[ScottG]

patrick, what is VEER 1 & VEER 2 and 'the HARMON' hotels?

[LMich]

That's the name of the CityCenter towers. SpeedyFarrar posted an article from the Review from a week or two ago with the names. The main tower has yet to officially be named.

[ScottG]

^^^^i beleive you are right....im must pay more attention....

so to make up.....

i found this:

www.whois.org

i dont know if its beneficial, but its a site that keeps track of WEBSITE DOMAINS. who baought, how to contact them and if the site is active or not...so i went thru the diagrams list and went to the 'sketchy' projects that had websites...and looked em up.....

flatiron:

http://www.whois.org/whois_new.cgi?d=flatironlasvegas.com

5741 dean martin (also known as ROCKER TOWER):

http://www.whois.org/whois_new.cgi?d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rockertower.com%2F

las vegas central:

http://www.whois.org/whois_new.cgi?d=www.hiriselv.com


i don tknow. i thought that a CORPORATION would be in charge ofwebsites..not asingle person... for instance...a movie distributor would purchase the rights for a domaine of one of their movies.

maybe these are gimmucks...like all the 702 group properties (i know flatiron is a 702 group, BUT i also know that the architect (jma) is STIL working on it....)

sandhurst (remember that one?):
http://www.whois.org/whois_new.cgi?d=www.sandhurstlv.com%2F

[GeorgeLV]

ScottG, because subcontracting in IT is so common, whether or not the whois info shows a corporate name doesn't really indicate anything.

[BruceH]

just saw the planning comission about fontainebleau. they ran into some trouble.

there is only one entrance/exit from turnberry place. and the planning commissioners are stumped to know that that 'slipped' by them and the fir department. that is an extremely dangerous intersection, with one way in and out. so they need a back entrance in conjunction with fountain blue. that and turnberry place has not enough parking spaces. so they need to use some of fountaineblues spaces.

You forgot to mention that with the Fontainebleau fountains being a large part of the project that Sky across the street will be looking at another Bellagio like property. That's a big impact on nearby valuation. The site plan on the planning commission broadcast revealed a lot more than I expected. Awesome project!!

[BruceH]

Just got a private email from Doumani (CEO) for what was previously known as the Conrad Majestic project. It is now the Conrad - Waldorf Astoria project with Waldorf Astoria residences on the top of the building. Incredible and will raise the bar on the North Strip for high rise valuation. Photos coming.

[future29]

You forgot to mention that with the Fontainebleau fountains being a large part of the project that Sky across the street will be looking at another Bellagio like property. That's a big impact on nearby valuation. The site plan on the planning commission broadcast revealed a lot more than I expected. Awesome project!!

any rendering available for the public?

[BruceH]

any rendering available for the public?

Didn't capture it from the cable broadcast. Anyone else able to capture it?

[mdiederi]

Just got a private email from Doumani (CEO) for what was previously known as the Conrad Majestic project. It is now the Conrad - Waldorf Astoria project with Waldorf Astoria residences on the top of the building. Incredible and will raise the bar on the North Strip for high rise valuation. Photos coming.
GREAT!! :tup:

[Bender13]

Great news about Conrad. It's still alive.

From the RJ today, World Market Center 3 has started construction!
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Sep-28-Thu-2006/business/9905728.html
On the day the World Market Center officially announced construction on the largest of its planned eight buildings, operators of the home furniture convention complex named a furniture industry veteran with a strong connection to the local community as its chief executive officer.

Meanwhile, World Market Center officials said work has started on the third building on its 57-acre site near downtown. The $300 million Building C will have 2.1 million square feet of convention and meeting space and be 16 stories tall.

World Market Center operators said a quarter of the building has already been preleased for the July 2008 Las Vegas Market.

[ScottG]

if you go to world market centers website you can see a nice intro...towards teh end you can spot a glimpse of the third building.....however NOT a rendering, its more like an outline, but you can see the complexity of it. i hear this building is REALLY complex

www.lasvegasmarket.com

[mttbox]

hi guys, is there a website where i can see a trade show schedule in Vegas?

[GeorgeLV]

The World Market Centers are fantastic buildings. Their way they're arranged with their huge floorplates makes them like a mountain range in downtown.

[LMich]

That's what I don't like about them. I'm not a fan of the Deconstructivism style of architecture, and they just don't look to fit with downtown. I'd always wanted to see downtown expanded west, but wanted it to fit with the rest of downtown as best it could, at least a litte bit. I'm not going to complain too much, though, as they aren't terrible buildings. They just stick out like soar thumbs, and look more like a giant dropped some toy building blocks on the desert than an extension of downtown.

BTW, can anyone actually confirm that the building is under construction, and that they just aren't moving dirt and site prepping?

[Bender13]

hi guys, is there a website where i can see a trade show schedule in Vegas?
Heres the calander on the conventions and vistors authority site. Just type in a date or location and it'll list all the conventions.
http://www.lvcva.com/meetings/convention-calendar.jsp

[JonVegas]

"They just stick out like soar thumbs, and look more like a giant dropped some toy building blocks on the desert than an extension of downtown."

Normally I'd agree. However, I think that the WMC will seem more integrated once the surrounding area (the 61 acres) is developed. Currently, there are large patches of desert surrounding the buildings.
I really think the main culprit in making them "stick out" is their current proximity to any other substantial buildings.
I drive by them everyday and I think they look awesome, but lonely.

[GeorgeLV]

That's what I don't like about them. I'm not a fan of the Deconstructivism style of architecture, and they just don't look to fit with downtown. I'd always wanted to see downtown expanded west, but wanted it to fit with the rest of downtown as best it could, at least a litte bit. I'm not going to complain too much, though, as they aren't terrible buildings. They just stick out like soar thumbs, and look more like a giant dropped some toy building blocks on the desert than an extension of downtown.

The I-15 blocks downtown extending west that way anyways, so I don't think it's an issue that WMC breaks the downtown grid.

BTW, speaking of downtown, I noticed the Lady Luck demolished a parking garage and has one of those famous red and white zoning signs for a casino expansion. Has anybody run accross any renderings of what will go there?

[highriseLV]

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Sep-29-Fri-2006/business/9931439.html



Sep. 29, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Big plan for big downtown parcel

Project Neon Lights would rival Project CityCenter in size

By HOWARD STUTZ
GAMING WIRE



Robert Reel and Thomas Prato, who formed TR Las Vegas LLC, said they've spent more than three years persuading some 50 downtown property owners to package 70 contiguous acres of downtown land into one large potential development site, dubbed Project Neon Lights.



A pair of Las Vegas businessmen said they have assembled roughly 70 contiguous acres of downtown land into a potential development package they believe will link the Strip's north end with the city's redevelopment efforts on the former Union Pacific Railroad site.

Now, they're hoping to find a developer willing to pony up the money for the real estate, valued by analysts at $8 million an acre.


Robert Reel and Thomas Prato, who formed TR Las Vegas LLC, said they've spent more than three years persuading some 50 downtown property owners just north of the Stratosphere and stretching to Charleston Boulevard to package the land into one large potential development site, dubbed Project Neon Lights.

Reel and Prato said this week they bought a few parcels on their own and have more than 50 other sites in escrow. While not releasing any details on the escrow, they said they have both contractual and oral agreements with many of the land owners.

"When we find a buyer, they are willing to come to the table and listen," said Reel, a broker with Re/Max Achievers Commercial Division.

The pair have met with city leaders about their idea and they have been marketing the land package nationally and internationally to more than 2,000 potential investors, using a 12-minute digital video disc that includes information about the city's redevelopment efforts. Hotel-casino operators, such as Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment, have also been approached as potential investors.

"We received a pitch booklet on the plan, but frankly, we have $2.8 billion in development projects currently in the works, so our plate is somewhat full right now," Pinnacle spokeswoman Pauline Yoshihashi said.

While they would like to strike a deal for the whole parcel, investors can buy portions of the site.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said Thursday he hopes Reel and Prato succeed.

"I absolutely endorse the concept and I hope this can be developed in the way they have discussed," Goodman said. "This could be a tremendous boost for our redevelopment efforts."

The land, bordered by Main Street to the east, Charleston Boulevard to the north, the railroad tracks on the west and Wyoming Avenue to the south, encompasses land parcels totaling 52 net acres.

However, Reel said that when factoring in roads, streets and alleyways that could be vacated by city leaders, the site offers the potential for 70 acres of development.

"We see this as a one-time opportunity for downtown Las Vegas," Reel said. "This is a way to create a continuous flow for potential visitors from the Strip to the downtown corridor. This is the missing link that would connect what the city is doing at Union Park with the Strip."

The city's 61-acre Union Pacific site, called Union Park, is being master-planned to include residential high-rise towers, businesses, an Alzheimer's disease research and treatment center, and a performing arts center.

Reel said the site's size makes it suitable for a mixed-use development that could include a hotel-casino, retail shops, high-rise condominiums and other commercial buildings. He added that a planned expansion of the Las Vegas Monorail would continue down Main Street while any additional expansion of Industrial Road would flow into the site.

"The potential for traffic flow into the site makes this land very attractive," Prato said.

That concept of 70 developable acres would make Project Neon Lights a parcel that is larger than the 66 acre Project CityCenter, which MGM Mirage is building for $7 billion, and the Echelon Place development Boyd Gaming Corp. is planning for the 63 acre site on which the Stardust now sits.

"Based on the land assemblage we've been presented with, the site has the potential of being the largest privately-held parcel in the downtown redevelopment area," Steve van Gorp, a city of Las Vegas redevelopment manager, said Thursday.

