The end of 2007 brought just a taste of what will be coming in the next two years. The Planet Hollywood celebrated its official grand opening in November, and on December 20, the Palazzo will open next to the Venetian.

The Palazzo marks the start of a new trend that will build up the north end of the Strip. The $1.8 billion project features 3,068 luxury suites in a 50-floor tower, a 105,000-square-foot casino and a 250,000-square-foot pool deck. There will also be a 450,000 square foot shopping, dining and entertainment complex, and 450,000 square feet of meeting space. A 270-unit condo tower will also be included in the project.

When all components are complete, the Palazzo, Venetian and Sands Expo and Convention Center will together be the largest resort and hotel complex in the world with 7,074 hotel rooms and suites.

Not that the city was lacking, but the Planet Hollywood added a little more celebrity power to Las Vegas with its grand opening in November. It took nearly three years and $1 billion to reincarnate the Aladdin as a hip new property.

While these two properties got the ball rolling, 2008 really marks the start of a seemingly endless procession of new properties that will once again change the face of Las Vegas.


A Taste Off-Strip

Station Casinos' newest project, the $600 million Aliante Station just north of the 215 Beltway between U.S. 95 and I-15 may not change the look of Las Vegas as much as it serves as proof of the changing look of the city. Going back as few as five years, it would seem a little foolish to build a locals casinos in what was, at the time, literally the middle of nowhere.

But as the city continues its sprawl to the foothills of the surrounding mountains, Station Casinos will be ready with Aliante Station.    

Opening in 2008, the property will bring 200 rooms to the area, along with the traditional trappings found at all Station's newest properties: restaurants, movie theaters, etc.

Station officials held a topping off ceremony in early November marking completion of construction on the highest part of the structure. At the time, Station reported that everything was on schedule for the announced late 2008 opening.

The Cannery capitalized on growth, too, and is now capitalizing on its success with the opening of another property on Boulder Highway scheduled for the summer of 2008.

The $250 million Cannery Eastside will be built on the site of the Nevada Palace, which, while still operational, will be demolished when the new property is completed.

Cannery Eastside will continue the company's industrial design with the use of brick, steel and large, open trusses. It will have amenities similar to those found at the Cannery in North Las Vegas, but rather than art based on the '50s, Cannery Eastside will use pop art from the '60s.

The property will feature a 65,000-square-foot casino and a 16-story hotel tower with 307 guest rooms. Capitalizing on its location east of town, many of the rooms will have spectacular views of the Las Vegas Skyline.

“The Eastside Cannery is going to be an upgrade to the current Cannery,” said Bill Wortman, founder and principal with Cannery Resorts. “We believe that it's going to be a paradigm change to what's out there.”

The much-anticipated project from Anthony Marnell III will be on Las Vegas Boulevard, but when it opens in 2009, it will be hard to call it a Strip casino. Marnell is building his $1 billion M Resort at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and St. Rose Parkway.

The project calls for an 11-story hotel with 390 rooms and suites a 90,000-square-foot casino and more than 40,000 square feet of meeting and conference space.

Unique design features with the project include excellent skyline views from every room, suite, restaurant and lobby-because the property sits on land 400 feet higher than properties on the Strip-and a 100,000 square foot canyon feature pool area with waterfalls.

“The architectural design, amenities and service at M Resort, Spa and Casino will be unlike any resort-casino in Las Vegas,” Marnell said. “The property is the newest expression of where we believe the future of the industry lies.”


Getting the Ball Rolling

By most accounts, 2009 will be the most exciting year for Strip projects, bringing the follow-up to Wynn Las Vegas, an ambitions new project from MGM Mirage and an expansion at Caesars Palace.

The not-so-modestly named Encore is the first new property scheduled to open in the first part of 2009. The answer to the success of Wynn Las Vegas is expected to cost $2 billion to build, and will be an almost identical copy of its inspiration.

Encore will feature 1,818 standard suites, 222 large suites, a 70,000-square-foot casino, six restaurants, eight bars, two pools and a 50,000-square-foot spa.

An interesting addition, reported by VegasTodayandTomorrow.com, will be a small indoor lake surrounding an island. The island will be reachable by two bridges, and will hold the new poker room-the poker room at Wynn Las Vegas will be removed upon the opening of Encore-and the VIP high-limit slot area.

