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An artist’s rendering of the renovations planned to the downtown Lady Luck property.
Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010 | 3:09 p.m.
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Maybe Zappos really is a world changer -- or at the very least, a downtown Las Vegas changer.
At a news conference today, Andrew Donner, CEO and owner of Resort Gaming Group, said Zappos' announcement last week that it will move into City Hall in 2012 only makes better RGG's plans to renovate, upgrade and overhaul the mothballed Lady Luck casino-hotel.
Indeed, plans for the changes were submitted Tuesday to the city of Las Vegas, said Donner, who sold most of his interest in the Lady Luck property to developer CIM in 2007.
It will sport a new swimming pool, new restaurants and shops, a radically different appearance, changes to existing taverns on Third Street, and the likelihood of a major hotelier to become part operator. He said he expects the property to reopen in the third or fourth quarter of 2012.
"There's been some bumps in the road and some delays and I think that a lot of Las Vegas (development) sprints, and this is more of a ... marathon," he said of the Lady Luck/Third Street redevelopment. After envisioning the changes 10 years ago, he added, "here we are bringing that vision to reality."
Before he spoke in what was once the Celebrity, a concert venue at Third and Ogden that never really took off, Mayor Oscar Goodman was sounding like he did three years ago when he told the Sun that these were "exciting times" to be involved in the city.
"As a result of the announcement ... a buzz has been created unlike any that I've ever experienced ... as the mayor," he said.
As Donner spoke, Goodman also acknowledged that since the Zappos announcement -- the online shoe retailer will lease City Hall from RGG -- the city has been fielding numerous calls from businesses expressing interest in the downtown area.
Asked where the financing, which Donner said would be more than $100 million, is coming from, he said CIM has the ability to fund the development on its own. But plans are to finance a small part of the project through debt.
Good for them, that little area is nice. Triple Georges is great right across the street. Parking and traffic will be hell, as it already is.
Ohhhhhhhh the resident haters will not be happy about this good news... they never are!
Well I for one am glad to see that there is starting to be progress goin on downtown.. It has been a long time in coming ,,
but I have another Idea ( if anybody is listening,,)
Why not put the Liberace Museum, Pinball Museum, and a few others in the Neonopolis,, that would make for a great anchor and help to revilitize what is NOT there now,, Hopefully somebody will take head and see if that is a viable option!
Congrats so far tho... there is more in store I am sure !
Glad to see them coming back. Look at the photo, The parking garages are totally empty on the top levels. Totally empty. The one at Binions (old Horseshoe) used to be packed all the time. Couldn't get in there at times. I know Binion's has closed the rooms. Hopefully business will come back soon.
Downtown is getting better and better. As Vegas has always done in a downturn they find a way of making it bigger and better and always comes back.
Love the downtown area and glad to see many great things finally happening down there.
@Bakersfield
This is an artists drawing of the buildings, not a photo.
I could envision the entire renovation being done with 100% American made products From the wall board to the tile and the grout to the linens and draperies every thing and then they could boast about them being the pioneers into the American recovery by recycling the American Dollar with American made products.
And they could market the splendors of our resources.
The artist's rendering is very telling; streets are eliminated. Buildings are on what was a city park. The bridge crossing between the two Lady Luck towers has disappeared.
When will we see a realistic rendering?
Anyone checked out the El Cortez lately? And how about the Gold Spike? Downtown will lead the Vegas recovery because it's hip and cool. And if they continue to have great events on Fremont, what a location!
Fantastic news.
More great news for Downtown Las Vegas, which I believe is the best vacation value in America.
The poster "casinokid" had a great idea about doing the renovations using only American products and I would add legal American labour. Without a serious "buy American made" policy catching on, jobs will continue to drain overseas.
The Streamline Condominium owners must be thrilled with the recent spate of good Downtown news. It would be nice on my next vacation to see that condo fully occupied and lively.
ronster, It looks loke a drawing of the proposed Lady Luck improvements superimposed over a photo of the entire area. Either that, or I'd like to work for the company that allows the artist the time to put that much exact detail in the surrounding areas. I've worked for large firms on large projects ane we never had that kind of time in the budget. I'm talking about the areial view, not the other 2 that are obviously renderings.
I believe the revival of downtown will escalate because of the new economy, whereas consumers are being forced into being more controlled in their expenditures. The Strip has alienated most Americans (tho Corporate America could care less), and downtown offers a venue of Las Vegas yesteryear. You don't need to travel great distances between clubs and prices are more affordable. Once foot traffic increases, that 'safety in numbers' feeling will further increase visitation. Bringing the Liberace and Pinball Museums downtown is a great idea.
As I said before, I'll gamble in what's left of old Vegas. Not the Strip, keep it up Downtown.