Officially, the city can't endorse the project, van Gorp said, because the escrow language hasn't been shared with city officials. Nevertheless, he said the city has contacted potential investors, inquiring on the site's validity.

"We tell them that we are aware of the project and that it would fall within our redevelopment district," van Gorp said. "But we're not marketing the site and we can't make a formal expression of support."

The land's potential value is a cause for debate.

Reel said the site has a minimum bid of $7 million per acre, but he believes it could fetch as much as $10 million an acre. Still, the range is far below the perceived value of Strip real estate.

Brian Gordon, a partner in financial consulting firm Applied Analysis, said the location has to be viewed differently from Strip casino property because of its location north of Sahara Avenue. Gordon, who said he had spoken previously with Reel and Prato about the project, believes the site's true value will become clear a few years in the future as development moves northward.

"The site has the potential to be developed as a high density with mixed use, but it's definitely a longer-term play for an investor," Gordon said. "It could provide a potential draw for the area, but it's going to have to create its own critical mass. It's still going to require other investment in that area."

Gordon said the price per acre would be comparable to the prices paid for locations by downtown high-rise developers.

On the Strip, land prices have soared.

Last year, Harrah's Entertainment bought the Imperial Palace and its 18-acre site for $20 million an acre. Columbia Sussex Corp. is buying Aztar Corp. and the company's Tropicana, a deal that analysts have said translates into almost $25 million an acre for the 34-acre Strip location.

A potential buyout of the Riviera was derailed in August because company shareholders believed the sales price undervalued the casino's 25-acre Strip real estate parcel.

[mdiederi]

That's what I don't like about them. I'm not a fan of the Deconstructivism style of architecture, and they just don't look to fit with downtown.
But they are supposed to break ground in October for the Frank Gehry designed Lou Ruvo Alzheimer Institute building right across the street. And hey, the Clark County government building isn't exactly traditional in style either and that's next door to them. It's starting to look like that whole district will be deconstructionist once they construct it (that sounds ironic). And besides, most of the other buildings downtown are butt ugly, why mimic that?

Clark County Government building
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/mdiederi/buildings/vegas.jpg Photo by Gary Hayman
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/mdiederi/buildings/RTC_RFCD2.jpg Photo by Robert Tayco
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/mdiederi/buildings/RTC_RFCD01.jpg Photo by Robert Tayco
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/mdiederi/buildings/Clark02.jpg Photo by Robert Tayco

[Vtown420]

I think WMC2 looks like some kind of maximum security prison, but with less windows. Not that I hate it, but it will take some time to grow on me. And I think it will look much better once everything else is built. WMC1 could have used bigger windows IMO.

http://static.flickr.com/67/223764459_8436842f4f.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/73/223764452_eda47ec5d8.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/88/223764461_6b3f7ec8e6.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/93/223764457_fcc032d84a.jpg?v=0
(pics from flickr)

[Don Pacho]

:previous: I think it is kind of interesting.
I like the way the volumes cross each other.
What is this architectural style, deconstructivism? Post-modern?

:tup:

[ScottG]

correction:

WMC 1 has NO windows, those 'holes' are actually vents. there are NO windows in that building.

i LOVE the Clark County government building, its very desert oasis like- beautiful building really. And with WMC- the (very successful) outlet mall across the street and the CC gov building- i think that whole complex will look modern, new, hip, and fresh. sure they are 'out there' but its thinking outside the box that brings originality. in a city where its rare to find unique architecture, i LOVE whats goin on in the downtown disctrict.....would you want a reproduction of.....hollywood blvd for the downtown complex? that area is truly unique- especially with the addition of frank ghery's...thing.

[ebatcave]

LAS VEGAS - Harrah's Entertainment Inc., the world's largest casino company, said Monday it has received a $15.05 billion offer for the company from private-equity firms Apollo Management and Texas Pacific Group.

The private-equity firms are offering $81 per share in cash, a 22 percent premium to Harrah's closing stock price on Friday on the New York Stock Exchange.

After the news, Harrah's shares surged $9.19, or 14 percent, to $75.62 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Harrah's said it has established a special committee of independent directors to review the offer and has retained UBS Securities LLC as an adviser.

Harrah's operates about 40 casinos, including Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, its namesake chain, Bally's, Horseshoe, Showboat and other brands throughout the country. The Las Vegas-based company beefed up its portfolio with last year's purchase of Caesars Entertainment Inc.

Also on Monday, Harrah's said it entered a deal with a unit of Boyd Gaming Corp. to exchange about 24 contiguous acres that Harrah's controls on the Las Vegas Strip for Boyd's Barbary Coast Hotel and Casino. Financial terms for that deal were not disclosed.

The real-estate transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2007, subject to customary closing conditions, including government approvals. Boyd said it expects to see a non-cash gain of about $280 million in the quarter the deal closes.

[mdiederi]

Damn, it's like a freaking monopoly game with real buildings.

[future29]

i was in vegas over the weekend. seeing PCC in person gives you perspective on how big it really is. I noticed the new Bellagio parking structure, the metal pipe running up the side of it is used to hold mesh blinds to block the sun from getting into the structure directly.

[Patrick]

Wow the WMC has no windows? Wierd

[jazfingr]

Harrah's got the Barbary Coast...yyeeaahh!!!!

http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/harrah's.htm

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE: BYD - News) today announced that it has reached an agreement with Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. to trade the Barbary Coast Hotel and Casino in a tax- deferred exchange for approximately 24 contiguous acres of Las Vegas Strip property that Harrah's has contracted to acquire from third parties. The land that Boyd Gaming is to receive in the exchange is located directly to the north of its 63-acre Echelon Place development site. Boyd Gaming expects to recognize a non-cash gain of approximately $280 million in the quarter in which the transaction closes and plans to begin reporting the results of operations from Barbary Coast in "discontinued operations" in the third quarter 2006. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the first quarter 2007.
Bill Boyd, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Boyd Gaming, commented on the transaction, "This agreement provides additional Las Vegas Strip development opportunities for our Company and is strategically located next to Echelon Place. We are especially excited about the prospect of having 87 contiguous acres on the Las Vegas Strip. The additional acreage provides us with the opportunity to develop future phases related to our Echelon project, as well as extending our strategic growth pipeline well into the next decade."

[mdiederi]

Is that a new record? They only want the Barbary Coast for the land. It's only 4.3 acres, so at $280 million that comes to over $65 million per acre. Ouch! Various owners of the Flamingo have been trying to buy that corner for a couple decades, but they kept holding out, now I see why.

[StatenIslander237]

what kind of events are in WMC 1? i thought like convention type things, u kno things that dont require windows. or is it just traditional offices?

[The Mad Hatter]

:previous: I think it is kind of interesting.
I like the way the volumes cross each other.
What is this architectural style, deconstructivism? Post-modern?

:tup:
post modern

[jazfingr]

what kind of events are in WMC 1? i thought like convention type things, u know things that don't require windows. or is it just traditional offices?

The main function of the WMC is a permanent furniture and fixture showcase. It has manufacturer showrooms inside. These showrooms look like high-end stores. Designers bring their clients to the showrooms to shop and place orders for residential furniture, fabrics, floor-coverings, architectural products, wall-coverings, lighting, kitchen and bath products and accessories.

There is a similar facility in West Hollywood called the Pacific Design Center.
Here is a link to their website http://www.pacificdesigncenter.com/index.html

[Bender13]

Proposed Harrahs buyout could delay or put on hold development plans.:(
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Oct-04-Wed-2006/business/10023107.html
Oct. 04, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS: Waiting starts after bid

Analysts see business continuing as usual as Harrah's weighs offer

By HOWARD STUTZ
GAMING WIRE

As the dust settled Tuesday around the massive buyout offer for Harrah's Entertainment, analysts speculated that nothing would change for the world's largest casino operator until company directors decide what to do with the $15 billion proposal.

Texas Pacific Group and Apollo Management have offered to buy all Harrah's Entertainment's stock for $81 a share. Even if the bid is accepted, one gaming analyst thought it was possible that the Harrah's management team could remain in place to operate the company.

"Who would be better to sell the story about the direction and vision of the company than the current management group?" said Dennis Farrell of Wachovia High Yield Research. "I think (Harrah's Chairman Gary Loveman) is the linchpin to this whole deal."

Harrah's, which operates 37 casinos in 13 states, has development opportunities in design and planning for several American jurisdictions. The company also is seeking to expand internationally; it has announced projects in Slovenia and Spain, and a proposal in Singapore.

For the short term, until a special committee made up of the nonmanagement members of Harrah's governing board makes a recommendation on the offer from Apollo Management and Texas Pacific Group, life at the Las Vegas-based company will continue somewhat unabated.

"(The deal) is not even finalized yet, so Harrah's management can't assume anything," said Matthew Jacob, an analyst for Majestic Research. "Harrah's has a duty to its shareholders and it will probably be business as usual until something happens."

Farrell said that even if the buyout is accepted, the length of time it would take to close the transaction -- estimated by analysts at between 18 months and two years -- means Harrah's management would have to stay the course.

"If a deal is finalized, there may be some things Harrah's can and can't do until the transaction closes," Farrell said. "But right now, all that is just speculation."

Jefferies & Co. analyst Larry Klatzkin, in a note to investors Tuesday, agreed that licensing the principals of Apollo and Texas Pacific could take more than a year, especially if the private equity groups desire a say in the gaming company's operations.

"We highly doubt that these two funds are looking to buy into the largest (leveraged buyout) in history without looking to have a say on how such company will operate," Klatzkin said. "Hence, licensing will be a long and lengthy process."

