Developer Tim Manson grew up in Australia and made his mark building condominiums in his native country. But now, like many gamblers, he's taking his ambitions to Las Vegas.

“When I visited Las Vegas for the first time in 2001, I fell in love with the city," Manson said in an interview with CoStar News. "It has been a dream of mine to one day build on the Strip. Over 20 years later, here we are."

By "we," Manson means he and developer David Daneshforooz, CEO of Contour. The pair has teamed up to work on an automotive-themed residential tower on the Strip in Las Vegas. The project, dubbed, Bespoke Las Vegas, is in the predevelopment stages and going through the entitlement process. A groundbreaking is expected to happen sometime in 2025, according to Manson. The Bespoke Las Vegas development would take about 36 months to build, Manson said.

As 2024 kicks off, Manson and Daneshforooz have much work to do to get Bespoke Las Vegas off of the ground, and they are working to find financial sources and a car company partner.

Manson and Daneshforooz launched their co-branded partnership to leverage the hype generated by the Las Vegas Grand Prix, a Formula One race that took place in November. The joint venture is between Bespoke, a subsidiary of Manson’s TKM Holding Co., and Contour, a real estate development company founded by Daneshforooz.

Las Vegas is only one target market for the partnership. Many of the projects they plan to work on together would be developed in the Midwest and Sun Belt, with Las Vegas and Dallas serving as the primary areas.

One of the first projects under the Manson-Daneshforooz banner is Bespoke South Barrington, a retail center revamp already underway in suburban Chicago. Manson added he and Daneshforooz are planning a second project in Chicago, with the duo now looking for potential sites to develop. 

“The new partnership is developing experiential residential and non-residential automotive-themed projects. These projects will range from invite-only residential towers to amenity-enriched automotive storage units with a social club inspired design,” Manson said. “Bespoke is collaborating with many known automotive brands that are engaged in this thesis and excited about the vision and experience for their existing and future enthusiasts.”

Manson and Daneshforooz must clear several hurdles before turning their visions for Bespoke Lase Vegas into reality. They need to secure financing for the development when capital markets are tight. Manson said the partnership is still working to obtain funding.

Manson and Daneshforooz did not provide cost estimates to build the luxury tower.

The pair, who have not built an auto-themed tower, also must persuade an automaker or other car company to allow the use of its name despite Manson and Daneshforooz being first-timers in this arena.

As they move forward, Manson and Daneshforooz are angling for Bespoke Las Vegas to be an “ultra-luxury” five-star resort hotel and casino with retail and dining options.

In keeping with the project's automotive theme, residents would drive their vehicles to an auto lift. That lift would then deliver the vehicle to the resident’s unit. As many as three or four vehicles could be parked in the unit’s garage.

“Bespoke is collaborating with all major global brands to offer buyers the opportunity to fit out their unit with a white glove design process in collaboration with a representative from their favorite brand, which doesn't limit the entire building to a single brand,” Manson said. 

He added the Bespoke-Contour partnership is teaming up with Velocity, a hospitality company founded by Guy Horner, the brother of Red Bull Racing principal Christian Horner, and Formula One veteran David Coulthard. Adding Velocity to the mix would give Bespoke Las Vegas patrons access to automotive shows, events and races around the world, according to Manson.

Manson and Daneshforooz formally connected when Manson was pursuing a project in Arizona and Arco-Murray was completing a 900,000-square-foot speculative industrial space for Contour near Mesa-Gateway Airport in Mesa, Arizona, according to Daneshforooz. He's been CEO of Contour for nearly 25 years.

The two talked and quickly found common ground. It was only a matter of time before they bonded and decided to form a partnership.

The duo has already brought several projects on line through their own ventures, including XSpace, the commercial condominium concept in Austin, Texas, and dozens of residential neighborhoods across the United States.

“Las Vegas is on a growth path for the future, it has always been a leader in developing the biggest and brightest projects. The Sphere is the most recent example of that,” Manson said. “It is fitting that Las Vegas will be home to the first Bespoke Tower. It will be the next beacon for the city, showcasing the latest capabilities in design and engineering for skyscrapers around the world.”