North Strip Renaissance Failing to Take Shape
LAS VEGAS - During the boom years, developers, hoping to cash in on Las Vegas, made big bets on the north end of Las Vegas Boulevard.
"There was a lot of construction, but nothing really happening on this end," said Houston tourist Lorenza Shaw. The promise of a north Strip renaissance never came to a fruition. "It's a disappointment, it really is, but what are you going to do," asked New Jersey tourist Natashia Hicks.
Boyd Gaming's multi-billion dollar Echelon project sits idle on the land of the old Stardust hotel. The development is on hold until market conditions improve.
Up the boulevard, the Fontainebleau stands empty and unfinished. Construction halted last year when lenders cut off $800 million in financing for the project.
Elad IDB intended to build a $5 billion replica of New York's Plaza hotel on the site of the old Frontier. But, the land stands empty.