(both literally and figuratively)
Another piece of Las Vegas History is coming down. This is the last year for the Stardust Resort, which is scheduled to close at the end of 2006 and be torn down (perhaps imploded) in early 2007. Today, Boyd Gaming announced their plans for redevelopment of the 63-acre Stardust site.
The Stardust has an interesting history. The Stardust opened on July 2, 1958 with 1,000 rooms. As with other hotels in Vegas at the time, it was mob controlled. It was developed by Tony Cornero (a/k/a Tony Stralla), who wanted a hotel to cater to the masses. Originally to be called “Tony Cornero’s Starlight”, his goal was to create the largest casino in the world (at that time) over 1,000 rooms. However, on July 31, 1955, during the construction of the ‘dust, Cornero had a heart attack while gambling at the Desert Inn. Moe Dalitz and his Desert Inn associates took control of the a-building resort, and saw it to completion.
The Stardust had no real design and no theme. It was known best for its large neon sign. There were loads of two story hotel wings, lined up to the back of the property. Over the years the Stardust would incorporate the Royal Nevada, add high-rise rooms, and bulldoze the motel wings. But it never acquired the true theming.
So what will replace the Stardust.
The new development will be called Echelon Place, and will combine a $2.9 billion Boyd-owned Echelon Resort with partner hotel and retail joint ventures. The following elements will be in the new resort:
- Echelon Resort. A Boyd owned-and-operated 3,300-room resort with two upscale hotels (a 2,600-room Resort Tower and a 700-room Suite Tower, each containing its own luxurious spa). Both hotels will connect directly to extensive public areas containing a 140,000 square foot casino, 25 restaurants and bars, and lushly landscaped pool and garden areas. Echelon will include a 4,000-seat theater with a large stage and stadium seating designed to accommodate major concerts and production shows. A more intimate 1,500-seat theater will house smaller shows and touring acts.
- Shangri-La Hotel, Las Vegas. A partnership with Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group. This hotel will include 400 guest rooms and suites, a 20,000 square foot CHI spa, well appointed premium meeting space and two restaurants. Shangri-La will have its own porte cochere and lobby.
- Delano Hotel and Mondrian Hotel. A partnership with Morgans Hotel Group. Delano Hotel Las Vegas will include 600 guest rooms and suites, a destination nightclub, lobby bar and Asia de Cuba restaurant. It will also feature an Agua Spa with fitness center, private pool and recreation area, and a separate porte cochere and lobby. Mondrian Hotel Las Vegas, targeting the refined business traveler and the leisure escapee, will include 1,000 guest rooms and suites, a distinctive bar and restaurant, meeting and conference space, private pool and recreation area with Skybar, and a separate porte cochere and lobby.
- Las Vegas ExpoCenter. A Boyd-owned convention and exhibition space integrated into the resorts. It will feature 650,000 square feet of exhibition and pre-function space and 175,000 square feet of meeting and conference space. Combined with the meeting space within Echelon Resort, the total meeting and exhibition space at Echelon Place is expected to exceed one million square feet, highlighted by over 200 meeting rooms.
- Retail Promenade. Plans call for over 350,000 square feet of unique shopping.
There are also plans for parking for nearly 8,000 cars, and a three-acre parcel is reserved for future development.
So, those of you interested in seeing historical Las Vegas of the 1950’s… visit the Stardust now. Although she’s not what she used to be, she’ll soon be gone. So what of old Vegas is left? Not much. There’s the Tropicana and the Riviera, but the Trop has a date after which they won’t take reservations, so redevelopment is soon there. Perhaps some of the old rooms at Caesars are left. Nothing is left of the old Flamingo or Frontier, or for that matter, the original Sahara (I think). Of course, we’ve lost a lot of the old timers, El Rancho, Hacienda, Sands, Dunes, Thunderbird. Seem ’em now while you can.