|
Stardust Goes Out with a Bang
The ever-changing Las Vegas Strip says farewell to another
legend. Boyd's Gaming is developing their Stardust site into
Echelon Place, a new destination resort.
Stardust Hotel Implodes to Make Way for Echelon Place
Las Vegas' famed Stardust Casino and Hotel Towers, comprised
of one nine-story tower and one 32 story tower, were imploded
simultaneously the night of March 13. The higher tower was
the tallest building ever imploded on the Las Vegas Strip.
Las Vegas-based LVI Environmental Services of Nevada, a subsidiary
of LVI Services Inc., was engaged to remediate and demolish
27 structures on the 63-acre site, totaling two million sq-ft.
Demolition began in December 2006, with asbestos abatement
and traditional demolition work. More than 100,000 sq ft of
asbestos-containing materials were removed from the property.
Upon completion, 170,000 tons of debris will have been removed
from the site of the Stardust, with 80% being recycled. Prior
to implosion, LVI ensured the removal of all debris within
the buildings wherever possible.
The company mechanically demolished various structures on
the site, and removed interior non-load bearing walls and
internal structures. LVI was also responsible for ensuring
that all utilities were disconnected from the property or
protected prior to the implosion and final demolition work.
LVI is finishing cleanup of the site and preparing it for
development of property owner Boyd Gaming's new Echelon Place
resort, which will begin construction later this year with
plans to open in late 2010.
Hard Rock Begins Expansion and Renovation
A large-scale expansion and renovation project for the Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas is underway. The expansion
project will include the addition of approximately 950 guest
rooms, including an all-suite 15-story tower with upgraded
amenities, approximately 60,000 sq ft of meeting and convention
space, and approximately 35,000 sq ft of casino space. In
addition, the project includes the expansion of the Hard Rock's
award-winning pool, several prominent new food and beverage
outlets, a new and larger "Joint" live entertainment
venue, 30,000 sq ft of new retail space, as well as a new
spa and health club.
As part of the project, the Hard Rock's existing suites and
common areas will be renovated to revitalize the property.
Klai Juba Architects is leading the architectural planning
of the expansion. The firm also led the expansion and upgrade
of the property in 1999.
The expansion, which is expected to begin during the fall
of this year and be fully completed during mid-2009, will
add approximately 550 guest rooms in a new tower to be constructed
on the existing property site, and will use eight acres of
the adjacent 23-acre land parcel to build a new all-suite
VIP tower with an additional 400 suites.
The project will also include the expansion of the Hard Rock's
casino and pool, as well as the addition of a new spa and
health club and several new restaurants and bars, and a new
nightclub.
Renovations to the existing property will begin immediately,
with upgrades to existing suites, restaurants and bars, retail
shops, and common areas, and a new ultra lounge and poker
room. These renovations are scheduled to be completed by the
first quarter of 2008. Upon completion, the Hard Rock will
have approximately 1,500 fully modern, state-of-the-art rooms
and all of the services and amenities of the larger casino
hotels, while preserving an intimate boutique feel.
DCC Architects Designs Elementary School
The Clark County School District recently approved DCC architects'
design for the replacement building of Tom Williams Elementary
School. The innovative design solves many challenges facing
the existing 50 year-old educational facility. DCC architects
developed a LEED-equivalent, two-story building to accommodate
21% more students into a site 40% smaller than the typical
size used in the 1998 bond program.
In December 2005, Clark County School District commissioned
DCC architects to design a replacement school for Tom Williams
Elementary that could accommodate 950 students, 230 more than
average on a site which is five acres less than the current
prototypical elementary schools sites. Adding to the constraints,
the current school is to remain in operation while construction
of the new school takes place.
DCC architects developed an 82,000-sq-ft building, capable
of sufficiently accommodating the students' needs while creating
a safer and healthier learning environment. By providing more
learning spaces the school will be able to offer services
such as full-day kindergarten, pre-kindergarten and a Family
Resource Outreach Center, designed to boost parent involvement
and help students succeed. DCC architects' space-efficient
school has eliminated the need for CCSD to purchase a separate
larger site for the project or relocate students during construction.
The estimated construction cost for the building is approximately
$31 million. Construction is scheduled to begin in June with
an expected completion date of August 2008.
Nigro Development Breaks Ground on Park Central Plaza
Nigro Development expands its presence into North Las Vegas
with the recent groundbreaking of the Park Central Plaza Shopping
Center, located at the southeast corner of Tropical Parkway
and Losee Road. The 27-acre retail site is anchored by a Wal-Mart
Neighborhood Market. Total build out for the $60 million Park
Central Plaza is approximately 200,000-sq-ft and is scheduled
for completion in third quarter this year. The $20 million,
40,000-sq-ft Wal-Mart is also scheduled to open in the third
quarter.
Park Central Plaza is surrounded by approximately 130,000
residents within a three-mile radius and more than 15,000
new homes.
'New Urbanist' CommunityPlanned for Southern Nevada
Inspirada, a precedent-setting nearly 2,000-acre master-planned
community in the southern foothills of the Las Vegas valley,
has opened its information center. The center will allow prospective
homebuyers to get a firsthand glimpse of the design and vision
for the community which features progressive architectural design
and the integration of residential, commercial and recreational
areas within the master plan.
In conjunction with the opening of the Inspirada information
center, KB Home's 17 model homes and sales office are open.
The community design of Inspirada is a collaboration between
City of Henderson officials and a consortium of nationally-known
builders and developers including KB Home, Focus Property Group,
Toll Brothers, Woodside Homes, Kimball Hill Homes, Pardee Homes,
Meritage Homes and Beazer Homes.
The architecture and design of the homes and community is completely
new to the Las Vegas valley. The experience of the builders
and developers played a major role in the New Urbanist design
of Inspirada. New Urbanist communities, also known as Smart
Growth planning, are structured to balance the close-knit community
feeling of traditional city neighborhoods with the conveniences
of modern life, while de-emphasizing the need for automobiles.
When complete, Inspirada will be one of the largest communities
of its kind in the United States, containing more than 11,000
homes for an estimated 26,000 residents with 300 acres of recreational
land and more than 20 miles of trails for walking and biking.
Inspirada is designed as a collection of seven intimate villages,
each featuring an interesting and eclectic mixture of homes
in varied sizes, designs and architectural styles. Several neighborhood
parks with a community center will be interspersed throughout
the villages so that every resident is within walking distance.
The community is designed to have virtually no walls dividing
Inspirada's neighborhoods, a departure from recent Las Vegas
community designs. Also planned to be a short walk away for
residents will be a 300-acre town center featuring retail, restaurants,
entertainment, office, civic and municipal uses.
Every neighborhood will feature architectural enhancements,
materials and colors that will vary from home to home, reminiscent
of classic towns of the past that developed organically over
a long period of time. The garages also are deemphasized with
the homes pushed closer to the street to create an attractive
street scene and allow residents to connect with the neighborhood
and their neighbors.
To submit New Mexico, Arizona or Nevada news items or press
releases, email Scott Blair, editor, at scott_blair@mcgraw-hill.com.
|
print this page
e-mail this page
