Billionaire Texan Tilman Fertitta’s plans for a major new Las Vegas Strip casino resort are still inching forward, according to new applications submitted this week to Clark County.
Fertitta, the cousin of Red Rock Resorts owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, wants to build an as-yet unnamed casino resort on a vacant lot (pictured) on the east side of the Las Vegas Strip. The land is located between the Miracle Mile shopping precinct and the MGM Grand.
Fertitta originally applied for planning permissions on the 6.2 acre property in late 2022, but little has changed since. It is unclear if it will be under the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino chain that Fertitta owns.
“We are actively evaluating all our options with the development and have no confirmed updates to share at this time,” said Jeff Cantwell, EVP of development at Fertitta Entertainment in an emailed statement sent to media this week.
Latest Developments
Some revealed details of the project include a proposed 43-story hotel with 2,420 rooms, convention space, a wedding chapel, and a 2,500-seat theater.
Over the past month, modifications to the plans have been submitted to Clark County. That included designs for pickleball courts and space for a parking garage.
Fertitta’s plans also call for an extension to the pedestrian bridge just up the road on the corner of Harmon Ave and Las Vegas Boulevard that will connect it to his resort.
The Las Vegas Boulevard-Harmon Avenue site is currently sitting vacant, used only as a parking garage. It was previously home to the Harley Davidson Las Vegas Cafe for 19 years between 1997 and 2016. It was complete with a giant Harley Davidson Motorcycle.
After sitting vacant for four years the Tex Mex Tequila Bar & Grill opened late 2020. However, the place suffered with generally bad reviews and closed in early 2024.
Plans are still in the early stages for Fertitta’s redevelopment. No application has been submitted to demolish the existing structures on the site or begin groundwork
Fertitta’s Casinos
Fertitta should be a familiar name to many in Las Vegas. The Texas-based billionaire owns Landry’s Inc, the Golden Nugget casino chain, and the Houston Rockets.
Golden Nugget also operates three casinos in the Silver State. In 2023, it bought the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe and turned it into a Golden Nugget property. It also runs a casino in downtown Las Vegas and one in Laughlin, Nevada.
Across the U.S., it also operates half-a-dozen Golden Nugget venues in various states, including Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, and New Jersey.
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