In the meantime, Harrah's is expected to continue to proceed with its plans for redeveloping the company's Strip casinos. Those plans progressed Monday with a separate announcement that Harrah's signed a deal with Boyd Gaming Corp. to swap Strip casino sites.

Boyd was given 24 acres near the Stardust while Harrah's picked up the Barbary Coast, the final piece in what could become one of the largest Strip redevelopment projects on record.

Once the transaction closes next year, Harrah's will control 350 acres in Las Vegas, encompassing the area between Paris Las Vegas to the south, Harrah's to the north, Koval Avenue to the east and Rio to the west.

Harrah's Vice Chairman Chuck Atwood said the land cost the company approximately $13 million per acre.

"This large site is intended to give us many years of development potential and the flexibility to grow our future earnings without undue interruption of our current earnings stream." Atwood said.

But if the buyout takes place, the redevelopment may never come, analysts said. An oft-mentioned plan in which the Imperial Palace is closed and demolished might be put on hold, observers speculated.

"There may be projects that are never announced or started," Jacob said. "But the company has to go about business."

Farrell said the private equity partners could sell some of the real estate holdings or even some of the company's casinos, if there was a problem with licensing. He said the directors evaluating the offer need to determine whether the true value of the future projects and growth opportunities supersede the $81 a share offer.
One development that is continuing as planned is a Nov. 7 vote in Rhode Island on a proposed American Indian casino Harrah's would operate for the Narragansett Tribe in West Warwick, just outside of Providence.

Harrah's is bankrolling the $5.2 million public relations and advertising campaign in favor of a yes vote on the ballot initiative, but opponents expressed concern about the proposed buyout affecting the company's future plans. Proponents said the tribe has the flexibility to choose its own casino operating partner.

"If (the tribe) terminated their agreement with Harrah's, there would be plenty of companies that would be coming forward who want to build a casino in this state if it passes," Democratic Rhode Island state Sen. Stephen Alves told the Providence Journal.

Harrah's is also bidding on a second casino location in the island nation of Singapore. The company was beaten out last spring by Las Vegas Sands Corp. in the bidding for a casino location in Singapore's marina district.

Analysts thought the Singapore process would proceed, as would Harrah's plans to purchase London Clubs International for $530 million. The London Clubs deal would give the gaming company up to 11 United Kingdom casinos.

Other plans for Harrah's, including a redevelopment of 50 acres in Biloxi, Miss., could move forward but be ultimately shelved based on the outcome of the buyout proposal. If the buyout goes forward, much will be up in the air.

"There are so many hurdles, that a lot could happen and this could be a very long process," Farrell said. "We could see a situation where the private equity group could run into trouble in one jurisdiction. They would probably sell the assets and move on."

If the deal goes through, Farrell said it could trigger a merger-and-acquisition trend in the gaming industry.

"Gaming is the perfect model for private equity; lots of free cash flow," he said.

Shares in Harrah's, which jumped 14 percent Monday in trading on the New York Stock Exchange because of the buyout news, settled back to reality Tuesday, closing at $74.71, down 97 cents or 1.28 percent.

[JonVegas]

Here's a new rendering of Stanhi. It looks very nice to me. Sorry if someone already posted this.


http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/6115/stanhi3wg3.jpg

The Old one.
http://www.primeproperty4u.com/websites/drw_648/listings2/37/main.jpg

[colemonkee]

The new design looks shorter, but better, IMO. It's not cluttered up with all those balconies, so it comes across as cleaner and classier. If only they cladded the parking podium in a gray stone instead of painted concrete. But that would probably cost too much.

[ScottG]

i saw another rendering of the montreau- this time it was at an angle facing the back of the hotel with the ferris wheel infront.....IT IS UGLY! it is about the same width as the spa tower at the bellagion, and looks much like it, but 3 times taller. very unpleasing, then there is a big distracting-out of place ferrris wheel next to it. i really hope this doese go thru some major redesigns....

[LMich]

Jon,

Where'd you find the rendering?

[future29]

yes i would love to see the rendering. i dont really mind Montreaux copying Bellagio. after all this is better than the New Frontier.

[ScottG]

i foun the rendering in a construction magazine- it was an advertisment for some company- i BELEIVE something like "devene"- and they had 4 pictures- showing their projects. montreux was one of them.

[Vtown420]

Ok guys, I’m having picture withdrawls. I haven’t been able to go out and take any pics lately, so I had to ‘borrow’ these from flickr.com. I know it’s cheating but enjoy!

Crane City!
http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/9688/2613117024e5f1286f9bqp1.th.jpg (http://img219.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2613117024e5f1286f9bqp1.jpg)

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/315/pcchp8.th.jpg (http://img237.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pcchp8.jpg)

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/5822/pallazodz5.th.jpg (http://img174.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pallazodz5.jpg)

Thank goodness that awful blue is gone
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/765/254852329115d6df950ovn7.th.jpg (http://img135.imageshack.us/my.php?image=254852329115d6df950ovn7.jpg)

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/7875/232877054c8df7fc5ebbsz3.th.jpg (http://img80.imageshack.us/my.php?image=232877054c8df7fc5ebbsz3.jpg)

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/2509/196630257de9d6f206dbxi3.th.jpg (http://img155.imageshack.us/my.php?image=196630257de9d6f206dbxi3.jpg)

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/176/261082537fc86a2b0b5bbf8.th.jpg (http://img223.imageshack.us/my.php?image=261082537fc86a2b0b5bbf8.jpg)

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/197/turntowerws9.th.jpg (http://img83.imageshack.us/my.php?image=turntowerws9.jpg)

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/1221/245799353d90fb86e0alt5.th.jpg (http://img135.imageshack.us/my.php?image=245799353d90fb86e0alt5.jpg)

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/8206/207423272c298a4f555bng9.th.jpg (http://img155.imageshack.us/my.php?image=207423272c298a4f555bng9.jpg)

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/4133/2527014256de695b039bav0.th.jpg (http://img136.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2527014256de695b039bav0.jpg)

My current wallpaper!
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/6051/1631342381ada1a9867bhb7.th.jpg (http://img99.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1631342381ada1a9867bhb7.jpg)

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/1466/24000999930784cba1doua6.th.jpg (http://img243.imageshack.us/my.php?image=24000999930784cba1doua6.jpg)

[Don Pacho]

:previous: Great pics !!! :tup:

[LMich]

I'm SO glad that they stopped butchering the Aladdin with that blue paint. Was your last pic taken from Lone Mountain? It looks to be a little to the south of that, perhaps. Just wondering. I've been halfway up Lone Mountain and the view, as you'd expect, is excellent when the smog is down.

[StatenIslander237]

wow thanx jazfingr
i still dont think that really requires windows ...

[StatenIslander237]

VTown420, ur pics make me very excited, i cant wait to see vegas in like 4 years. I just hope they dont overdo it with all the development, i have a feeling that only like half the now proposed projects will continue, thats what usually happens, alot fall through.

[JonVegas]

LMich, the PR guy from Cherry Development e-mailed it to me. I had contacted them a while ago and asked for renderings.
I thought it was pretty awesome that they remembered and responded especially considering I made it clear I wasn't a prospective buyer, just a building enthusiast.

[Patrick]

2 Shots from the Stratosphere pool cam, wow I havent posted here in a while

Allure
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/4737/ghjrn6.jpg

Turnberry
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/8172/ghjnv0.jpg

[mdiederi]

Was your last pic taken from Lone Mountain? It looks to be a little to the south of that, perhaps. Just wondering. I've been halfway up Lone Mountain and the view, as you'd expect, is excellent when the smog is down.
I didn't take the shot, but as you suspected Lone Mountain is a little bit further northeast of there. Lone Mountain is composed of limestone and is completely surrounded by houses and a freeway now. That shot was taken from the sandstone Calico Hills within the boundary of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. I've done a lot of rock climbing out there. Most of that empty flat land below the hill is protected from development, so the city can't grow further west than what you see there. The prominent road is Charleston and that wide building in the nearest foreground is the new Red Rock resort.

[DracoCaifan]

Thanks for the updates guys!!!! I can't wait to go back and have fun in "Sin City" I need to go before the year is over....

[Vtown420]

Yeah LMich, the beltway goes behind Lone Mountain now, and it's surrounded by houses.

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/7780/img77ai7.gif

You can find pics from the top of Lone Mountain here: http://www.rcarchive.com/hhg/national/lonemountain/$index1.html

And if anyone's interested, this guy: http://hwstock.org/ has hundreds of awesome hiking photos from all the mountains around Las Vegas. Lots of great views like these:

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/5473/dscn4622ys3.jpg

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3762/dscn0524uf0.jpg

[LMich]

I know that the beltway goes behind Lone Mountain and that it's built up now. It was last time I went that way way back in 2004, in fact. We used to go to Lone Mountain Park, alot, so I'm pretty familiar with the area.

[mdiederi]

Las Vegas Sun (http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2006/oct/08/100810730.html)

Banks tighten purse strings for Las Vegas condo projects

October 08, 2006
ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Banks have tightened their purse strings on construction financing for high-rise condo projects in Las Vegas, especially after several high-profile projects were canceled.

Calmerica loan officer Bob Charles said he has worked eight months trying to find construction financing for a luxury condo project in Las Vegas.

But he said the project may be "caught in the same mud" as Club Renaissance, a 60-story downtown tower that was announced in January 2005 but has yet to break ground.

"Of the 80-plus lenders that would have thrown their money at this project last year with the frivolousness that Paris Hilton shows when she throws money at her next party, only two lenders are left that will even take a call on a condo project in Vegas," Charles said. "Well, Paris Hilton came out last month to say that she's not partying anymore and lenders have mostly done the same."

