Towering-high-above-others Vegas resort plans

Article posted by Coliseum, May 3^rd, 2024

Image: Coliseum GSVA

A team of Las Vegas (US) real estate developers is planning to build what could be the City’s tallest resort on the 27-acre site that formerly held the Wet ’n’ Wild Waterpark and for years was targeted for Jackie Robinson’s (businessman and former basketball player and the Founder and head honcho of ALL NET Development Inc.) now-terminated All Net Arena project.

‘LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL’ stated that the LVXP, described as a Las Vegas-based real estate development company, plans a multibillion-dollar 2,500-room ultraluxury resort anchored by a state-of-the-art National Basketball Association (NBA)-ready arena.

The Wet ‘n’ Wild Waterpark in Las Vegas is a 41-acre waterpark in Winchester, Nevada (US), rebranded as the Cowabunga Canyon Waterpark in March 2022. The park is located in the Southwest Valley and offers over 25 water slides and attractions, including the Tornado funnel slide and The Rattler, a 360-foot descent into a splash pool.

The All Net Development Inc. is the client behind the now-terminated All Net Arena and Resort project in Las Vegas, Nevada (US). The 862,500 sq ft resort was a project led by the former basketball star Jackie Robinson.

The above project was terminated after the Clark County Commission unanimously denied a fourth extension request for its land use permit on November 21^st, 2023. The project had been delayed several times and its financial backing had changed multiple times over the past decade.

New York (US)-based the National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams. It is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered to be the premier professional basketball league in the world.

‘LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL’ further stated that the three LVXP Principals – the head honcho James Frasure Jr., the Chief of Staff Christine Richards and the Chief Construction Officer Nick Tomasino -are all longtime Las Vegas residents. The LVXP’s leadership team and advisers includes experts in real estate, finance, marketing, technology, sports, and entertainment.

Remarked Frasure, “We are the antithesis of the previous project. We are pulling together the best talent in the Valley, such as Nick and some other people that we have worked with and the plan is to make this a success quickly and impactful for the whole Valley.”

Resort to Feature Arena

Frasure said the resort would include an arena with 18,500 to 20,000 seats for entertainment and sports, rooms with technological advancements currently used in the overseas resorts, a casino, convention facilities, a retail plaza, and food outlets that would spotlight the Las Vegas restaurateurs. A subterranean parking facility is also being planned.

He said the as yet unnamed resort would be the City’s first seven-star property.

Developers said the project, which would prioritize sustainable development and Green initiatives led by world-class construction partners, is expected to create thousands of jobs, employ union labor and generate substantial revenue for the local economy.

Asserted Tick Segerblom, Clark County Commission Chairman, “This is a well-conceived project that has the potential to transform a valuable undeveloped land parcel into a highly productive destination that contributes meaningful long-term value to the community and the visitors alike.”

The Clark County Commission is the Governmental organization that governs and runs the Clark County, Nevada, providing services to the unincorporated areas. Its offices are located at the Clark County Government Center in Downtown Las Vegas.

Frasure said he has met with the management of the property’s Strip neighbor, Fontainebleau (a four-star luxury resort on the Las Vegas Strip), currently the tallest of the Strip resorts.

Lined with upscale casino hotels, the neon-soaked Strip is quintessential Las Vegas. As well as gambling floors, the vast hotel complexes house a variety of shops, restaurants (ranging from mainstream to high-end) and performance venues for music, comedy and circus-style acts. Attractions like the soaring, choreographed Fountains of Bellagio and the High Roller observation wheel draw crowds.

Frasure did not disclose the name of the hotel operator with whom he is negotiating, nor the development and building costs for the project.

The company also looks to dust off the Federal Aviation Administration approvals granted in 2008 allowing construction up to just less than 1,200 feet.

The nearby Strat Tower is the tallest structure West of the Mississippi River at 1,149 feet.

Added Frasure, “I’ve been here for 31 years and we view this as us having a responsibility to fulfill a project for the community because it is something that affects the whole Valley. So, it’s very Las Vegas-driven.”

Other Partners

Richards joined the company three months ago and made her mark in Las Vegas for more than two decades as a professional dancer and choreographer with the ‘Raiding the Rock Vault’ production show at the Strip’s Hard Rock Cafe. She also had sales roles in the beverage and cannabis industries rising to leadership and management positions over 15 years, according to her LinkedIn profile.

After design and management roles with the MGM Resorts International’s (a global hospitality and entertainment company that owns and operates casino resorts and is based in Las Vegas) design team and with the Howard Hughes Corporation (real estate company based in Texas), Tomasino spent more than five years as the Senior Vice-President of Construction for the Sphere Entertainment Company (live entertainment and media company based in Las Vegas) directing development of the 18,600-capacity Sphere in Paradise, Nevada.

Frasure has had a longtime relationship with the Lowden family, former Owner of the Sahara (four-star hotel and casino) and the acreage South of it, and when the Clark County would not extend permits to Robinson for the All Net Arena, he negotiated acquiring the land.

He said that the process was completed in January and he cleared all liens (legal claim or right against assets) to be able to present his concepts to the county.

He said he intends to submit permitting requests to the Clark County by July and is hopeful to receive all permissions and permitting by August to break ground on the project late this year or in early 2025.

Maintained Frasure, “Our commitment is to create a destination that captures the essence of Las Vegas and provides lasting benefits for the community. For me, this endeavor is more than a project – it’s a promise to uphold the spirit of innovation and enthusiasm that defines our local culture.”

Steelman to Design

One of the first negotiations he made was with the Las Vegas-based Steelman Partners, which has designed casino-resorts worldwide.

Las Vegas-based the Steelman Partners is an American international architecture and interior design firm specializing in entertainment architecture, interior design, lighting design, graphic design, 3D design, and master planning. The firm has designed casinos and integrated resorts around the world.

Among Steelman’s projects were Circa Resort & Casino in downtown Las Vegas, the Crockfords Resort at Resorts World Las Vegas on the Strip, the Darling Resort and Casino on Australia’s Gold Coast, and The Grand Resort and Casino on the Grand Ho Tram Strip (a complex of integrated resorts on over 400 acres of land and more than two kilometers of beach) in Vietnam.

Put in Paul Steelman, head honcho of Steelman Partners, “As we begin shaping the next chapter of Las Vegas, I’m thrilled to lead the design for the LVXP, a pioneering venture merging cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) with personalized guest experiences. Collaborating with the LVXP team energizes my creative spirit, as together, we strive to craft a landmark that not only redefines the City’s skyline but also pays homage to its architectural legacy. With every detail, we aim to transcend boundaries and immerse guests in a tailored reality, setting a new standard for hospitality and entertainment in Las Vegas.”

Steelman said it is too early to provide any design renderings of the project.

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