Tenants start filling up downtown’s Neonopolis

Diana Sahagun

Monday, Oct. 22, 2001 | 9:52 a.m.

The downtown Neonopolis entertainment project, whose opening was delayed for lack of tenants, has filled 70 percent of the 240,000-square-foot project.

Fourteen more tenants have committed to opening inside the massive project at the corner of Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard, leasing agent Chardell Steves said Friday.

Only 25 more tenants are needed to fill the remaining space, she said. The project, which will include shops, restaurants and a movie theater, is scheduled to open in April.

In May, Crown Theatres signed on as the first tenant and the key anchor tenant, planning to operate a 14-screen theater in 71,203 square feet of the three-level project.

Most of the tenants announced Friday are national chain restaurants, which are in high demand for the thousands of downtown workers who often venture outside the area for lunch.

The new tenants include ARK Restaurants -- which has restaurants inside The Venetian, Desert Passage, and the Forum Shops at Caesars -- Benezra Pizza, Dairy Queen/Orange Julius, Wetzel's Pretzels, La Salsa, Panda Express, and Muscle Beach Lemonade, which incorporates Hot Dog on a Stick.

As part of the retail mix, shops include Just Sports, offering licensed and branded sports and athletic apparel for children and adults, Don Yeyo Cigar Factory, featuring cigars hand-rolled on site, and Viva Vegas Gifts, offering souvenirs, gift items and logo merchandise.

The $100 million project, an extension of the Fremont Street Experience light show and pedestrian walkway, was conceived as a way to bring tourists and residents downtown. As part of its commitment to redeveloping downtown, the city built a $12 million, 600-space city-owned parking garage underneath the project.

The project has had its share of setbacks, including when its original anchor tenant, Mann Theatres, dropped plans to build an 11-screen theater complex after its parent company, WestStar Cinemas, filed for bankruptcy protection.

Steves said regardless of the setbacks, the project will be an important part of downtown's success.

On a recent tour of Neonopolis, hundreds of construction workers were welding materials and installing concrete walkways that offer 360-degree views of the nearby Fremont Street Experience.

An open-air courtyard is being designed as a venue for bands and other entertainment. Patios and balconies will offer a place for weary shoppers.

Once the project opens, visitors will be bombarded by the bright colors and glitzy neon that are planned inside and out. Purple and pink checkerboards are already being painted on the walls, and eventually neon lights will race around the exterior. At least 20 classic neon signs are being refurbished to be placed around an elevator, Steves said.

The shops and restaurants will offer affordable prices in an effort to draw locals who would otherwise spend their days in other parts of the city, Steves said.

"We cater to a strong, local mix," she said. "We want the locals to embrace downtown again. We know the tourists are very important, but we're not depending on tourists to make this project successful."