There is a huge amount of development happening in Las Vegas right now — both renovations of existing resorts and shopping centers, and construction of new ones — but one of the biggest transformations coming soon might be on the east side of the Strip directly across from CityCenter. There are two separate projects moving forward that will replace a budget motel, outdated retail space, and surface parking lots with a new casino resort and high end shopping center.
The retail building at the SE corner of Harmon Ave. & Las Vegas Blvd. (currently home to the Tex Mex Tequila Bar & Grill and some other shops, formerly the Harley Davidson Cafe) and the Travelodge Center Strip have been acquired by Tilman Fertitta who also owns the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas. It is rumored that
he will build a new casino resort on the 7.8 acre site which sits across the street from
The Shops at Crystals. The Travelodge has already been demolished but the restaurant and shops are still operating (as of my visit in late December). Fertitta owns the Post Oak Hotel in Houston, Texas, and it is rumored he could bring that brand to the Strip.
Just south of that site, Gindi Capital has acquired two shopping centers, the Hawaiian Marketplace and Cable Center Shops,
which they plan to demolish and replace with “a new flagship retail, entertainment and dining experience.” Both of the existing shopping centers have already closed. This site is directly across the Strip from the Waldorf Astoria hotel, which was previously the Mandarin Oriental.
You can see the former Travelodge (now a vacant lot) on the left and the former Hawaiian Marketplace on the right (in front of the Polo Towers building):
The Cable Center Shops sit directly south of the Hawaiian Marketplace:
Gindi Capital also owns the Showcase Mall, just south of the Cable Center Shops site. A new Brewdog brewery and restaurant just opened on the rooftop which has a great view of the Strip:
Across the street from the Tilman Fertitta project, at the SW corner of Harmon Ave. and Las Vegas Blvd., a new shopping center called
63 Las Vegas is nearing completion. This lot has been vacant since the demolition of
The Harmon, a hotel and condo tower that was partially built but demolished before opening due to the discovery of construction defects: