LAS VEGAS | Boom Project Rundown! 2.0

[jayguy]

A whole lot of the valley is unincorporated, even though zip codes show it all as Las Vegas.

Here's a map showing the different cities and townships, only 3 are actually incorportated. North Las Vegas, Las Vegas, and Henderson (that I know of). I've lived in Spring Valley for almost 11 years, and every zip code around here is listed as "Las Vegas".



http://www.act4u.com/lasvegasmaps/in...edcities.shtml

[NYC2ATX]

Originally Posted by VegasMatt

Here are two fun new projects proposed for the strip.

The Mars thing looks very unlikely, but the Mayan thing sounds possible:

Mars Resort:

http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/03...-to-las-vegas/

Mayan Resort:

The location shown below is inaccurate. Apparently there is a large resort company backing this one which means it could be real project. More details are supposed to be released soon. This looks pretty fun, hopefully something comes of it:

http://www.vegasbright.com/2016/04/1...themed-resort/

I have been following Las Vegas resort projects since the early 2000s, when I visited for the first time, and I often credit that as sparking my interest in urban development in the broader scope, strange I know.

That being said, I have mixed feelings about the return of themed resorts to Las Vegas. Many of the ones that currently exist, like Paris, the Venetian, and Bellagio, to name a few, are among my favorite resorts in the city. However some of the most heavily themed are also some of my least favorite, like Excalibur, TI, and Circus Circus, which border on gaudy Disney garbage.

The Mirage can be credited with ushering in the themed resort and megaresort era of Las Vegas and leading a historical transformation for the city, but for me the ones that mastered it (those favorites listed above among them), it was about marrying decadence and luxury with a particular theme. Luxury resorts are meant to be just that, luxurious. It's easy to translate Paris or Italy in a luxurious manner, but not so much with a circus or the Middle Ages, two decidedly unglamorous things.

A Mayan theme could go very well or very badly depending on how it's executed. If they go for a sumptuous take on El Dorado, the city of gold, say, it would be spectacular. If they go for "Legends of the Hidden Temple" kitschy, not so much.

I'm all for more themed resorts, because they symbolize to me, and I'm sure to most, Vegas' last high point in the mid- to late 90s. And the attempt to de-theme the Strip in the mid-2000s and turn it into Miami West was only bookended by a significant and severe regional recession brought on by the nationwide crash. If people want Miami or Dubai, they go to those places, but Las Vegas was always something unique and should remain such. So Resorts World should bring on the Macau luxe, and Mayan City of Gold, go for it. Aria was a leap, and it is lovely, but at the same time, you can't build another Circus Circus now that we've built the Bellagio. They have to find a balance, and I want to see Vegas thrive like it used to again.


...as for the Mars thing, that's an attraction that should be next to the NASCAR track, or just not a thing that exists.

[caligrad]

^^^ Perfect statement. I feel the same way in regards to the themed resorts, even though I would probably give Treasure Island a pass with its theme, You're right. I'm actually happy that the themed resorts are coming back to Vegas, don't get me wrong, I liked the whole Aria/Vdara/Cosmo complex but like you said, it screams Miami and Dubai. Excalibur and New York New York were a bit much but I don't hate them fully since they were born in the 80s/90s, I've come to fall in love with them (only because they add to the character that I expect from Vegas).

You're right, I think Venetian/Bellagio/Paris got it right in terms of how they themed, I would even go as far to say Planet Hollywood also got it right (many people don't know that the core theme for the Hotel itself is actually based off of Hollywood and LA in general and not just "Planet Hollywood"). But there is something about the gaudy themes that made Vegas for what it is. If the Strip was purely Aria type developments, I think most people would be bored with it quickly since theres nothing special.

But I'm happy the Themes are coming back, like you said, the Mayan themed one, seems a bit ambitous to me based off of the rendering, but if done correctly would be nice. The Mars one seems unrealistic, but a space themed resort (if done correctly) would be interesting. I actually wish they would tear down Circus Circus, but I think we differ in saying that I think they should rebuild Circus Circus to modern standard ( like Resort world but instead of a Chinese theme, a circus theme), it could go well. I never viewed Circus Circus as a legit hotel/resort/casino. I always pictured it as somewhere the adults dropped off the kids while they went and gambled somewhere else.

