Venetian to open May 3

Wednesday, April 21, 1999 | 11:03 a.m.

Sheldon Adelson is adamant: The Venetian will open May 3.

The $1.5 billion Renaissance-themed resort featuring replicas of noted landmarks of Venice will open that morning with a private media preview, followed by an evening charity gala to benefit REACH OUT, a center for children in Las Vegas suffering from AIDS, Venetian executives said Tuesday.

Adelson, sole owner of the Strip resort built on the site of the former Sands hotel-casino, remains confident construction problems and looming union opposition won't delay the resort's opening.

In recent days, he's insisted the resort is "on time and on schedule," despite earlier announcements that the Venetian would open April 14, then April 21. As recently as Monday, he said it would conduct a "soft opening" sometime this month, with a grand opening later this summer.

The soft opening means some of the resort's 15 restaurants, 65 retail shops and 3,036 suites won't be completed by May 3.

Construction delays have been caused in part by county building inspectors' insistence that fire-safety issues be resolved before certificates of occupancy are granted. Temporary certificates have been issued for some areas, while inspections of the casino area and suites are continuing this week.

In addition, the Culinary Union has vowed to picket the resort, claiming Adelson is refusing to negotiate with union representatives. Adelson has said he's offering the best wage and benefits package in the gaming industry and wants to delay any union representation elections until after the employees are hired.

"There has never been a project like this in the world," Adelson said.

"No resort has ever combined the best hotel rooms, brand-name restaurants, exclusive retail, luxurious spa amenities, state-of-the-art gaming and large-scale convention space in one location and featured them in a setting as spectacular as Venice," he said.

The Venetian will feature about 120,000 square feet of gaming floor, about 500,000 square feet of retail space at The Grand Canal Shoppes, 500,000 square feet of meeting space at The Venetian Congress Center and a direct link to the 1.2 million-square-foot Sands Expo & Convention Center.

The Venetian will also offer owner-operated restaurants including Emeril Lagasse's Delmonico Steakhouse, Joachim Splichal's Pinot Brassiere, Eberhard Muller's Lutece and others.

The first Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in the United States and a Canyon Ranch spa are expected to open at the Venetian later this year.