Neil Kadisha, who brought equity financing to the $325 million Sky Las Vegas condo tower next to Circus Circus on the Strip, called high-rise condominium projects "one of the riskiest developments."

"It's very different than a housing project. When you start the first or second floor, you've got to finish. That makes it a risk. You cannot start a project when it's sold out. You start selling then start moving."

Two players highly exposed to the Las Vegas condo market are Corus Bank of Chicago and Hypo Real Estate Corp., a New York-based subsidiary of Hypo Real Estate Bank International.

Corus has 90 percent of its $9 billion loan portfolio allocated to condo projects, including $770 million in Las Vegas. Among its projects are Juhl ($106 million), Panorama Towers ($236 million), Streamline ($123 million) and One Las Vegas ($140 million).

Hypo is committed to Las Vegas for about $850 million, including $537 million in construction financing for Trump International condo-hotel and $66 million in land acquisition for Cosmopolitan. Beyond condos, the bank loaned $370 million for construction of the World Market Center.

Hypo financed $216.3 million for construction of Sky Las Vegas in September 2005. The 45-story, 405-unit project is scheduled for completion in December. It will have 547,000 square feet of net space for sale, along with 43,500 square feet of retail, including fine-dining restaurants open to the public.

"Hypo Real Estate Bank International sees opportunities in the Las Vegas market, however we watch the market development carefully," Hypo Deputy Chief Executive Officer Evan Denner said. "We are not concerned about our investments. Based on presales and other factors, (like) the stage of construction process, we are very comfortable."

Economic numbers are strong right now and that's what keeps banks interested in getting money out the door, said Paul Engler, senior vice president for Chase commercial real estate banking in Phoenix. Chase loaned about $130 million to Las Vegas-based Palm Beach Resort Condominiums to develop the Boca Raton mid-rise luxury condo project.

But demand for housing has cooled, so builders are looking to unload their inventory and are not as aggressive as they had been in building new units, Engler said.

"It's been interesting times all over the country," he said. "We've been picky about condo projects we've invested with. What we're all watching is affordability of housing, which bleeds all the way down to land prices."

Jeff Teetsel, vice president and regional manager for Fremont in Phoenix, said it takes experienced construction executives to make sure loans are better underwritten and to help borrowers complete their projects on time and within budget.

"Vegas, like most places, has well-conceived deals with good sponsors that will do very well," Teetsel said. "What is somewhat unique to Vegas is the number of deals brought forward by completely inexperienced developers and often on unremarkable sites, and we're talking about $100 million-plus proposed developments."

Charles of Calmerica said condo projects hit the skids in Las Vegas for various reasons. Some were proposed by people who weren't "true developers," he said. That is, they lacked capital and experience. Other projects, he added, used a horrid lender or grossly underestimated construction costs.

Banks are taking a closer look at the developer's experience, reputation and net worth, he said.

"While George Clooney or Michael Jordan jumping into a project creates some hype, it doesn't convert into a finished project," Charles said. "You can't just have net worth and make a project happen."

[SniZeppelin]

Fremont Street casino had checkered past

http://www.lvbusinesspress.com/articles/2006/10/09/news/news02.txt

Monday, October 09, 2006

BY DAVID MCKEE

Station Casinos has been showing around plans for a $90 million, 20,000-square-foot "casino restaurant," slated for the former site of the Castaways Hotel, Casino & Bowling Center. Tentatively named "Castaways Station," the project's earliest iteration was scheduled as a consent item on last Thursday's City of Las Vegas Planning Commission agenda.

According to City Councilman Gary Reese, in whose ward the project would sit, a tentative map for the site will also be voted on at the Nov. 1 City Council meeting. The redevelopment would occupy part of 21.6 acres of vacant land owned by Station subsidiary Centerline Holdings, at 2800 Fremont St.

At present, Station Casinos isn't discussing Castaways Station, with company spokeswoman Lori Nelson noting that Station was merely taking the first step in planning for the site. The locals casino company is consolidating a pair of parcels it obtained on Oct. 1, 2004 from Vestin Mortgage. The latter had seized the property on Jan. 29, 2004, when previous VSS Enterprises was deemed insolvent. Station imploded the hotel-casino and its once-famous bowling alley on Jan. 11, 2006.

"There are no details to confirm at this time," Nelson said. "It is premature to comment on the Castaways site because we're early in the planning stages." The city's planning department added that Station has filed no zoning applications or special-use permits, nor submitted a site-development review, which could include renderings. At 20,000 square feet, Castaways Station would be double the size of its Barley's Casino & Brewing Company, on East Sunset Road.
Reese, however, has gotten a glimpse of Station's current vision for the Castaways site, courtesy of the casino company's chief development officer, Scott Nielson. "It's going to be more of a casino with a restaurant," Reese elaborated, calling from his barbershop at Eastern Avenue and Bonanza Road. "It's going to be a Spanish motif," a design that Reese characterized as "very beautiful." He added that the $90 million casino-restaurant was just the first stage of a two-phase development. "They've done a lot of brainstorming as far as they want to do in that area," Reese said. "It's still wide open as far as the second phase."

If undertaken, Castaways Station would fall within the city's redevelopment zone, which encompasses parts of Wards One, Three and Five. As such, it could potentially qualify for tax-increment financing. If Station sought and received TIF Rebate status, any taxable value added to the Castaways site through redevelopment would be substantially discounted, with 41 percent going back to the developer, 41 percent to the city and the balance to a fund for a low-income housing set-aside.

Reese was reluctant to discuss financing issues, deferring such questions to the Las Vegas Office of Business Development. "I'm standing here cutting hair," he said, "and I don't like to talk numbers over the phone."

CAST AWAY

Born as the Showboat, the eventual Castaways opened in 1954 with a riverboat motif. Five years later, a two-dozen-lane bowling alley was added, one that eventually more than quintupled in size. This became a preeminent venue for major bowling tournaments, although suburban, casino-based bowling alleys stole much of its thunder -- and business -- in the post-Showboat era.

In 1998, Harrah's Entertainment bought the Showboat brand and subsequently spun off the Fremont Street property for a deeply discounted $23.5 million. New owners VSS Enterprises were obliged to drop the Showboat name in favor of the Castaways moniker as part of the deal.

VSS Enterprises, however, turned out to be undercapitalized and ran up approximately $50 million in debt before being forcibly shuttered by Vestin on Super Bowl weekend of 2004. A Vestin-led consortium had lent $20 million to VSS (at a time when the Castaways was losing money) on the basis of a $60 million "as-if developed" value. The latter, calculated by VSS, was predicated on a $57 million makeover, the acquisition of a Holiday Inn franchise and an 80 percent-90 percent occupancy at $65/night. VSS' stated position at the time was that the $60 million valuation was conservative and the property was potentially worth $105 million.

When VSS couldn't repay the loan, Vestin sought foreclosure, now asserting that the hotel's value (based on an appraisal obtained from another lender) was $20 million. After Vestin and partners put another $2.2 million into the Castaways to preserve their first rights of repayment, they were committed to a loan in excess of the Castaways' value.

After Vestin seized the hotel-casino, the owners of the Longhorn and Bighorn locals casinos offered to take it on and re-theme it for the Hispanic market, for a rumored $25 million. Before that deal could be consummated, however, Station snapped up the site for $33.7 million.

dmckee@lvbusinesspress.com | 702-871-6780 x318

[SniZeppelin]

Green Valley expansion signals Station's confidence

http://www.lvbusinesspress.com/articles/2006/10/09/news/news10.txt

Monday, October 09, 2006

BY SCOTT ARUTI & DAVID MCKEE

Given that south-valley casinos are still absorbing the impact of South Coast Hotel Casino and that Station Casinos aggressively marketed its new Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa to the Henderson area, a question presents itself. Why would Station choose this juncture to roll out a $110 million expansion of its Green Valley Ranch casino-resort?

Station's reply boils down to one word: demand. "The surrounding area continues to grow," said Station spokeswoman Lori Nelson. "Green Valley Ranch is growing as a result of that, in direct response to customer demand."

"The Las Vegas local resorts market is a very elastic one," Station CFO Glenn Christenson added. "While there may be some absorption period, Green Valley Ranch and South Coast are located in very rapidly growing areas. Through the first two quarters that South Coast was open, Green Valley experienced a solid year in cash flow, even though (Green Valley) was experiencing significant construction disruption. It has been difficult to determine whether Green Valley Ranch would have done better had South Coast not been open."

Christenson appeared to minimize the effect of South Coast on other Station properties, noting that all of them lie outside a five-mile radius of the former Boyd Gaming locals casino. According to Wall Street firm Majestic Research, play at Station's south-valley properties (Green Valley Ranch, Fiesta Henderson Casino Hotel and Sunset Station) is down an average of 3 percent in 3Q06, with Fiesta Henderson suffering the most. In the summer of '06, Red Rock has driven down play at Station's other three north-valley properties an average 7.3 percent, with the company's oldest property, Palace Station, taking the biggest hit (minus 13 percent). That's still considerably less than the impact on Boyd's Suncoast Hotel and Casino, in Summerlin, where third-quarter play was off 19 percent.

According to Majestic's number crunching, Station enjoys 45 percent of locals play in the Vegas Valley and is weathering the post-South Coast/post-Red Rock environment better than most, with play at its non-Red Rock properties holding steady in year-over-year comparisons. As for Green Valley Ranch, Majestic gives it the seventh-highest share of locals play in the valley, with Red Rock, Boulder Station and Sunset Station holding the number-one, -two and -five slots on the list.

