O’Sheas employees learn casino to close in 60 days

Employees of O'Sheas were officially told this week the tiny Strip casino would be closing in 60 days.

Caesars Entertainment Corp., which owns O'Sheas, announced last summer the casino would be demolished as part of the $550 million Project Linq development. The casino will become part of the reconfigured Imperial Palace, which will be given a new name and theme.

Caesars Entertainment Senior Vice President Jan Jones said 285 employees at O'Sheas would lose their jobs but 180 had already been rehired at the company's 10 resorts on or near the Strip. The remaining O'Sheas employees would be placed on a priority hiring list for jobs that come available.

Project Linq, an outdoor retail, dining and entertainment district, will be built along a private street that separates the Flamingo and Imperial Palace, starting at the Strip and heading back to Audrie Street and Ida Avenue. The two streets will be converted from public to private streets.

The centerpiece of Project Linq is a 550-foot-tall observation wheel, which will be the world's tallest, outdistancing the Singapore Flyer and London Eye.