Details Slip About Future Of New Frontier
Wynn Clears Low Licensing Hurdle
Posted: 6:20 am PST March 14, 2005
Although the owner of the New Frontier, Phil Ruffin, is still being secretive with the details, he has let a few nuggets drop about his thoughts for what will eventually replace the oldest continually operating hotel on the Strip.His new project, originally estimated to cost in the neighborhood of $700 million, is now expected to go for about double that and will come in the form of a 3,000-room, all-suite luxury hotel that will aim to compete with Wynn Las Vegas, right across the street.It's a terrible choice, I say, as the high-end market is going to be all used up with Wynn, the Palazzo, and upgrades at Bellagio and Venetian. Go for the middle-market, Phil.No timetable has been announced for development of the themeless mega-resort, but most people believe that the New Frontier will not make it to 2006.Meanwhile, on the same property, a temporary building is under construction that will house the sales and preview center for the Trump International condo towers, planned for the back of the New Frontier site. In typical Trump fashion, the "temporary" building will cost around $3 million. It will open in June, with construction of the first of the two towers expected to begin this spring.
Anyone who reads this column knows I'm a total "American Idol" junkie and proud of it. So it's exciting each year when the competition gets going and the Las Vegas sports book directors jump into the fray with their odds on who will win the competition.Johnny Avello from Bally's believed Mario Vasquez has the best shot at winning the overall competition, giving the young crooner 4-2 odds before he dropped out of the competition. Next in line is self-proclaimed farm girl Carrie Underwood, at 9-2, and then music teacher Anwar Robinson at 5-1.Las Vegas local Mikalah Gordon comes in way down on the list at 22-1, but she was actually below "Sirens of T.I." singer Amanda Avila, whose 20-1 odds didn't play out as she was booted from the show this week.Of course all of this is just for fun. Betting on competitions like this is illegal.
The Titanic is sailing into the Tropicana, and it's going to be really hard for me to write this story without making comparisons between the host hotel and the infamous ship."Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" will be on view at the Tropicana Resort and Casino March 25 through Oct. 31, featuring hundreds of artifacts recovered from the wreck site. A suitcase, a felt bowler hat, the ship's whistles, glassware etched with the logo of the elite White Star Line and a massive piece of the ship itself will be part of the exhibit, which encompasses more than 25,000 square feet in the Tropicana Pavilion. It takes you on a chronological journey through the life of the Titanic, from the building of the ship to life on board, with authentically recreated first- and third-class rooms.The exhibit is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission prices are $16.95 for ages 12 to61, $15.95 for seniors 62 and up and $9.95 for kids under 12. Call (702) 739-2411 for more info or visit TriopicanaLV.com(Got all the way through it without making a sinking ship joke.)
When the producers of the animated film "Robots" were looking for a musical score that sounded "mechanical," who better to turn to than The Blue Man Group?A centerpiece of the show (and CDs and DVDs) is how the wacky performance artists turn everyday items into musical instruments, including some rather astonishing accomplishments with PVC pipe. The "Robots" score features work from the Blue Man Group with more than 25 new metal percussion instruments created specifically to accent the movie mood."Robots," featuring the voices of Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, and Robin Williams, is in theaters now.The Blue Man Group is currently playing at The Luxor through September and will then move into a new theater at The Venetian in October.
The plain-spoken Mayor of Vegas, Oscar Goodman, has been making headlines again over his plain-spokenness. At a Q&A session with a group of fourth graders in the area, Goodman was posed the question "What would you want with you if you were stranded on a desert island." Goodman responded, "A bottle of gin."People with no sense of humor everywhere immediately got up in arms over what they deemed to be inappropriate comments to the little tykes, and the mayor actually seemed to hedge a bit by saying he wouldn't do it again.Of course, right after that he told a group of adults that he was planning to talk to a group of sixth-graders about Cialas.You just gotta love this guy.
It was a tense showdown between a powerful casino impresario and public defenders of the common good as Steve Wynn battled to gain a license from the Gaming Control Board to open his $2.7 billion Wynn Las Vegas Resort. Both sides faced off, gauntlets were laid down, guns were drawn ...None of that is true. I was just trying to find a way to add some drama to something that had none. To absolutely noone's surprise, the Wynn Las Vegas resorts sailed through the Gaming Control Board hearing with nary an objection or even a raised eyebrow, gaining the appropriate licensse and clearing one of the last hurdles (albeit a very low one) before the doors can open to the public in April.Looming on the horizon is the knock-down, drag-out fight between Wynn and the Nevada Gaming Commission, which also has to also approve the license. It'll be tooth and nail and-- oh, never mind. They're going to approve it also.Wynn says he plans to open the hotel just after midnight on April 28, after a few days of allowing the hotel employees and their families to test-drive the rooms.