BIG IS MORE

To defend that market share, Station rolled out Phase III of Green Valley Ranch last Tuesday. This encompasses a new parking garage, the Tides Oyster Bar and Turf Grill restaurants, a 170-seat race-and-sports book, a 22-table poker room, plus additional meeting and conference space. A 500-seat entertainment lounge/venue, and 200 additional slots and video poker machines are set to open in the spring.

Parallel to Phase III, Station is also proceeding with augmentations of Fiesta Henderson and Santa Fe Station. "In each of these cases, an important component of the expansion is the addition of incremental, convenient parking," Christenson reported. While Station prides itself on master-planning its casino-hotels, Fiesta Henderson (formerly the Reserve) and Santa Fe Station were inherited from other companies, presenting certain development challenges.

"Our business model is centered around convenience," said Nelson. "Hence ... the aforementioned parking garages tend to be additions in all of our expansions. An example would be Fiesta Henderson, where there wasn't any covered parking, so we knew we needed to add that immediately."

Santa Fe Station's latest expansion, set to begin in December and finish in the spring, will add a parking garage, three restaurants, the Center Bar, a remodeled sports book and more mechanical games, including a high-end slot room. Fiesta Henderson's second expansion phase, set for next summer, will include a 12-screen Regal Cinemas theater and a food court.

Such growth, Christenson elaborated, is customer-driven and the local players "are the most discriminating patrons -- more so than the tourists -- because they expect enhanced value and service. These are repeat guests, frequenting our properties between five to eight times a month."

Even Red Rock, less than a year old, is already slated for an upgrade. In addition to obtaining approval to add 100-plus slots, 400-plus rooms and suites, additional spa space, a 72-lane bowling center and (of course) additional parking are on the drawing boards. Condo development, though, has been shelved, at least for the time being. Beyond the valley, Station is planning at least one casino for the Reno market and is developing four tribal casinos as well.

Christenson explains the company's planning philosophy thus: "Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta drive the planning process in a way that leaves us flexibility for additional amenities in the future. We start with a fairly large piece of property -- generally 40 to 50 acres or more -- and then design the layout to maximize the potential for the property in the future." The CFO added that the Fertittas obtain large chunks of acreage with eventual expansion in mind. "We know, going into a new development, how we would expand it when the demand dictated."

dmckee@lvbusinesspress.com | 702-871-6780 x318

[ScottG]

new city center rendering!!!! http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs065/1101271598360/img/21.jpg
looks like the sky bridge is still alive!

everything is becoming very ....boxy

found the image from 2 way hard 3- he doesnt know how old it is but says it 'looks' most recent....who knows

[ThreeHundred]

So I came back from Vegas. I last went in 2004 (Wynn was still under construction.)

Vegas needs to do something about public transportation. NOW. Mabye it was the time of day (10:30 pm), or me being 6'6 but I was never more uncomfortable on a bus than I was while riding the Deuce. It took well over an hour to get from the Stratusphere to the Tropicana (where I stayed). Which is only 3 miles. It took less time to walk from the Tropicana to the Strat (roughly 45 minutes).

And even though there is talk about extending the monorail but not only does the monorail not go anywhere, but 5 dollars? Are you serious? Bollocks!!

On the plus, I liked every single hotel..well..aside from Excalibur. Ugly all day.

Trump is looking nice. As nice as a carbon copy of THEhotel as it can be.

I had never been to the Venetian before and was very much looking forward to it. And I was not at all disapointed. It really is a beautiful building. It made me say 'wow' outloud which rarely happens. I tried to get into the Venezia but I got lost. Lol. I also saw the model of the Palazzo..which is just massive.

Wynn is really cool. Love it's location. But 10 bucks to look at Ferrari's?

[mttbox]

hi, does anybody has the newer trump project picture?

[future29]

Vegas needs to solve their transportation problems, quick! extending the monorail to the west side is not enough there needs to be a dedicated bus/train/subway down the middle of the strip. these billion dollar casinos have enough money to fix this problem but it will go untouched by them or the city. they could of fixed it before Vegas became so popular but now trying to build a line down the center of the strip will create far too many hassles. i doubt it will ever get done within the next 10 years. just imagine 5 years from now the strip should be double congested with the addition of all the new hotels and condos on the strip itself. this is going to be one huge nightmare for the city and casino operators. it will shy people away from going because you simply will not be able to get anywhere on the strip.

another rant, i was in Vegas last weekend and went to the Venetian and it smelled horrible! its like they used some kind of perfume detergent to wash the carpets its smelled like a cheap french whore! i couldnt stand it so i had to leave, but not before going to see the Palazzo model. ;)

[mdiederi]

hi, does anybody has the newer trump project picture?
Not much to report since the last photo I posted (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=2327115&postcount=775) a couple of weeks ago, maybe a couple floors higher now.

[Patrick]

new city center rendering!!!! http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs065/1101271598360/img/21.jpg
looks like the sky bridge is still alive!

everything is becoming very ....boxy

found the image from 2 way hard 3- he doesnt know how old it is but says it 'looks' most recent....who knows

I'm not so excited about CityCenter anymore. At first it was WOW I LOVE IT, now its just boring and boxy, just look at that picture. Everything on CityCenter has been downgraded :(

[ScottG]

the transporation issue cannot be solved... when you come to the strip....you WALK the strip, how else are you goin to spend money, the hotels want foot traffic, not a bus stop or parking garage.

[ScottG]

CONRAD NEWS:

Conrad/Majestic/Waldorf Astoria has had a little re-design- nothing major, the webist (http://www.majesticvegas.com/main.html) has been updated- new rendering on first page. MAJESTIC is no longer the name- it is just waldorf astoria but CONRAD is atop the building- instead of the M above the name they put the astoria logo, and HILTON is still the hotel affiliate. nice website and presentation- looks liike they know what they are doin.....(for now at least)

[mdiederi]

the transporation issue cannot be solved... when you come to the strip....you WALK the strip, how else are you goin to spend money, the hotels want foot traffic, not a bus stop or parking garage.
Huh? All the resorts have really, really huge parking garages, all free except for a few downtown that offer a three hour validation in the casino.

[ScottG]

check out these numbers!

waldorf astoria will cost $825,000,000 -almost a Billion!

its 651' (61 floors- more than the current diagram)

resident prices are from 2.8 - over 10 MILLION (considering that the residences are only on the top few floors- they are ALL penthouses)

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/1079/untitledrc8.png

[ScottG]

Huh? All the resorts have really, really huge parking garages, all free except for a few downtown that offer a three hour validation in the casino.

BY law they HAVE to have garages, but when people park at a resort, more than likely they are not spending all their time at that resort- the strip is a place of high density- you walk from property to property, they is why vegas capitolizes on streetside stores, attractions- anything to get you in the building. people walk the strip to see the sights. people who drive to vegas park the car....and walk the strip. once people have already done the strip that is when they complain the transportation sucks, because then they do not want to walk. but for someone who has never been to the strip wouldnt ride in a bus to experience it. a monorail, taxi or bus would not give you the strip experience- no volcanoes- waterfalls- fountains- pirates- neon- music- its all done thru the walk.

[ScottG]

Huh? All the resorts have really, really huge parking garages, all free except for a few downtown that offer a three hour validation in the casino.

BY law they HAVE to have garages, but when people park at a resort, more than likely they are not spending all their time at that resort- the strip is a place of high density- you walk from property to property, they is why vegas capitolizes on streetside stores, attractions- anything to get you in the building. people walk the strip to see the sights. people who drive to vegas park the car....and walk the strip. once people have already done the strip that is when they complain the transportation sucks, because then they do not want to walk. but for someone who has never been to the strip wouldnt ride in a bus to experience it. a monorail, taxi or bus would not give you the strip experience- no volcanoes- waterfalls- fountains- pirates- neon- music- its all done thru the walk. that is what makes vegas so exciting

[LMich]

check out these numbers!

waldorf astoria will cost $825,000,000 -almost a Billion!

its 651' (61 floors- more than the current diagram)

resident prices are from 2.8 - over 10 MILLION (considering that the residences are only on the top few floors- they are ALL penthouses)

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/1079/untitledrc8.png

Where'd you find the height change?

[ScottG]

its not a height change- its 651' the diagram is correct, BUT the number of floors has been increased- the diagram shows 55 floors, but the website says 61

[lenstern]

This is yet another totally hideous design [concept] by the Paul Steelman Group. Montreux will be even worse yet! Word on the street is that Doumani still has financing issues with the current, revised Waldorf Astoria Residences (former Conrad) - Las Vegas.

Let's hope that the 'true' visionaries like MGM/MIRAGE by stepping up to the plate and actually building Project CityCenter, who have retained the formost architects in the world like Cesar Pelli, Helmut Jahn, Sir Norman Foster, KPF, etc., etc. will forever change the skyline of the Strip with designs that are truly sophisticated and forever lasting works of art. Anyone who has ever worked for the 'self-proclaimed great designer' Steve Wynn cannot design their way out of a paper bag. Wynn Las Vegas is an absolute abortion in the name of great architecture and Steve will never be able to retain the likes of such formidable architects that have been commissioned to design CityCenter because of the fact he is an overrated megalomanic and no "starchitect" would ever dream of working for Wynn at any price or for any fee if they were required to deal with his inflated ego. That is why Wynn has always kept the design of his projects in house, under his personal control, and created nothing but really mediocre design quality by comparisson to what we will see as the future progression of great architecture on the Strip. Steelman, Bergman, and Friedmutter were all former designers for Wynn. Enough said!

[mdiederi]

:previous:
You forgot Deruyter Butler.

