads and other important things on the land.

Anthem Opens Its Doors

Home sales in Anthem started in mid-1998. The community officially opened on October 24, 1998. About 3,000 people came to the grand opening, which was more than expected!

Anthem had three main parts:

• Anthem Country Club
• Sun City Anthem (for older adults)
• Coventry Homes at Anthem (which offered more affordable homes)

Sun City Anthem even offered new residents free advice from home designers. When Anthem opened, two golf courses were almost finished. A large recreation center, about 74,000 square feet, had also started construction. It was thought that Anthem would have 30,000 residents when it was finished in about 13 years. The community would also have places for shops and offices. Del Webb moved its local offices to Anthem in January 1999.

More Development and Growth

In February 1999, the city approved plans for more parts of Anthem, including its business area. The Anthem Country Club opened its golf course in April 1999. They also got approval for more homes in August 1999.

That year, Del Webb traded more land. They gave 147 acres of land near Lake Tahoe to the BLM. In return, Del Webb received another 2,535 acres for the Anthem project. This brought the total land for Anthem to over 5,000 acres.

A year after opening, Del Webb had sold more than 1,000 homes in Anthem. Sun City Anthem had 660 residents, and Anthem Country Club had about 200 residents and 100 golf members. In 2000 and 2001, Anthem was one of the best-selling master-planned communities in the United States. It was ranked fifth in 2005.

About the People in Anthem

The average household income in Anthem is about $115,612.

Schools in Anthem

The schools in Anthem are part of the Clark County School District. Here are the schools that serve the Anthem community:

• Frank J. Lamping Elementary School
• Elise L. Wolff Elementary School
• Shirley and Bill Wallin Elementary School
• Del E. Webb Middle School
• Coronado High School
• Liberty High School

There are also several private schools nearby. These include The Henderson International School, Challenger School, and Hillcrest Academy.