Columnist John Katsilometes: Braces for another development on Harmon Avenue — the Rolling Stone hotel

Thursday, Feb. 2, 2006 | 8:17 a.m.

Fabulous Las Vegas runs Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. Reach John Katsilometes at kats@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-2327 or (702) 812-9812.

Jann Wenner has built a publishing empire. Today it looks like he has a more concrete sort of building planned, on Harmon Avenue.

In this week's edition the New York Observer reports that the Rolling Stone magazine founder was in Las Vegas over the weekend to work on plans for a Rolling Stone hotel. The weekly paper reports that Wenner is "negotiating with real-estate developers to license his magazine's name to an estimated $500 million development with luxury hotel rooms, a casino and a music venue ..." to be modeled after the Hard Rock Hotel.

The Rolling Stone would be on one of the city's burgeoning centers of kinetic energy, Harmon Avenue. The project (intended to be finished by 2008) would share the Harmon corridor with Robert Earl's new Planet Hollywood (today the Aladdin), which is scheduled to open by the end of this year; the $1.7 billion W Hotel; George Clooney's planned $3 billion Las Ramblas development; and the Hard Rock Hotel.

Of the reported plans, Rolling Stone Publicity Director Nora Haynes said, "My only comment is we're not commenting." When asked if Wenner was in Las Vegas over the weekend, she again said, "We're not commenting."

Reached at his home in Orlando, Fla., Earl said, "I have no idea (about Wenner's plans), but there are various landowners along Harmon Avenue who have not decided what to do with their land ... The more development, the better it is for us. Everything is going in the right direction on Harmon and we would welcome it very much."

NoteMart

Specializing in ... chicken: In a phone interview Tuesday, Hooters co-founder Ed Droste said that when launching his first restaurant in Clearwater, Fla., in 1983 he never envisioned opening a hotel bearing the Hooters logo. "My only thoughts were to survive," he said. "I put on a chicken costume and walked through traffic to get attention."

Droste also said he made the right decision on a name, wisely choosing Hooters over Ed's Place. The Hooters Hotel, in the spot once occupied by San Remo on Tropicana Avenue just east of the Strip, opens Friday ...

Bucky star: The premiere party celebrating the Court TV reality show "Las Vegas Law," starring James "Bucky" Buchanan, drew an eclectic mix to the Courthouse Grill downtown Tuesday night. Buchanan and his wife, Gianna (a statuesque 6-foot-2 in heels), were the honored guests, of course.

Buchanan, donning a bright gold jacket, black shirt and black slacks, was joined by "Las Vegas Law" producer Howard Cohen (who also worked on the Oscar-nominated film "Crash"), Hogs & Heifers owner Michelle Dell, Las Vegas socialite Sandy Colon Peltyn, Courthouse owner (and one-time manager of Danny Gans) Chip Lightman, former Playboy Playmate Tishara Cousino, the ubiquitous Robin Leach and District Judge Donald Mosley ...

Center of attention: Former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and current furniture retailer/designer Kathy Ireland is making friends and influencing people at the Las Vegas Market furniture expo.

On Tuesday, Ireland had a catered lunch delivered to the staff at the World Market Center's media office; she also led a rendition of "Happy Birthday to You" for 21-year-old staffer Brittany Russell, at Mandalay Bay Events Center. Ireland announced her new Kathy Ireland Home Therapedic Mattress line Wednesday night during a party at Mandalay Bay ...

Add odds: Wynn Las Vegas sports book director Johnny Avello updated his Academy Awards odds after Tuesday's nominations were announced. His favorites are: For best picture, "Brokeback Mountain" (3-to-5); for best director, Ang Lee (2-5); for best actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman (1-2); for best actress, Reese Witherspoon (7-5); for best supporting actor, Paul Giamatti (6-5); and for best supporting actress, Rachel Weisz (2-1). Odds are for entertainment purposes only ...

Fond o' fondue: The Melting Pot, a dinner-only restaurant specializing in fondue, is opening its second Southern Nevada restaurant, at 8955 S. Eastern Ave. (near Las Vegas Athletic Club) on Wednesday. The first Melting Pot in Las Vegas opened on West Charleston Boulevard in 2003, which gives us an excuse to dust off the George Carlin line, "Why don't they have cheese fon-don't, for people who don't like cheese fondue?"