CityCenter

CityCenter is an enormous and ambitious development by MGM Mirage on 76-acres right in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip. Construction is scheduled to be complete “late in 2009.” Like most Strip activities, the construction on CityCenter never stops. It will continue 24/7 until it is finished. The original budget was over $4 billion, but some current cost estimates go as high as $7 billion, making it the most expensive privately-financed development in the history of the United States, at least so far. The Boardwalk Hotel and Casino was imploded to make room for this project. The CityCenter is designed to be an “urban space” to appeal to a young and affluent urban dweller. It will occupy the space between Bellagio on one side and Monte Carlo on the other. A people mover system will connect the properties.

The essence of the project is that it is a collection of very modern, urban high rise towers, combining a large and luxurious casino, 2,700 condominium units, 4,000 hotel rooms, a 400-room, upscale boutique hotel, and a restaurant and shopping mall covering over half a million square feet. The hotel and casino is in a 61-story “CityCenter Resort Tower.” There are two 400-room, boutique condo hotels: The Harmon, and the Mandarin Oriental. There is a condominium hotel tower called the Vdara, with more than 1,500 units, and twin, 350-unit towers called the Veer. They are each tilted 5º off true vertical.

Other features of the development, in addition to the vast retail and restaurant space, will be 300,000 square feet of space for exhibitions, shows, conventions and business meetings and a 2,000-seat theater, currently planned to house a Cirque du Soleil production that is a trib-ute to (whom else?) Elvis Presley. The development will have its own power plant and fire station, as well as a parking garage for 7,500 vehicles.

The first phase will include the resort hotel and large casino, the convention center and the Elvis Theater, together with some office space and parking garages. A second phase will add two condominium towers, open space and some retail space. Then the last phase will complete the project with the Veer Towers, much more retail space and more parking. The first phase is scheduled for completion at the end of 2009 and the remaining phases should be completed in the following year.

The following details are taken from plans for the project made public as of the summer of 2007:

Casino

The casino is planned to have over 160,000 square feet of gaming space, and, judging from the other top level MGM properties, it will offer just about every option the serious Las Vegas gambler or the casual tourist might be looking for. This would include a variety of gaming tables offering craps, roulette, baccarat, blackjack and the several newer games (like Caribbean Stud and Let it Ride). Management plans a large and well equipped sports and race book and a separate poker room. It is also a foregone conclusion that the latest slot machines and video poker machines will be spread all throughout the facility.

Entertainment

A new Cirque du Soleil show called “Elvis” is due to open when the resort does. Additional entertainment venues are planned with the intention, of course, of making the CityCenter the actual center of all Las Vegas headliner entertainment. Plans also call for an outdoor display of light, water and ice and a program to display some of the world‘s finest works of art to the visiting public.

Dining, Pools and Health & Beauty

The design of CityCenter calls for restaurants, pool amenities and spa services unequalled elsewhere, but visitors will have to wait for more details to be announced as construction of the first phase nears completion.

Accommodations

The Vdara Condo Hotel will be a 1,543 room condo hotel in 53 floors of the City Center. It will have its own design and look and feel, as well as high-end dining and its own pool, placed over the porte cochère. It will have a spa, and cabanas at both the pool and the spa. Owners will be entitled to VIP treatment at all Mirage properties, including preferential treatment at nightclubs, lounges and golf courses. The casino and resort itself will have 61 floors and 4,000 rooms and suites. The Veer Towers, the Harmon and the Mandarin Oriental complete the residential picture.

Shopping

On the drawing board are several floors of shopping, with the aim of having the world’s most extensive array of big designer and retail names in one place. This space will also include several upscale restaurants, nightclubs and bars.

Golf

Any of the Mirage’s golf properties will be available open to guests of the CityCenter. Cur-rently that includes Shadow Creek and the Primm Valley Resorts Golf Course. The latter is really two separate courses. Both have won awards and recognition for their beauty and high quality.

Meetings and Conventions

CityCenter aims to be the place for shows and conventions in Las Vegas, with a facility that occupies three levels and over 300,000 square feet. There will be four ballroom/exhibit halls up to 51,000 square feet in size, as well as lots of pre-function space, 38 meeting and breakout session rooms, two of them fully equipped board rooms, the latest in sound and video presentation technology, and a meeting coordination staff.