[RST500]

Originally Posted by NYC2ATX

I have been following Las Vegas resort projects since the early 2000s, when I visited for the first time, and I often credit that as sparking my interest in urban development in the broader scope, strange I know.

That being said, I have mixed feelings about the return of themed resorts to Las Vegas. Many of the ones that currently exist, like Paris, the Venetian, and Bellagio, to name a few, are among my favorite resorts in the city. However some of the most heavily themed are also some of my least favorite, like Excalibur, TI, and Circus Circus, which border on gaudy Disney garbage.

The Mirage can be credited with ushering in the themed resort and megaresort era of Las Vegas and leading a historical transformation for the city, but for me the ones that mastered it (those favorites listed above among them), it was about marrying decadence and luxury with a particular theme. Luxury resorts are meant to be just that, luxurious. It's easy to translate Paris or Italy in a luxurious manner, but not so much with a circus or the Middle Ages, two decidedly unglamorous things.

A Mayan theme could go very well or very badly depending on how it's executed. If they go for a sumptuous take on El Dorado, the city of gold, say, it would be spectacular. If they go for "Legends of the Hidden Temple" kitschy, not so much.

I'm all for more themed resorts, because they symbolize to me, and I'm sure to most, Vegas' last high point in the mid- to late 90s. And the attempt to de-theme the Strip in the mid-2000s and turn it into Miami West was only bookended by a significant and severe regional recession brought on by the nationwide crash. If people want Miami or Dubai, they go to those places, but Las Vegas was always something unique and should remain such. So Resorts World should bring on the Macau luxe, and Mayan City of Gold, go for it. Aria was a leap, and it is lovely, but at the same time, you can't build another Circus Circus now that we've built the Bellagio. They have to find a balance, and I want to see Vegas thrive like it used to again.


...as for the Mars thing, that's an attraction that should be next to the NASCAR track, or just not a thing that exists.

There's an Eldorado themed Casino in Reno. The Las Vegas one could incorporate some of the elements such as the lighting and signage.

[caligrad]

^^^ I actually think that looks terrible. One thing that I'm glad most of the Vegas resorts got rid of was the tacky neon outlines from the 80s/90s. They aren't needed.

Originally Posted by BrandonJXN

The Strip is technically not in Vegas but in Paradise. The monorail travels through Paradise and Winchester.

Oh I know, Its funny because I actually correct people on that sometimes, but when I was referring to Vegas, I was talking about the area/region in general. Like how there are 70+ different cities in LA county proper but many outsiders consider it all to be LA anyway with no distinguishing boundaries same with Vegas.

What I was getting at with the monorail(s) though is the fact that you have 3-4 different lines/systems with neither one doing anything helpful really. I'm all for private companies stepping in and tackling transit needs, but when the design/layout only benefits a few casinos/resorts, that's when there should have been some better planning. Reason why I said Vegas (region/area) as a whole should have had some hand into how the systems would have been implemented, even if that meant making it a joint venture and using public funds.

One goes between Mandalay Bay and Excalibur ( a waste)

One goes between Aria and Bellagio ( another waste)

One goes between the Mirage and Treasure island ( and another waste)

and the longer one technically starts at the airport, but is short about half a mile, and only services one side of the strip and the convention center.

This could have easily been a very practical Monorail system, in terms of layout in an urban environment and ridership, but its a Frankenstein system at best with many different pieces (sections/lines) that don't connect like they should. I get that they are only there to connect the casinos/resorts but somebody should have been thinking of the larger picture.

But what do I care, I rather walk the strip with a beer in my hand anyway.

[NYC2ATX]

Originally Posted by caligrad

^^^ Perfect statement. I feel the same way in regards to the themed resorts, even though I would probably give Treasure Island a pass with its theme, You're right. I'm actually happy that the themed resorts are coming back to Vegas, don't get me wrong, I liked the whole Aria/Vdara/Cosmo complex but like you said, it screams Miami and Dubai. Excalibur and New York New York were a bit much but I don't hate them fully since they were born in the 80s/90s, I've come to fall in love with them (only because they add to the character that I expect from Vegas).

