Off-Strip casino proposals in play despite economic decline

By Liz Benston

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008 | 5:34 p.m.

The tanking Las Vegas economy isn’t stopping developers from doing what they do best -- drawing up proposals for new casinos.

Tropicana Grand LLC today received final approval from Clark County commissioners for a casino resort on 15 acres across from the Orleans casino at the northeast corner of Arville Street and Tropicana Avenue.

The proposed resort would have 1,388 hotel rooms, 192 condominiums, a 100,000-square-foot casino and typical amenities, such as a spa and convention space.

Architect Joel Bergman of Bergman Walls & Associates declined to disclose his client’s identity other than to say he is an “experienced, seasoned developer.”

Bergman said there’s no timeline for the resort, which was planned before the downturn and will take shape once the economy picks up.

“We’re going to take our time and plan this right,” Bergman said.

Developers jumped several hurdles for the proposed resort, including a zoning change from light industrial and an expansion of the Gaming Enterprise District, which limits suburban casinos to specific sites around Clark County. Backers argued that the site wouldn’t violate distance requirements between Las Vegas valley casinos and pre-existing residential communities, schools and churches.

Tropicana Grand paid $35 million for the land last year.

Also today, Desert Inn Procyon LLC received a two-year extension from the county to begin building a proposed casino resort, located on 6.5 acres bordered by Valley View Boulevard to the west, Spring Mountain Road to the south and Procyon Street to the east.

Plans for the Chinatown-area resort include a 1,195-room hotel, a 60,000 square-foot casino, a shopping center and convention space, among other features.

The company paid about $12 million to assemble the land in 2004 and 2005.