N. Vegas casino moves ahead

Dan Kulin and Kevin Rademacher

Thursday, May 29, 2003 | 11:12 a.m.

Coast Casinos Inc.'s plan for a new casino-hotel in North Las Vegas is making its way through the city approval process.

The Planning Commission is scheduled June 11 to review requests for zoning changes and approvals to put the North Coast Hotel & Casino on about 40 acres on the southwest corner of Centennial Parkway and Lamb Boulevard. The City Council would act on the requests after the Planning Commission makes recommendations on them.

The casino wouldn't be built for at least four years, said Bill Curran, an attorney for the property owner. This is because casino construction wouldn't begin until after construction of a highway interchange at Lamb Boulevard and Interstate 15 as well as an overpass over nearby railroad tracks.

"We're going through the zoning changes now so everybody knows what's going to be out there," Curran said.

The site and the surrounding property are vacant, he said.

The North Coast Hotel & Casino would include a bowling alley, movie theaters, a casino, a 10-story hotel with 398 rooms and a parking garage, city records show.

Coast Casinos, which operates The Orleans, Suncoast, Gold Coast and Barbary Coast, also has announced plans to begin work next year on the Southcoast resort on far South Las Vegas Boulevard.

Coast has not built a new property since the Suncoast opened in 2000.

Coast also opened its new Orleans Arena this month and is scheduled to open 586 new rooms at the Orleans in August.

Plans for the North Coast come on the heels of the Jan. 2 opening of the $105 million Cannery Casino Hotel at Craig and Losee roads in North Las Vegas.

North Las Vegas is expected to get another casino-hotel in the new Aliante development. That project is expected to produce about 7,500 homes on 1,900 acres. About 100 acres have been set aside for commercial development in Aliante, including 40 acres slated for a casino.

Construction on that casino is not expected to begin for years.

Sharon Powers, executive director of the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, said the North Coast project is a sign of the momentum in the once-quiet city.

"Everybody's talking about growth in North Las Vegas," said Powers. "Las Vegas had its time. Henderson had its time. Now, North Las Vegas is having its time."

Powers credits the Aliante development for much of that momentum.

"People that might not have ever considered moving to North Las Vegas are flocking here. Where there are residents and an influx of people, retail follows," Powers said. "I think it's just going to start taking off."