Echelon is simply repeating the reality of the Stardust of the mid-fifties when it sat as a hulk of an empty concrete structure, unfinished and unfunded for many months, after Tony Cornero had a heart attack and died shooting craps at the Desert Inn.

History apparently does repeat itself.

To me the draw and greatness of downtown was always that it was the antithesis of the strip.

When it was western and rustic that was the best, and an attraction unto itself.

I believe the decline, except for the Golden Nugget which somehow always attracted new investors (likely the Wynn effect) has been mostly due to the Fremont Street Experience.

Take the canopy down, raze closed nearby buildings and marginal operations and create something new that plays upon the past.

It's time for some demolition.

Regarding the exterior design of Aria.

From all the renderings, photos and even seeing it in person a couple of weeks ago, for me there is only one word that really describes it and that word would be nondescript.

It doesn't really stand out in my mind after seeing it.

I am looking forward to seeing the interior.

Hopefully that will be very impressive.

:

The opening bell has rung.

It's now survival of the fittest.

We used to hit The Mint, The Nugget, The Fremont and Binion's.

I remember seeing Wayne in the lounge at the The Fremont.

Drink and gamble, drink and gamble.

One time I had to leave my luggage at LAX as security to get my car out so I could go and bring back money to pay my parking tab.

Those were the days.

May I come and stay complimentary?

I would forsake the Mirage for an ongoing freebie.

I'll do my own housekeeping!

Heads in the beds, come on!

That was my concern.

That Mr. Murren's past experience has come into being in the present in the form of this alleged "urban center" and now the people of Las Vegas have to live with it good or bad.

It's a bold stroke and here's hoping it's a good bet.

It's all a big desert morass, and what difference does it make to the owners and shot callers?

They get driven to the Executive Jet Terminal and within 90 minutes are sitting on the beach in front of their Orange County Coastal mansions.

Really It looks like no problem from that angle.

I agree if some of these particular decision makers had really been around in the old days their perspective could be different.

Steve Wynn was around as a kid and I believe he appreciates the bigger picture.

Las Vegas really was the best in the old days.

It was great timing that Project Viva never broke ground.

That could have been a huge disaster in the making.