MGM Mirage's CityCenter is the most highly-anticipated project of the next couple years. The $7.8 billion, 76-acre complex will center around the 60-story CityCenter Resort and Casino with 4,000 rooms and 165,000 square feet of gaming space. It will also include a number of additional towers, including the 400 room Mandarin Oriental, 400 room Harmon Hotel, 1,500 unit Vdara condotel and two 350-unit luxury towers.

CityCenter will also feature 500,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space and 225,000 square feet of convention and meeting space.

The property will stretch for a quarter mile along the Strip, and is so massive it will have a fire station, onsite power plant, and even trams to help move people around.

“The development of CityCenter is a determining milestone for the future of Las Vegas,” said Terry Lanni, chairman and CEO of MGM Mirage.

Wedged between CityCenter and the Bellagio, on one of the thinnest strips of land available on Las Vegas Boulevard, Ian Bruce Eichner is planning to open the Cosmopolitan Resort Casino in 2009, too.

The Cosmopolitan will consist of two 600-foot towers with a total of 3,000 condo-hotel units. It will also have a 75,000-square-foot casino, 150,000 square feet of convention and retail space and a 50,000-square-foot spa. The property will also connect to CityCenter.

“It is not encroaching on our design,” said Cosmopolitan Chief Operation Officer Audrey Oswell. “We were able to achieve the design we were looking for and build the amenities into the project we wanted to with the footprint that we have.”

The Cosmopolitan will be located between the north end of CityCenter and Bellagio, and across the street from the redeveloped Planet Hollywood-formerly the Aladdin.

“I think it is safe to say when construction is completed, it is going to be 'the corner' in Las Vegas,” Eichner said. “I think the Strip-centric architecture and program is unique.

Further north on the Strip, Caesars will complete a $1 billion expansion at Caesars Palace that, when it wraps up in 2009, will give the property 4,012 rooms. Other changes include the addition of 263,000 square feet of convention space, three pool villas for high rollers, a café and outdoor spa, an upgrade to the sports book, buffet and food court, as well as the renovating of 512 hotel rooms in the Forum Tower.

“We think we've put together a program and a package that will now allow Caesars Palace to compete with whatever is coming down the line,” said Caesars President Gary Selesner. “When people come here, they will still fell like they are at their father's Caesars Palace, but they'll also feel that they're at the Caesars Palace for the new generation.”


The Future and Beyond

There will never be an end to development on the Strip, but one project coming in 2010 seems to mark an end to the first wave of new development in Las Vegas. That project is Boyd Gaming’s Echelon.

Echelon is expected to cost $4.8 billion and will feature five hotels with a total of 5,000 rooms. It will have more than 30 dining and nightlife venues, 4,000-seat and 1,500-seat entertainment venues, a 300,000-square-foot retail promenade and a 140,000 square foot casino.

“We are creating a destination resort that will be seen for miles, and yet, be accessible within feet,” said Echelon President Bob Boughner. “With Echelon, we are making the most of our extraordinary and highly visible Las Vegas Strip site by building five hotels with world class amenities, in one dramatic phase.”

Boyd is entering a $500 million joint venture with General Growth Properties for the retail promenade and a $950 million joint venture with Morgans Hotel Group for the Delano and Mondrian hotel towers.

Boyd Gaming Chairman and CEO Bill Boyd said the company will build on its successes with the Borgata in Atlantic City-a project that was developed under Boughner. Developing the Borgata diverted the company's attention from Las Vegas, but was ultimately for the best.

“The development of the Borgata came at a price: it forced us to delay our Las Vegas Strip developments,” Boyd said. “That turned out to be a good decision, because we probably would have underestimated the market.”

Going forward, there is no doubt that exciting new developments will be announced. Whether it's Harrah's redevelopment plans in Las Vegas-not to mention the company's partnership with AEG-Live to build an arena set to open in 2010-or Elad's multibillion dollar development plans at the former site of the New Frontier, the development of Las Vegas will continue to remain strong so long as conditions remain favorable for the city's casino operators.

By Greg Jones

Greg Jones is managing editor of Casino Connection Nevada, as well as associate editor of Global Gaming Business magazine.

Please login to post your comments.

More Featured Articles