Planners OK North Las Vegas casino project

Thursday, April 11, 2002 | 10:59 a.m.

The North Las Vegas Planning Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved a five-story, 300-room hotel-casino project to be built in the next three years near Interstate 15 and the proposed Las Vegas Beltway.

The North Las Vegas City Council had approved a change to the comprehensive plan to resort commercial in January, paving the way for the project on a 40-acre site.

Beltway/I-15 LLC with John A. Ritter as holdings manager owns the property near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Attorney Bob Gronauer, representing the applicant, said the hotel project could provide 600 to 900 permanent jobs to the area.

The hotel is expected to rise 68 feet while the city restricts height to 60 feet. The planning commission waived the height restriction.

Nellis Air Force Base senior planner Joseph Hart said the Air Force had no objections to the height change.

North Las Vegas planning staff had recommended approval of the project.

The planning commission also approved a gaming enterprise district to allow a 90,000-square-foot casino. Gronauer said he could not tell the commission which gaming company would operate the casino.

If the project is built, the hotel will include two restaurants, a bar, banquet rooms, a buffet area and an outdoor swimming pool.

The hotel and casino will be located in the center of the site, surrounded on all sides by parking.

Access from Centennial Parkway and the proposed beltway are considered the main entrances, Gronauer said.

The project managers will submit final design plans, he said.