Anyone who reads this column knows I'm a total "American Idol" junkie and proud of it. So it's exciting each year when the competition gets going and the Las Vegas sports book directors jump into the fray with their odds on who will win the competition.Johnny Avello from Bally's believed Mario Vasquez has the best shot at winning the overall competition, giving the young crooner 4-2 odds before he dropped out of the competition. Next in line is self-proclaimed farm girl Carrie Underwood, at 9-2, and then music teacher Anwar Robinson at 5-1.Las Vegas local Mikalah Gordon comes in way down on the list at 22-1, but she was actually below "Sirens of T.I." singer Amanda Avila, whose 20-1 odds didn't play out as she was booted from the show this week.Of course all of this is just for fun. Betting on competitions like this is illegal.
The Titanic is sailing into the Tropicana, and it's going to be really hard for me to write this story without making comparisons between the host hotel and the infamous ship."Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" will be on view at the Tropicana Resort and Casino March 25 through Oct. 31, featuring hundreds of artifacts recovered from the wreck site. A suitcase, a felt bowler hat, the ship's whistles, glassware etched with the logo of the elite White Star Line and a massive piece of the ship itself will be part of the exhibit, which encompasses more than 25,000 square feet in the Tropicana Pavilion. It takes you on a chronological journey through the life of the Titanic, from the building of the ship to life on board, with authentically recreated first- and third-class rooms.The exhibit is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission prices are $16.95 for ages 12 to61, $15.95 for seniors 62 and up and $9.95 for kids under 12. Call (702) 739-2411 for more info or visit TriopicanaLV.com(Got all the way through it without making a sinking ship joke.)
When the producers of the animated film "Robots" were looking for a musical score that sounded "mechanical," who better to turn to than The Blue Man Group?A centerpiece of the show (and CDs and DVDs) is how the wacky performance artists turn everyday items into musical instruments, including some rather astonishing accomplishments with PVC pipe. The "Robots" score features work from the Blue Man Group with more than 25 new metal percussion instruments created specifically to accent the movie mood."Robots," featuring the voices of Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, and Robin Williams, is in theaters now.The Blue Man Group is currently playing at The Luxor through September and will then move into a new theater at The Venetian in October.
The plain-spoken Mayor of Vegas, Oscar Goodman, has been making headlines again over his plain-spokenness. At a Q&A session with a group of fourth graders in the area, Goodman was posed the question "What would you want with you if you were stranded on a desert island." Goodman responded, "A bottle of gin."People with no sense of humor everywhere immediately got up in arms over what they deemed to be inappropriate comments to the little tykes, and the mayor actually seemed to hedge a bit by saying he wouldn't do it again.Of course, right after that he told a group of adults that he was planning to talk to a group of sixth-graders about Cialas.You just gotta love this guy.
It was a tense showdown between a powerful casino impresario and public defenders of the common good as Steve Wynn battled to gain a license from the Gaming Control Board to open his $2.7 billion Wynn Las Vegas Resort. Both sides faced off, gauntlets were laid down, guns were drawn ...None of that is true. I was just trying to find a way to add some drama to something that had none. To absolutely noone's surprise, the Wynn Las Vegas resorts sailed through the Gaming Control Board hearing with nary an objection or even a raised eyebrow, gaining the appropriate licensse and clearing one of the last hurdles (albeit a very low one) before the doors can open to the public in April.Looming on the horizon is the knock-down, drag-out fight between Wynn and the Nevada Gaming Commission, which also has to also approve the license. It'll be tooth and nail and-- oh, never mind. They're going to approve it also.Wynn says he plans to open the hotel just after midnight on April 28, after a few days of allowing the hotel employees and their families to test-drive the rooms.
The Full Story
- Details Slip About Future Of New Frontier Chippendales Encouarages Ladies To Lose Inhabitions Gordie Brown Impersonates Impersonator Vegas Q&338;A: Why Can't I Bet On Awards, Reality Shows?
In Next Week's Column
Next week: The latest from Las Vegas.Plus, don't forget to send your questions about Las Vegas. I've got room for more, so send them in today!Click here to go to the main page of Vegas4Visitors.com and see all of the fantastic resources Vegas4Visitors has to offer you when planning your next trip to Las Vegas.Rick Garman is the head writer for Vegas4Visitors
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