Provisional OK given for resort

Thursday, Aug. 22, 2002 | 9:20 a.m.

The Clark County Commission on Wednesday gave its provisional approval for construction of a new resort near the Strip.

The hotel, planned by Castaways owner Dan Shaw, is a little bit old and a little bit new. Commissioners had approved a casino on about 37 acres at the site at Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane in 1998.

But changes in state law governing distances from residences and churches meant that Shaw had to come back for a new land-use permit from the county, said Russell Rowe, Shaw's attorney. The law's provisions mandate a 500-foot separation from residences and 1,500-foot separation from schools or churches.

The new hotel plan, which was approved by a 5-0 vote, pushes back the building farther from residences on Harmon and complies fully with the state law, also passed in 1998, Rowe said.

"We're getting a new use permit for a new project," he said.

Shaw plans to build a 40-story, 2,400-room, 2.8 million-square-foot resort at the site. The casino itself would have about 660,000 square feet of floor space, Rowe said.

He said the theme and design of the resort are still not fully decided. The commissioners also would have to approve those plans.

Rowe said he does not know how much the resort would cost to build.

A timeline also is not firm, he said. Shaw had partnered with South Tahoe's Harveys Resort to develop the new hotel, but those plans fell through. The developer is now seeking alternate financing, he said.