For the most part, I agree that the local designers are stuck with the stupid idea that everything in Vegas needs to be flamboyant, and I really wish they'd stop that. If they build another folly I'm gonna puke. :yuck: And I agree that Majestic design is just plain garish and inappropriate for such a high-end property, in my opinion. What the hell kind of style is that anyway, post-modern-art-deco? Although the Montreux design is derivative (and I don't really care for the Mediterranean style on high rises), I'm thankful that they dropped the San Francisco folly idea.

But don't forget that Kerkorian bought Mirage from Wynn. Wynn created Mirage from scratch and raised this city out of the mediocre morass it was stuck in and put it on the world stage. But yeah, there's still a lot of improvement to be made in Las Vegas architectural design.

You are absolutely right about Wynn's ego and eclectic taste though, and he has made a few enemies along the way (all his dealers are pissed off right now). I can't imagine him ever hiring somebody to tell him what to do, the way Kerkorian does, he's too hands-on. As developers, those guys are opposite ends of the pole. Kerkorian is known for huge quantity, Wynn is known for high quality.

[ebatcave]

By HOWARD STUTZ
GAMING WIRE

When Wynn Las Vegas was unveiled 17 months ago, the opening of the $2.7 billion resort triggered a slew of announcements about other potential Strip projects.

A collection of hotel-casinos, residential high-rise and mixed-use developments have been proposed along the Strip, from the boulevard's far southern reaches to 16 miles north just south of Sahara Avenue.

The avalanche of declared projects validated the predictions of Wall Street gaming analysts and casino industry observers who had speculated that Wynn's April 2005 opening -- the Strip's first new casino in almost five years -- would inaugurate the newest construction boom.

Just what ultimately gets built, however, remains to be seen.

"The Las Vegas history book is filled with pages detailing casino announcements that have never been built," said gaming analyst Matthew Jacob of Majestic Research. "That said, a lot of projects are proposed by private entities that may not have their financing lined up. Others may have an idea, but are still looking for land. For some (projects), the public announcement is just the first step."

Local developers plan to add 41,423 hotel rooms to the market countywide through 2010, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reports. Those rooms would add to the current inventory of 133,347 guest rooms.

Since Wynn Las Vegas' opening, several Strip projects have started and are now far along into construction.

The initial 4,000-room hotel-casino that is the centerpiece of MGM Mirage's $7 billion Project CityCenter development is now tall enough for Strip pedestrians to see. Other aspects of the massive project, billed as an "urban metropolis," are also taking shape.

Construction is also well under way on the Palazzo, a $1.8 billion hotel-casino Las Vegas Sands Corp. is building next to The Venetian. Opening is planned for the middle of next year.

Wynn Resorts Ltd. has started building Encore, a $1.74 billion hotel-casino next to Wynn Las Vegas.

The $500 million Trump International condominium-hotel tower and the $1.8 billion Cosmopolitan, a hotel-casino-condominium development, have both been under construction for a year.

Meanwhile, many other proposed projects are still on the drawing board.

Plans for the Fontainebleau, a $1.5 billion hotel-casino proposed by Turnberry Associates and former Mandalay Resort Group President Glenn Schaeffer, were announced more than a year ago for a site just west of the Turnberry condominium towers on which the El Rancho had stood. Clark County commissioners want traffic concerns addressed before approving the zoning.

One gaming analyst who asked not to be named expressed confidence in Fontainebleau.

"Someone like Glenn would not have pursued this unless he thought it was a viable project," the analyst said. "I think he would have had an opportunity to do a lot of other things."

Plans for a redevelopment of the New Frontier by owner Phil Ruffin have evolved over the years from a San Francisco-themed project to a $2 billion hotel-casino that would resemble a resort in Switzerland. Financing, however, has not been announced and a development timetable has not been set.

Gaming analysts speculate that Ruffin's condo-hotel partner, New York billionaire developer Donald Trump might eventually have some involvement in the New Frontier's plans. Trump is building the Trump International on land behind the New Frontier.

Deutsche Bank gaming analyst Bill Lerner called the New Frontier's center Strip site across from Wynn Las Vegas an "enviable location." But he doesn't believe the project will be completed in the manner that has been announced.

Brian Gordon, a partner in the Las Vegas-based financial consulting firm Applied Analysis, said the Swiss theme is a new concept to the Las Vegas market. He also said Ruffin appears to be assembling a qualified team to help with the project.

"Being privately held provides some financing flexibility," he said.

Most gaming analysts scoffed at the notion of a $1.2 billion hotel-casino ever getting built by the owners of Maxim magazine and a California real estate developer, who announced a project on June 5. The proposed hotel-casino would have to fit within the confines of an oddly shaped eight-acre parcel near Circus Circus.

Jacob, although unfamiliar with the Maxim project, said it could be a case in which a company pitches a proposal to see if there is any interest of financial backing.

Another gaming analyst said the Maxim's target audience would seem to put the casino in competition for the same customers as the Palms and Hard Rock Hotel.

"I'm uncertain on all fronts about this one," the analyst said.

Lerner thought that only a small percentage of what's been announced will actually come to fruition.

"We continue to believe that only a fraction of currently planned (or) proposed high-rise projects will ultimately be built," Lerner said. "Developers without solid track records or who are not well capitalized or not affiliated with existing brands or casino resorts will likely have the highest failure rates."

Dennis Farrell of Wachovia High Yield Research, said MGM Mirage's Project CityCenter won't face the financing worries of other developments. He said he was sure CityCenter would be built just as the company planned.

"MGM Mirage can leverage their economies of scale and balance sheet to provide certainty for the completion of CityCenter especially if the lending environment becomes challenging in the capital markets," Farrell said. "In our view, the capital markets will decide which projects will be built in Las Vegas as we believe debt financing will range between 70 percent and 80 percent of total project costs."

CRT Capital Group gaming analyst Steve Ruggiero said rising costs for labor and construction materials could hold up some possible Strip projects. He also said that if the high-rise residential sales market slows, many of the condominium-hotel ventures could be shelved.

"It may be the (2,900 high-rise residential units in) MGM Mirage's Project CityCenter may be the last ones standing if consumer and residential sales flounder," Ruggiero said.

Analysts seem as sure of Boyd Gaming Corp.'s Echelon Place as they are of MGM Mirage's Project CityCenter.

Echelon Place was originally planned for 63 acres on which the Stardust now stands. The Strip hotel-casino will close Nov. 1 and demolished early next year. The Echelon Place site will grow by 24 acres to 87 total acres early next year when a Strip land swap with Harrah's Entertainment closes. Boyd Gaming traded the Barbary Coast to Harrah's for the additional land adjacent to the Stardust site.

In January, Boyd Gaming said it would spend $4 billion to develop boutique hotels, a hotel-casino and entertainment venues. A large convention center was also on the wish list.

Some gaming analysts think Echelon Place's makeup may change over time.

"This is an important development for the north end of the Strip," Lerner said. "But I wouldn't be surprised to see a residential component added if additional acreage is acquired."

Ruggiero said any slowdown in Las Vegas tourism could mean Echelon would be constructed in stages, rather than all at once.

"There is a need for quality midlevel rooms and an integrated convention-retail-casino experience that Echelon will likely satisfy," Ruggiero said.

Jacob said he thought Echelon will help spur Strip development northward and perhaps spark the much rumored sales and redevelopments of the Riviera and Sahara. He credited Wynn Las Vegas with fueling the start of a northbound development trend.

"The older, northern Strip properties have been at a bit of a disadvantage," Jacob said. "Wynn and Echelon will help those properties thrive as well."

Ruggiero said Palazzo and Encore will give Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts much needed room capacity on the Strip, but he cautioned the combined 5,000-plus hotel rooms will dilute the average daily room revenues generated by high-end properties.

"The high-end properties will need to promote more aggressively," Ruggiero said.

Although Project CityCenter is the largest current construction site, the project could be eclipsed by whatever Harrah's decides to do with almost 120 acres the company controls on the Strip's east side, stretching from Paris Las Vegas to Harrah's and everything in between. The stretch will include the Barbary Coast once the Boyd deal closes.

Harrah's has not presented a development plan for the land but has said it is considering alternatives.

Most analysts think the Imperial Palace, which sits on 18 acres, will be closed and demolished while the remaining casinos will be integrated in some fashion. Bally's, some analysts predict, will be rebranded as a Horseshoe.

The analysts questioned all expected Harrah's would pry the Barbary Coast from Boyd Gaming. The deal was announced two weeks ago.

"The Harrah's project would have a stronger presence if it also owned the land under which the Barbary Coast is located so that it could develop the ever-important corner of Flamingo and Las Vegas Boulevard according to its own specifications," Ruggiero said.

What the analysts ARE SAYING

Project CityCenter

"A transformational project for Las Vegas."

FontainEbleAu

"A quality developer with experience in this marketplace. Looking forward to seeing (former Mandalay Resort Group President) Glenn (Schaeffer) again."

Echelon PLACE

"Many investors underestimate the brilliance and execution capability of Boyd Gaming. Management talent will get the job done, and the city needs a midmarket project of this magnitude."

MAXIM

"Highly speculative as currently planned given the site configuration."

COSMOPOLITAN

"Executive turnover in previous months suggests there may be some difficulties, but the project is likely to move forward."

Olympia Gaming

"There needs to be a little more time for that part of the valley to comfortably absorb this supply."

Trump International

"This will be a success for both Trump and Las Vegas."

New Frontier

"The timing is uncertain. Will Trump enter the picture at some point?"

Palazzo

"Las Vegas Sands needs this additional room capacity. It's clearly moving as planned; sufficient capital and a great location."

Encore

"The Encore is an important second tower for Wynn Resorts that will enable the company to leverage its cost structure."

Palms Place

"A solid residential location."