You're right, I think Venetian/Bellagio/Paris got it right in terms of how they themed, I would even go as far to say Planet Hollywood also got it right (many people don't know that the core theme for the Hotel itself is actually based off of Hollywood and LA in general and not just "Planet Hollywood"). But there is something about the gaudy themes that made Vegas for what it is. If the Strip was purely Aria type developments, I think most people would be bored with it quickly since theres nothing special.

But I'm happy the Themes are coming back, like you said, the Mayan themed one, seems a bit ambitous to me based off of the rendering, but if done correctly would be nice. The Mars one seems unrealistic, but a space themed resort (if done correctly) would be interesting. I actually wish they would tear down Circus Circus, but I think we differ in saying that I think they should rebuild Circus Circus to modern standard ( like Resort world but instead of a Chinese theme, a circus theme), it could go well. I never viewed Circus Circus as a legit hotel/resort/casino. I always pictured it as somewhere the adults dropped off the kids while they went and gambled somewhere else.

YES to all of that. I’m glad that the Aria/Cosmo bunch are there, and I also feel like Wynn, Encore and Palazzo are good bridging elements between the heavy themes and the no-themes. I finally got back to Vegas again in 2013, 11 years after I first visited, and when I saw the Chandelier Bar at Cosmo, and the entire installation surrounding it, well, let’s just say it’s very difficult for me to say anything bad about that resort. I even got me some purple dice.

Actually I did always view Planet Hollywood as the “LA-themed” themed resort on the Strip. The only place I think it misses the mark, which is really a symptom of it inhabiting the empty shell of the Aladdin, is how it has features that say LA (think the Miracle Mile shops) more in name than in appearance, which is somewhat non-specific, but that’s just a little personal thing of mine. While we're on the subject, how about somebody rescue the Fontainebleau for a Miami-themed resort...like more so themed than it was originally supposed to be.

While I have an audience, there’s two more ideas I’ve had that you guys might entertain. While they’re remodeling the bottom of New York New York, I’d love for them to maybe improve on the façade of the high-rise building. I love the theme and I LOVE the Park project, but those buildings are such distorted and poor representations of New York skyscrapers. I almost wish they’d merge it with the idea for the Plaza Hotel on the former Frontier site and maybe go a little further with the details of the buildings. If they can build a half-scale Eiffel Tower with actual rivets, this shouldn’t be a stretch.

The second thought is, instead of trying to de-theme Luxor (hello…the building is a pyramid), I say go upscale, but like Cleopatra would do it, so to speak. That pool area could be a TRUE oasis in the desert if it’s remodeled right. And seeing as Luxor remains one of the only resorts that hasn’t put to sleep the parking between the building and LV Blvd, maybe a “Souk at Luxor” of sorts, that will hopefully cause Bally’s to rethink their “Grand Bazaar” …or at least that name. Whenever MGM Resorts wraps up their work at NYNY and Monte Carlo, I think they should hit Luxor and Excalibur next.

I guess when I ponder it, there really are some opportunities to reinvent some of the less lovely resorts without turning their backs on their themes. If Excalibur went less Lego castle and more Henry VIII/Tudors/Westminster Abbey…perhaps even a medieval London theme, that would bring something to Vegas that’s not currently there in a number of ways. In the same train of thought, with Cirque du Soleil having such a major presence on the Strip already, why not turn Circus Circus into “Cirque de Cirque” or something? The attraction there could be one of the city’s largest performance theaters with one of Cirque’s largest shows ever staged, maybe.

A guy can dream

[djhannu]

Originally Posted by VegasMatt

Here are two fun new projects proposed for the strip.

The Mars thing looks very unlikely, but the Mayan thing sounds possible:

Mars Resort:

http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/03...-to-las-vegas/

The Mars resort reminds me of the Moon Resort and Casino idea from years ago.

