Tropicana unveils $500 mil. proposal

Thursday, June 19, 2003 | 11:16 a.m.

The Tropicana hotel-casino formally filed plans Wednesday at the zoning meeting of the Clark County Commission for a possible huge expansion and renovation.

The plans include increasing the number of rooms at the Las Vegas Strip resort to 3,370 from 1,800 and adding 720,000 square feet to the property. The plans also call for adding a time-share element to its room mix and new marquees for the hotel.

Greg Borgel, a land-use consultant for Tropicana owner Aztar Corp. of Phoenix, said the project would likely cost around $500 million. The company asked the county commission to hold the issue until July 16 to resolve issues with Strip neighbors, who are concerned about the impact the project would have on their businesses, but Borgel noted that no one spoke against the proposed demolition and renovation at the county meeting.

Borgel said the project would level the north half of the property, one of the original Strip resorts. When it was built in 1957, it had 300 rooms.

The renovation may not happen right away.

"It's not imminent," Borgel said. "It's in the process of analysis."

Aztar Chief Executive Paul Rubeli said in April that the company would not make a decision on the overhaul of the property until early in 2004.

Tropicana officials reiterated today that a firm decision on expanding the property has not yet been made, and noted the resort is continuing to schedule conventions and events through May 2004.

County planning staff supports the proposed renovation.

"Such a demolition and rebuild has many precedents along the resort corridor over the past several years, and serves to give a face lift for resort properties, and in turn will tend to enhance the overall Las Vegas Strip," the staff reported to the county commission.