W Hotel

"While we believe the W project is experiencing delays, we do believe that it will ultimately be built, unlike other notable projects."

Edge East

"A great location."

Harrah's Strip

"Harrah's (Entertainment) has the ability to successfully integrate its Strip properties and it will represent a powerful alternative for consumers."

[JonVegas]

"Wynn Las Vegas is an absolute abortion in the name of great architecture".

Huh? I really like the Wynn. I think the design is beautiful. People can talk all they want about why it doesn't fit into the mold of "great architecture" but that won't change the fact that most people like the way it looks. Those people may not be sophisticated or architectural coinsures, but that's just the point. My take: if it requires a masters of fine art degree to explain why a piece of art is great, it probably isn't.

BTW, Steve Wynn may have an ego but that fact is, not a single project on this thread would be happening if it weren’t for him.

[ScottG]

you need to calm down- wynn nor kerkorian are architects- they just raisemoney to build resorts

PLUS that rendering i posted of citycenter- no ones knows how old it is. that couls be a priliminary design before they finished witht he design you see in the model.

[lenstern]

First of all I take great offense at some of your comments and the lack of accurate historic knowledge that many on this forum seem to perpetuate. I consider myself an expert since my father was Martin Stern, Jr. who designed ALL of Kerkorian's properties from the very start in the late 1960's and continued to do so for 35 years, including the International (Hilton), MGM Grand (Ballys), MGM Grand Reno (Reno Hilton) as well as ALL of Bill Harrah's initial projects including Harrah's Reno, Harrah's Tahoe, the Harrah's Las Vegas tower, Harrah's Atlantic City, etc. The list goes on and on. While not 'great' architecture by today's standards, his work revolutionized the concept of designing super large integrated hotel properties at a massive scale, while still maintaining efficient casino flow including planning of ancillary components such as large showrooms, etc. that no other architect heretofore was ever able to achieve in the gaming hotel design industry. FYI - The International Hotel when it opened in 1969 (the largest hotel in the world at the time) was the first large scale hotel tower to incorporate a tri-floorplate design with a central core, a concept which continues to be copied by other architects here ever since. Joel Bergman worked as a vice president for my father's firm for over a decade before going to work for Steve in-house and designing the Mirage, TI, etc. To answer your question, what was indeed truly 'visionary' about Kerkorian's projects at the time, is that they became a major integral transition and a new benchmark by which architects needed to follow in order to allow for the progressive development we see today in Las Vegas hotel/casino design. This was way before the big public corporations dominated the gaming industry and financing for such massive projects was non-existent at best. Kerkorian + Hughes were the only ones in the late 1960's who dared take a chance to bring Las Vegas into the next generation that exists and is ever evolving to this day - certainly not Steve Wynn as he is often given credit for. He was peddling liquor when Kerkorian opend the International Hotel. Just FYI - the Sands tower, designed by my father, which Adelson imploded in 1996 to make way for the Venetian, was the ONLY time an architect had ever been personally selected by Howard Hughes to design one of his own properties back in the mid-1960's when he was acquiring the lion's share of casino hotels here. I'm sorry (midiederi), I did indeed forget to mention Butler who is nothing more than Steve's whipping boy and just another of his 'yes men' - that is why Wynn Las Vegas and the even more hideous scaled-down copy Wynn Macau, are by no means 'visionary'. IMHO, Wynn has proven himself to be nothing more than an egotistical, borderline sociopathic megalomaniac, and I have known the man for close to 30 years. As far as Wynn Las vegas design being appreciated by the average Joe (JonLasVegas), there isn't a sufficient benchmark yet for the public to comapre it to here. The public and the majority of people who are now visting Las Vegas are becoming more and more sophisticated in what represents truly great architectural design, and until Wynn backs-off from pretending to be a self-proclaimed 'master designer' and retains some of the leading-edge world-renowned architects like Pelli, Jahn, etc., his future buildings will continue to be nothing more than plain 1980's uninspired curtainwall crap, as so eloquently desdribed by the L.A. Times architectural critic upon reviewing Wynn Las Vegas at first blush. The idea that Steve Wynn "revolutionized" Las Vegas by building the Mirage back in 1989 is simply B.S. and totally overrated. Also, one cannot properly judge the schematic design renderings or the developmental massing models released thus far by MGM/MIRAGE for CityCenter until the design is finalized and the facades and exterior materials are clearly articulated. If Wynn were such an accomplished operator, he never would have lost Mirage Reosrts to Kerkorian back in 2000. His typical extravagant over-spending drove that stock right down the toilet. I can't wait until his nemesis and arch-rival Adelson puts Wynn out of the game for good in Macau! Let us not forget that Adelson, according to Forbes, can currently buy-and-sell Wynn over TEN times net worth and, in the gaming industry, those with the most resources always win out at the end of the day. Adelson has made it no secret for his distaste of Wynn. I am just waiting for the day in the future when Steve applies for a job at one of Adelson's properties. I imagine he would never be hired as an architectural design consultant - he dosen't have enough qualifications. :-)

[lenstern]

Duplicate post (removed)

[lenstern]

Duplicate post (removed)

[JonVegas]

"First of all I take great offense at some of your comments and the lack of accurate historic knowledge that many on this forum seem to perpetuate."

No need to take offense. We can certainly disagree about what buildings or architects we do or do not like. :notacrook:

[mdiederi]

Hey lenstern, thanks for your information. I had a feeling you were connected in the industry somehow with such an opinionated very first post. Figured it was worthy of debate, so I posted a counter-rant just for the sake of argument. Deleted most of it because it wasn't very productive. Didn't mean to harshly critique your dad's designs personally. For their time they were the greatest thing happening in Nevada. And, I always liked Harrah's Tahoe, I think it's still the nicest place in that whole region. And like I said the International was indeed the first of the really big ones and did set a formula for all the big ones that followed, so it may indeed have been a bigger advance in the way the resort industry builds than anything Wynn has done. I grew up in Reno and watched them building the Grand and all of Harrah's stuff there and at Tahoe. I thought they were cool back then because there sure wasn't anything else around that area like that. Was your dad involved any with Harrah's World in Reno? That was a big resort that Bill Harrah was planning to showcase his auto collection in, but then he died and so did the project.

Okay, looking again at all the other renders, I still have hope that CityCenter will be more sophisticated than anything this city has seen yet. Just have to wait and see.

But another note on the history of Vegas concerning developers. Kerkorian abandoned Las Vegas for a while after selling his hotels to Bally's, and the city fell flat until the Mirage was built, so I think that's why recent history keeps pointing to Wynn as spearheading building booms. But yeah, Kerkorian is a lot older and has a longer history and is obviously a more savvy financier. I actually think the battles between the developers here are fun to watch unfold. Wynn building a parking garage behind the Sands Expo blocking Adelson's access to his land on the other side is a prime example of the monopoly game they play at that level.

[lenstern]

My father's firm had actually completed the entire design development phase for "Harrah's Autoworld" in Reno which was Bill Harrah's life-long dream, however, it was cancelled upon Harrah's death in 1978. It would have been an incredible project had it been constructed at the time, much more than just a musem for Harrah's vast auto collection, but a complete theme park that included one of the largest Geodesic glass-clad domes in the world - something like 20 levels tall with multiple interior interactive experiences, etc. It was really ahead of its time and much more sophisticated than parks like Disneyland and the like. Since the overall concept extended to include a very large site, there were multiple + unique attractions planned in addition to the museum. Too bad it was never built since it could easily hold its own even today.

[jazfingr]

OK, I'm going to jump in to this quagmire.

There is a difference between design and architecture. I don't love the interior design work at Wynn Las Vegas, but I must say that the overall layout of the resort is quite well conceived. Good architecture goes far beyond the plaster and silk.

Steve Wynn assembled some brilliant minds and oversaw the whole thing. He is a visionary and while I feel he over-promised WLV, it is still a remarkable resort.

[ScottG]

UPDATES!

vegas grand (on flamingo and maryland prkwy) has protestors ranting about labor disputes lol!

palazzo is up to maybe the 20th floor all stell - the cor is concrete- on thing i noticed was how far from the venetian tower the palazzo towser was- looks odd, it is more centered toward treasure island than venetian.

the bell tower at the venetian that cuaght fire looks like it was part of the treasure island show- looks eery with the black residue all over form the fire, very historic- looks more like the REAL venice now.....

juhl now has TWO cranes up- at first i thought it was for club ren, but remembered that juhl ACTUALLY broke ground.

WMC builing 3 (or c) isnt necessarily under construction- sorta- that have dug maybe a ten foot hole in the ground for the footprint- looks BIG!

[ScottG]

city center is goin up fast! lots of stuff goin on there
alure is reaching its top quite well and turnberry tower 1 is tall! looks like itll never end- tower 2 is able 8 floors tall.

its nice i drive on the freeway and see over 50 cranes everywhere you look, or drive the strip- your eyes dont know where to look- construction everywhere.


palms place is growing-very-slowly!!!!!!!!

(palms fantasy tower is but ugly! and that mohawk looking thing at the top (the shade canapy) lights up at night in changing colors)- ugly

[mdiederi]

Panarama tower 3 has a lot of foundation work going on.

[ScottG]

ALIENTE STATION (PUTTING STATION BACK IN THE NAME OF THE HOTEL) http://www.vegas4visitors.com/hotels/photos/aliante.jpg

Aliante Station Sneak Peek
The folks at Station Casinos held an open house for residents near their planned Aliante Station hotel and casino to give neighbors a sneak peek at what’s in store. If the artist rendering is any indication, the hotel will have a similar look and feel to the very successful Red Rock Station. Although not a carbon copy by any means, the overall affect is similar with clean, long horizontal lines mixed with stacked stone to evoke a vaguely retro ‘60s Palm Springs feeling.
The new hotel, which will be built on the north side of Las Vegas, will feature over 200 rooms in a nine-story tower when it opens plus a casino, several restaurants including a buffet and food court, a spa and salon, movie theaters, a live entertainment venue, and more. Future expansion of the hotel could include more hotel rooms, restaurants, and perhaps a bowling alley.