[ByTheBay]

I like how Vegas developers are bringing back the concept of themed resorts again. It gives each property an identity and makes them an attraction. It was nice to have a few projects break from the 'theme' mold but they eventually became too generic. Cosmopolitan looks like as if it's part of City Center. At least Wynn chose a color that was distinguishable from the others. But to begin with, the anticipation and opening of each new themed resort was what really brought the strip to life, alcohol aside.

As for the kitschy themes versus the luxurious ones, I think they're appropriate in that they're made to distinguish their target market. Circus circus and Excalibur weren't meant to attract the same high end clientele as Bellagio or Venetian, they're meant to attract the family friendly crowd on a budget. I do like how they're clustered together so it's not this mish mash of luxury and budget. You have Mandalay Bay, Sphynx, Excalibur and NY NY to the south as family friendly; MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, Planey Hollywood & Paris as mid tier; Bellagio, Caesars, Venetian and Wynn as luxury; Mirage and Treasure Island as mid tier budget; Circus Circus, Stratosphere and the former Sahara as family friendly ultra budget, though it looks almost like this section is starting to get phased out by the luxury resorts. But I'm glad for now, there's a place for everyone.

On a side note, does anyone know how effective ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft has been against the stronghold of taxi companies in Vegas? These ride sharing companies might be the key to breaking through the monopoly of taxi companies from preventing the monorail built to the airport or down the strip in the future.

[caligrad]

^^^ You are so right. I'm actually excited that developers are bringing back the Themed designs to Vegas. You're right, When I first took a trip to Vegas after Aria/Cosmo and the others were built, I thought it was all one giant complex since it all looked alike, especially being so close together.

I caught some slack a few pages back when I said i wished the themed designs would come back, some people took offense to my statement and were applauding the Miami/Dubai type resorts like Aria and Wynn, but people forget that not everyone is a high roller or are able to spend $500 a night for a room, and people forget that people go to Vegas not only for the Gambling and Drinking but to walk/drive the strip in amazement from the buildings and the atmosphere being other worldly. Take that away from the strip and it will lose its lure.

I hope the strip attracts more developers with themes on the mind, the ideas are endless

. London theme
. Mayan/Aztec
. Space
. Underwater
. Ice/Arctic
. Futuristic
. Jungle (even though I'm guessing the Mirage was trying for that theme)
. Arabian (Sahara and Aladdin sadly didn't do it right)
. Indian theme
. Australian theme
. Japanese theme (imperial palace was a joke)
. I wouldn't mind seeing a California theme ( even though Planet Hollywood kinda did that but its a bit watered down)

(I'm still waiting for Disney to jump in and give Circus Circus a run for its money)

I just wish MGM would Completely do Interior and Exterior upgrades to the Luxor, Excalibur and New York New York. 3 hotels that helped attract millions to Vegas on their own just because of their themed designs.

Sadly, I was reading an article where the current CEO of MGM said he actually planned on heavily watering down the interiors of all three to rip their themes away. BIG MISTAKE, in my opinion. He said they were even playing around with name changes for the three. Ceos like him are what drive companies into the ground. So far apart from what his consumer base want/looking for.

[ByTheBay]

^^^ That would be a major mistake to take away the current themes of the hotels! What made Vegas a major tourist destination in the first place was this notion that you could visit the entire world in one place. People from all over the world came for that reason, the only other place that made that possible was EPCOT but unless you had kids, Vegas had a lot more to offer adults. More recently Macau has taken the thunder out of Vegas mainly from Asian tourists but Vegas still has the pull from Europe on west. Watering down the themed resorts would just hurt it's tourism even more. Why would people in Europe or the East Coast go to Vegas when they can have similar experiences in Dubai, Ibiza, Monte Carlo, Florida and Atlantic City? Vegas just shrunk its market down to the West Coast. Vegas shouldn't try to copycat places like Miami, they should stick with what made it different in the first place.

