5 Las Vegas high-rise projects that never got off the ground
Las Vegas’ construction industry has gained momentum as builders put up apartments, warehouses, the Raiders stadium and other projects.
However, the valley also boasts a long history of developers pitching big plans and never following through – especially if they announced projects during the easy-money mid-2000s bubble.
Here’s a look at five Las Vegas high-rise proposals that were never built.
Crown Las Vegas
Australian billionaire James Packer, Texas developer Chris Milam and investment firm York Capital Management teamed up by 2007 to build Crown Las Vegas — a 1,888-foot, 142-story casino resort on the former Wet ‘n Wild water park site on the north Strip.
The proposed height was later shaved, but the tower was never built.
It was one of multiple big projects proposed for the site over the years. The most recent plan, from ex-NBA player Jackie Robinson, calls for an arena, 44-story and 63-story hotels, conference space, restaurants, a movie theater and more on the 27-acre property.
Robinson, who unveiled his project in late 2013, started excavating the site in 2017 but has shown no further progress.
Ivana Las Vegas
Australian developers unveiled plans in 2004 for a 73-story condo tower at the northeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue.
The project was initially known as the Summit, but its name was changed to Ivana Las Vegas after Donald Trump’s ex-wife Ivana Trump agreed to put her name on it.
Press releases in 2005 said the tower would rise 80 stories.
“In Las Vegas, size does matter,” one announcement said.
Today, the property has a Walgreens.
Las Palmas
Florida developer Don Peebles acquired Las Palmas, an apartment complex just east of the Strip, in 2007 and announced plans for a cluster of high-rises there.
He wanted to build four 55-story glass towers with hotel rooms and condos, a news release said. But the project went nowhere, and the property faced foreclosure after the market crashed.
Las Palmas is still there and was purchased by a California developer in 2017.
Plaza Las Vegas
In 2007, Israeli investors bought the New Frontier for $1.2 billion and imploded it. Their plan: build a luxury project called Plaza Las Vegas.
The monster development was supposed to span more than 15 million square feet and include 4,100 hotel rooms, 2,600 resort condos, nearly 176,000 square feet of casino space and much more, according to county records.
Overall, the plans called for seven high-rises that would reach up to 671 feet, the records indicate.
However, the economy soon crashed, nothing was built, and Australia’s Packer acquired the site through foreclosure in 2014.
His group filed plans for the 1,100-room Alon Las Vegas, but they never built it and sold the property to Wynn Resorts.
The land remains empty.
Vegas 888
In 2004, Florida developer Christopher DelGuidice acquired an 8.6-acre parcel next to the Palms for $50 million. The next year, he announced plans for Vegas 888.
The opulent 50-story condo tower was supposed to have concierge service, butlers, poolside villas, steam rooms, glass stairs and a nightclub called The Whale Club.
In the end, he opened a sales center but never built the tower and lost the land to foreclosure.
Las Vegas developer Chris Beavor bought the property in 2016 for $13.5 million and launched a mixed-use project.
Contact Eli Segall at esegall@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342. Follow @eli_segall on Twitter.
