MGM Resorts International has submitted proposals to Las Vegas local authority Clark County to expand its Bellagio casino resort (pictured) on the Las Vegas Strip.
The plans include a dozen new shops, bars, and restaurants as part of a three-story plaza at the front of the property, where it meets Las Vegas Boulevard. It will also feature a 100,000-square-foot new nightclub with terrace views of the iconic Bellagio fountains.
The plaza’s designs are by Marnell Architecture, whose architects also envisioned the rest of the Bellagio, Wynn Las Vegas, and the Rio.
It is unclear when the project is set to begin, or even how long the approval process will take. The property is already scheduled for a 400-suite makeover of rooms in its main Bellagio tower later in 2024. The Bellagio is operated by MGM and owned by New York-based private equity firm Blackstone Inc.
The Old
There is currently a large access road on the site of the planned extension, alongside a partially sheltered pedestrian walkway leading up to the main entrance.
This area is basically unmonetized, yet gets high foot traffic, so should be an efficient investment. The plans have clearly been in the works for a while. In 2023, MGM bought a 1.62 acre strip of land adjacent to the planned new site that previously belonged to the Cosmopolitan.
It paid $54 million for the small strip of land, presumably to use it for infrastructure in building the new plaza. According to the plans, the Cosmopolitan’s service access road, which is still in use on the site, should not be affected by the build.
The Cosmopolitan is also operated by MGM since 2022. It is only partly owned by Blackstone. The private investment firm’s real estate arm, Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, shares ownership of the Cosmopolitan’s land with Stonepeak Partners and the Cherng Family Trust.
MGM pays rent to the owners as part of the deal for running both casino resorts.
The New
Before any construction begins, MGM will have to see the land rezoned by Clark County. It has been considered a vacant lot with no special use cases by the county for years.
The new expansion has been code-named Project Mojave in the planning documentation. There’s no word on how much this new venture is expected to cost, but any development on this scale in Las Vegas won’t come cheap.
In late 2023, MGM completed a $110 million revamp of one of the Bellagio’s two towers. It fully overhauled all 819 rooms and 104 suites of the Spa Tower, taking slightly more than six months from start to finish.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