I remember all those proposals of themed resorts that were coming out right before the recession. It was awesome seeing the renderings for projects like a London, a San Francisco, and Titanic themed hotel, now that one would've been really cool to see along the strip. Instead what actually got through to construction were projects like Echelon and Fontainebleau, which really wouldn't inspire guests from other hotels to venture those properties. It's a good thing Echelon got transformed into Resorts World. A theme I think they could use to transform Fontainebleu would be futuristic Tokyo (or the present day version). A resort with robots everywhere doing different tasks, that way they wouldn't need to alter the exterior much. One particular theme I'd really like to see is an Atlantis themed resort, but more mythological than the "paradise" Bahamas version. This could go along with a part underwater theme too and have some rooms below water level that look like giant aquariums with "lost city" elements within the water. Underwater rooms already exist in some hotels in places like Singapore, China, and Dubai to name a few.

[Mystic Crusader]

Faraday breaks ground for electric car plant in North Las Vegas



By ALEXANDER S. COREY
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

“Welcome home, Faraday Future. Welcome home.”

That’s how Gov. Brian Sandoval began his comments at the groundbreaking of the company’s electric car manufacturing plant Wednesday.

For Sandoval, construction on the 900-acre site is a significant step toward diversifying Nevada’s economy.

More than 200 people attended the ceremony where a model of the 3 million-square-foot factory was unveiled and a toast was made to its future. Among them were North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee and Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/busines...orth-las-vegas

[chris08876]

I'm curious about Resorts World Las Vegas. Anybody snap shots recently?

From the article above

The company has set a goal of building cars as early as 2017 and hiring 4,500 employees with an average wage of $22 an hour as part of the deal. On Wednesday, Faraday Future spokeswoman Stacy Morris said the company expected to be producing cars “in the next couple years.”

Nows thats nice. With time and a half, thats a nice wage for the area.

[jayguy]

Originally Posted by chris08876

I'm curious about Resorts World Las Vegas. Anybody snap shots recently?

So far they've only finished the parking garage, they haven't started working on the main resort yet. I think I saw that they do have the go ahead from the county, so that work will probably begin to be noticeable soon.

[IMBY]

If this was going to be such a big money maker for Genting, Resorts World would have been up and running a year or 2 years ago, with fast-track construction!

I've been hearing excuses on this project for 3 years now! "We're working on the garage!"

Waiting for approval from this agency or that agency? Oh please! Clark County Commissioners will rubber stamp any new development on the Strip in a 24 hour time frame, with a 6-0 vote!

I'm more than skeptical than Genting will ever finish this project! And if they proceed, it will be scaled down considerably!

They know it all too well, the percentage of people who come to Vegas to gamble is down to around 25%! And add in the crackdown on corruption in China which is helping to destroy profits in Macao?

[mdiederi]

Genting couldn't do anything on the site until they got licensed from the Nevada Gaming Commission, which they finally got yesterday. The opening date has been pushed back to 2019.

Posted May 19, 2016 - 12:45pmUpdated May 19, 2016 - 7:32pm
Resorts World Las Vegas gets go-ahead for $4B megaresort

http://www.reviewjournal.com/busines...-4b-megaresort

[mdiederi]

• Video Link

[RST500]

Originally Posted by chris08876

I'm curious about Resorts World Las Vegas. Anybody snap shots recently?

From the article above



Nows thats nice. With time and a half, thats a nice wage for the area.

I took this photo a week ago of Resorts World's Consturction:



https://robertstarkblog.wordpress.co...-construction/

[dragonsky]

Coming soon: Take a peek inside the Lucky Dragon
http://vegasinc.com/business/gaming/...521.1416105941

[caligrad]

^^^ With Resort World coming online soon. Red Dragon almost seems pointless. Like the bargain spot for those who couldn't get a spot at Resort World.

[dragonsky]

High-speed rail system most desired transportation mode for Las Vegans

It turns out a high-speed rail system linking Las Vegas to Los Angeles was deemed the “most beneficial to improving daily life” among 500 local adults surveyed by the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance.

XpressWest was supposed to start construction by late fall on the first leg of an $8 billion high-speed line connecting Las Vegas to Victorville, California, but that date was pushed to early 2017.

Ridership projections are due in August and an environmental review is expected to be released a month later for the second phase, which would extend the track 50 miles from Victorville to existing commuter rail service in Palmdale, California.

Eventually, the commuter rail would be upgraded to high-speed rail if California’s system is ever built.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion...ation-mode-las