The hotel will break ground early next year and should be complete by the end of 2008 at the cost of around $600 million.

According to reports in the Las Vegas Review Journal, the open house was a success with most of the comments from nearby residents falling into the “why do we have to wait until 2008” category.

[ScottG]

Royal Headliners Rumored For Vegas
Vegas is used to rumors about upcoming hotels, shows, and entertainment, but the latest gossip surrounding possible headliners for the city’s casinos seem to be reaching critical mass.

First is the hot rumor that rock/funk legend Prince will be taking up residency at The Rio Suites as not only a headliner but as an unofficial director of entertainment for the entire property. According to items in Norm Clarke’s column in the Las Vegas Review Journal and elsewhere, word on the streets is that his Royal Badness will have a regular gig in one of the big showrooms at the hotel and will be taking over Club Rio, booking bands and occasionally performing in the more intimate venue. Is it true? Well, nothing has been announced officially but go look at Prince’s official website, www.3121.com. In case you don’t recognize it, that’s the outline of The Rio.

The second rumor surrounds who will be replacing Celine Dion in 2007 at Caesars Palace if, as expected, she leaves the Colosseum when her contract is up. The names circulating include an expanded role for existing Caesars player Elton John plus Bette Midler, Cher, and Diana Ross all taking turns on the stage throughout the year and perhaps kicking the whole thing off with one big group concert.


big OOPS for the week:
OMG: Steve Wynn Accidentally Punctures Picassos Le Reve

This is amazing and a must read for any Wynn Las Vegas fans:



You might have seen “Le Rêve,” Picasso’ 1932 portrait of his mistress, Marie-Thérès Walter, in your college art-history textbook The painting is owned by Steve Wynn, the casino magnate and collector of masterpieces He acquired it in a private sale in 2001 from a anonymous collector, who had bought it a auction in 1997 for $48.4 million. Recently Wynn decided that he’d like to sell it, along with several other museum-quality paintings he owns. A friend of his, the hedge-fund mogul and avid collector Steven Cohen, had coveted “Le Rêve” for years, so he and Wynn and their intermediaries worked out a deal. Cohen agreed to pay a hundred and thirty-nine million dollars for it, the highest known price ever paid for a work of art.

A few weeks ago, on a Thursday, a representative of Cohen’s came from California to inspect the painting. She removed it from the wall, took it out of its frame, and confirmed that it was in excellent shape. On Friday, she wrote her condition report, and so, according to their contract, the deal was done. All that was left was the actual exchange of money and art.

That weekend, Wynn had some friends visiting from New York - David and Mary Boies, Nora Ephron and Nick Pileggi, Louise Grunwald, and Barbara Walters. They were staying, as they often do, at his hotel and casino, the Wynn Las Vegas. As they had dinner together on Friday night, Wynn told them about the sale. “The girls said, ‘We’ve got to see it tomorrow,’ ” Wynn recalled last week. “So I said, ‘I’ll be working tomorrow. Just come on up to the office.’ ” (He had recently moved “Le Rêve” there from the hotel lobby.)

The guests came at five-thirty, and Wynn ushered them in. On the wall to his left and right were several paintings, including a Matisse, a Renoir, and “Le Rêve.” The other three walls were glass, looking out onto an enclosed garden. He began to tell the story of the Picasso’s provenance. As he talked, he had his back to the picture. He was wearing jeans and a golf shirt. Wynn suffers from an eye disease, retinitis pigmentosa, which affects his peripheral vision and therefore, occasionally, his interaction with proximate objects, and, without realizing it, he backed up a step or two as he talked. “So then I made a gesture with my right hand,” Wynn said, “and my right elbow hit the picture. It punctured the picture.” There was a distinct ripping sound. Wynn turned around and saw, on Marie-Thérèse Walter’s left forearm, in the lower-right quadrant of the painting, “a slight puncture, a two-inch tear. We all just stopped. I said, ‘I can’t believe I just did that. Oh, shit. Oh, man.’ ”

Wynn turned around again. He put his pinkie in the hole and observed that a flap of canvas had been pushed back. He told his guests, “Well, I’m glad I did it and not you.” He said that he’d have to call Cohen and William Acquavella, his dealer in New York, to tell them that the deal was off. Then he resumed talking about his paintings, almost, but not quite, as though he hadn’t just delivered what one of the guests would later call, in an impromptu stab at actuarial math, a “forty-million-dollar elbow.”

[Mikey711MN]

First is the hot rumor that rock/funk legend Prince will be taking up residency at The Rio Suites as not only a headliner but as an unofficial director of entertainment for the entire property. According to items in Norm Clarke’s column in the Las Vegas Review Journal and elsewhere, word on the streets is that his Royal Badness will have a regular gig in one of the big showrooms at the hotel and will be taking over Club Rio, booking bands and occasionally performing in the more intimate venue. Is it true? Well, nothing has been announced officially but go look at Prince’s official website, www.3121.com. In case you don’t recognize it, that’s the outline of The Rio.
Having lived in Minneapolis and attended--with some regularity even--private parties at Paisley Park with his purpleness performing at a few, I can attest to the fact that he enjoys playing in much smaller, more intimate settings. For him to do something like this in Vegas would be, in my opinion, completely expected.

[drobar]

Your right, the Palms Fantasy Tower is an abomination. The south face of the building looks as like they ran out of money, so they finished it up with vinyl siding. :koko:

It is a complete eyesore, just like the first tower. The Palms Place looks nice in drawings, let's hope they keep it that way.


city center is goin up fast! lots of stuff goin on there
alure is reaching its top quite well and turnberry tower 1 is tall! looks like itll never end- tower 2 is able 8 floors tall.

its nice i drive on the freeway and see over 50 cranes everywhere you look, or drive the strip- your eyes dont know where to look- construction everywhere.


palms place is growing-very-slowly!!!!!!!!

(palms fantasy tower is but ugly! and that mohawk looking thing at the top (the shade canapy) lights up at night in changing colors)- ugly

[Patrick]

Here's the current plan for the 61 Acre Plot. Looks like the Plaza Hotel will get demolished.

If you ask me I think its rather ugly. It looks like an apartment complex that belongs in The Bronx. They should make some towers taller than others, and have different designs. Plus there's no stadium! grrr...
http://img278.imageshack.us/img278/6089/ghjvw3.jpg

http://img278.imageshack.us/img278/4056/ghjrd5.jpg

[ScottG]

patrick do you see how it says: 61 acres (CONCEPTUAL)

that mean that is NOT the design- it is only to show density- the project will look NOTHING like that- remember the first rendering of city center? or the only 'rendering' for echelon place- it is only 'masses' to respresent density- but no there wouldnt be a stadium either way

[Patrick]

Updated the front page. Anything I missed? Need to add?

[GeorgeLV]

Updated the front page. Anything I missed? Need to add?

World Market Center Building 3

[mdiederi]

Updated the front page. Anything I missed? Need to add?
I didn't see Panorama tower number 3 listed. It's under construction now.

[Patrick]

^actually its there

World Market Center Building 3
I put it at "World Market Center Phases Three - Eight" under the approved section

[mdiederi]

What's the building going up between the Chateau and Signature, behind Polo Tower? Yesterday I noticed a new tower crane and some columns sticking up there, but don't remember hearing of anything, and didn't have time to investigate closer.

edit: Might be another wing on the Chateau.

[mdiederi]

Updated the front page. Anything I missed? Need to add?
I drove by Club Renaissance a couple weeks ago and it is not under construction yet. They still have to move some more houses.

How about the 17-story Dragon City site in China Town, a proposed 2,500-unit condominium-hotel complex with about 300,000 square feet of retail, on about 20 acres near Spring Mountain and Wynn roads? Is that dead?

Also, the twin condo tower Kallisto? Dead?

[GeorgeLV]

^actually its there


I put it at "World Market Center Phases Three - Eight" under the approved section

Yeah, it's there. I meant phase three should be moved to under construction.

[manabouttown]

Renaissance is dead and buried, the remaining houses have no bearing. another developer has been eyeing the property.

[ScottG]

couple of updates:

W has stalled a bit- but still on track- ground breaking should eb in a few months

http://www.manhattanization.com/news/past-and-present-w-las-vegas.rub

PLatinum opens in a couple of days

http://www.manhattanization.com/news/a-platinum-debut.rub

heres a snipit on world market center

http://www.manhattanization.com/news/world-market-center-update.rub

4 vegas projects hit top ten of the largest in the world...

http://www.manhattanization.com/news/three-las-vegas-condominium-projects-hit-top-ten.rub

[asylum23]

Urban Village is now cancelled for anyone who may be interested.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Oct-20-Fri-2006/business/10331819.html

[ScottG]

its funny that on that article ^^^^^ there is a W las vegas advertisement....


a condo project advertisement on an article about another failed condo project.


btw- there never has been anything big form urban village- i think there has been renderings or anything of interest

[manabouttown]

The info listed under Cosmopolitan is slightly incorrect. They list 2400 rooms but there will be 3000. The operator will be Grand Hiatt, the article said no operator was named. The opening date will be in 2009 not 2008, otherwise interesting.

[Patrick]

Yeah, it's there. I meant phase three should be moved to under construction.

Its under construction??