Mirage, Hard Rock transition to begin with volcano demolition
The Mirage volcano’s days are numbered.
Permits issued to Mirage operator Hard Rock International show the property’s transition to Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas is expected to begin with the demolition of the hourly volcano show along Las Vegas Boulevard to make way for a guitar-shaped hotel tower.
Property officials announced May 15 that the iconic Strip property, famous for setting the modern blueprint for Las Vegas megaresorts, will close on July 17 for a three-year renovation.
The company plans to build a 660-foot tall, all-suite hotel tower shaped like glass back-to-back guitars, with other sweeping renovations inside the property’s main building.
Contractors responsible for the start of construction work received grading and dust control permits on May 20, according to Clark County Building Department records. Hard Rock has until Nov. 16 to start the project, the records show.
A representative for the resort said Tuesday that construction won’t start until the property’s closure but would not specify an expected timeline for the work.
Grading work, the process of preparing land for construction, will be done for the guitar podium pad, guitar tower pad, the valet building and other associated improvements, according to the permit’s scope of work. Vegas Civil LLC is responsible for the grading project.
A dust control permit shows that Las Vegas-based PENTA Building Group is contracted to remove the existing volcano fountain and build the guitar-shaped hotel tower.
Other records suggest the largest scope of the construction will be the podium expansion — one building in the front of the resort’s property upon which the guitar tower will be built, according to information submitted by engineering consultants Kimley Horn.
Hard Rock completed its acquisition of The Mirage’s operations from casino giant MGM Resorts International in December 2022 for more than $1 billion in cash. Casino landlord Vici Properties owns The Mirage’s real estate and has said its lease with Hard Rock calls for initial annual rent of $90 million.
McKenna Ross is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Contact her at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.
