MGM closing sales on leaning towers of Strip

When award-winning architect Helmet Jahn was handed a site within the 67-acre City Center complex that would house the project's only all-residential building, the designer decided a building should be created that would fit what he considered to be the heart of the development.

The firm has designed office buildings, high-rises, airports, convention facilities and commercial centers throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. The Strip, architects decided, was the perfect location for a twin-tower concept that leaned 5 degrees from center in opposite directions.

"There are enough straight buildings in this world," said Francisco Gonzalez-Pulido, the architect and partner to Jahn who helped create what would become Veer Towers. "With height limitations, we thought one building wasn't enough."

The idea was presented to MGM Resorts International executives, who fell in love with the concept, Gonzalez-Pulido said. The builders, however, had concerns.

"I think it was the fear of never having done a building quite like this," Gonzalez-Pulido said Thursday during a tour of Veer Towers. The 37-story glass towers sit 90 feet apart and lean 30 feet in opposite directions from top to bottom.

"I don't know if a building like this could have worked in New York City," Gonzalez-Pulido said. "Because of its location on the Strip, the design gives the towers life and movement and a tremendous energy."

The concept required several dozen circular concrete and steel structural support pillars that permeate through the two buildings and serve as a design element within the 670 residences.

The only public areas of Veer Towers are the lobbies, where Gonzalez-Pulido created an abundance of natural light flowing through floor-to-ceiling windows which showcase two commissioned works by artist Richard Long.

Veer Towers are the only buildings at CityCenter closed off to the general public because they are considered private residences. However, the occupants have direct access to the rest of CityCenter.

"You're not going to find a residential building like this anywhere else in the world," said Tony Dennis, executive vice president of the CityCenter Residential Division for MGM Resorts International.

Veer Towers was the third and final CityCenter project to start closing sales on the studio apartments; one-, two- and three-bedroom residences; and penthouse units. The condominiums range in size from 500 square feet to nearly 3,300 square feet and have price tags ranging from $353,000 to the multi-million dollar figure.

Each of the 37-story towers feature 335 residences. The towers each have rooftop pool decks and fitness centers for residents' use only.

Veer Towers officials showed off several different units Thursday with views of CityCenter and other portions of the Strip. One unit displayed was a 36th floor, 2,400-square-foot penthouse unit that includes two bedrooms and was tentatively sold for $1.75 million.

Dennis said some 50 fully furnished 526-square-foot studio units in the lower levels of the east tower will go on sale this fall for $353,000.

CityCenter's three residential components, Veer, the 1,495-unit Vdara Hotel and the 227 residences atop Mandarin Oriental, account for 2,400 total condominiums and condo-hotel units.

Through July, closings have taken place on 234 units, representing $204 million in sales, according to Las Vegas-based Union Gaming Group, which has been tracking sales at CityCenter.

The sales include 43 units for $98.8 million at Mandarin, 121 units for $69.6 million at Vdara and 70 units for $35.8 million at Veer.

Dennis said he expects 300 of CityCenter's residential units to complete the sales process by the end of the month. He thought the largest penthouse units at Veer could achieve sales prices that equate to $1,000 per square foot.

Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871.