Neighbors quiet about new ride on Stratosphere

Friday, April 25, 2003 | 10:58 a.m.

The cornerstone of an effort to spruce up the Stratosphere will involve flinging guests off the side of the building.

Earlier this month, the Las Vegas Planning Commission voted 5-0 to approve a new thrill ride for the Stratosphere. The proposed ride will use a teeter-totter device to flip passengers over the edge of the 1,149-foot building's observation deck -- and then hurl them back to the safety of the deck. The ride is tentatively named "Project X Sky" by Stratosphere executives.

It was approved by the city Planning Commission quietly this month compared to a heated battle between the casino, neighbors and the Las Vegas City Council last year over plans to build a 510-foot, $20 million roller coaster off the side of the building. That battle moved from the Las Vegas City Council to the Nevada Supreme Court, where a ruling is pending.

The new eight-passenger ride was described by Stratosphere spokesman Michael Gilmartin as part of a larger effort to revitalize the tower. The property will formally announce its plans in mid-May, he said.

A report from planning commission staff said 2,113 notices of the April 10 hearing and the proposed ride were mailed to neighbors.

JoNell Thomas, an area resident and attorney who represented several neighborhood associations opposing last year's roller coaster proposal, said neighbors were not as vocal about the new plan.

"They didn't have the same opposition to the teeter-totter ride," she said.

Thomas said residents are more concerned about getting the casino to install sound barriers to minimize noise from a series of outdoor concerts being staged by the Stratosphere.

The proposed ride's eight-passenger car will sit on a 40-foot track with a 7-foot mobile base, the staff report said. The ride will be on the west side of the tower facing south along Las Vegas Boulevard.

Placement of the ride, staff said in the report, will "minimize impacts to the adjacent area."