I've added a new Photo Quiz  ... << MORE >>

I've updated THE "Who Owns What" Map and added timeshares and condos to the mix. ... << MORE >>

I've updated THE Area Map adding a few things and changing some others...enjoy  ... << MORE >>

The new city hall is coming along nicely. I've added lots of new photos on the site.

The structures that will soon support the solar panels in the front plaza are in place. This is my favorite << MORE >>

As usual, I will be at the Studio for a First Friday open-house along with architect H.Stephen Jackson and art curator Debbe Sussman welcoming all who would like to come in and chat, gaze, graze, and learn about some of our visions for the future of downtown Las Vegas.   << MORE >>

I finally updated THE Downtown Map  and put up a couple of night shots of the Smith Center's tower (all lit up). ... << MORE >>

I've updated THE Map and and the Casino by Size page.

I am also starting to propagate the pages with facebook LIKE buttons and TWEET buttons as well as Google's new +1 buttons. This will make it easier to share the content with your friends and bring more traffic to the site. ... << MORE >>

I've posted a set of photos of the now-open Tivoli Village in Summerlin...enjoy  ... AƼČᰀ婀
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I've updated the site with new construction photos of the new City Hall and included a short video of the mock-up light-wall that will turn the City Hall into a light show at night. Only in Vegas (lol).

Also, I've added some photos of the (now finished) Regional Transportation Center. IMO a stunning piece of architecture and a welcomed addition to downtown.

Lots more to come folks. ... << MORE >>

OK, it's been a while and many of you have written with your concerns. Thanks for writing. ... << MORE >>

Well it's First Friday again and I will be at the Jackson Architecture studio showing off and meeting everyone who wanders in. As usual Stephen Jackson and I have new projects to show and there will be the usual mix of artists displaying their works as well. ... << MORE >>

For the last few months, I have been working side by side with architect H. Stephen Jackson (the brains behind the Holsum Design Center  aka. Holsum Lofts)  on a number of Proposals for Downtown Redevelopment, including a 60's Diner Restaurant, a Pizza  Restaurant & Beer Garden, and a Shopping Center to include a Grocery Store, Cleaners, Coffee Shop and Bistro.

Stephen and I will be there to show off these projects and meet you good folks tonight (First Friday).

The Loft Gallery aspect of Stephens Architectural Studio at the historic Holsum Design Center will be open, as well as Denise Duarte's "Pop Up Gallery" across the hall, featuring talented Artists Mikel Patrick (a fellow Architect) and Sigrid Brunel. ... << MORE >>

Let's have a little fun. << MORE >>

As promised, I went back to the cosmopolitan yesterday to get a second impression and took some interior photos.  

Taking a look at the Cosmo's website yeasterday, I noticed a new slogan "We're Open, come act like you own the place". This philosophy suggests that no one will hassle you if you sit in a lounge to chill-out without ordering a drink. Or, hang out by the pool without a room key... we'll just see.  

The pool deck was closed on my first visit as I did not venture up to that level until late-night - so I visited it first. I figured that I would be stopped by an employee who would inform me that the pool area was for guests only (like ... << MORE >>

If I needed to sum up my first impression of the Cosmopolitan with one word, it would be "WOW".  This place is everything its behemoth neighbor to the south should have been. I've heard the Cosmo referred to as "CityCenter's rebellious little sister" and description fits her to a T (or tee, if you prefer).

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Firstly; I must apologize for the lack of postings lately.  I have been busy working with H. Stephen Jackson (The architect behind Holsum Lofts).Stephen and I are working on several potential projects for the downtown area and hope to romance some developers soon. More on that later.  I don't usually lump multiple subjects into one article. Consider this a heads-up, I will follow up on these soon.

Meanwhile, The Cosmopolitan  is opening tomorrow and I (and my camera) will be there.  I will have a full report in a day or so.

It looks like the folks at Lady Luck are getting the renovations started. They will start with the Celebrity Theater (across the street) converting it into a sports book and lounge.

Zappos, the web retailer, I moving it's headquarters to the old city hall building (as soon as the new city hall ... << MORE >>

The 300-wing of the Tropicana is being imploded (yes, imploded) tonight some time between 2:00 and 2:30 a.m. ... << MORE >>

MGM Resorts Intl. has confirmed the rumor the the Harmon Hotel will be removed from CityCenter. The build has been deemed unsafe and is condemned. No time frame for the event was given.

We still don't know if it will be imploded or dismantled.

I'm sure the folks at Cosmopolitan are happy about this (view expanding) news. Frankly, i was never fond of the Harmon, I thought it looked out-of-place within the CityCenter complex.

thoughts? ... << MORE >>

Oscar Goodman has something big up his sleeve and he's keeping pretty quiet about it.  What we do know is that this (whatever it is) is going to happen on three parcels within Symphony Park and (according to Goodman) will be international news.

The City did a little deal with Newland (the company that manages Symphony Park) and procured three parcels that were originally slated for Newland residential projects in exchange for a free parcel to Newland. Another win/win situation.

Speculators thing a major sports arena will be the big news, but is a major sports arena the "international news" Goodman is promising...we need to wait a few days to see. ... << MORE >>

Well, this gets filed (firmly) in the rumor department.

According to a reliable inside source, there are rumblings behind the scenes at CityCenter that the foreshortened The Harmon Hotel may be the star of the next major implosion in Vegas.

As most of you know, there was a big 'oops concerning the re-bar in the tower that wasn't discovered until the tower was way too big to fix. My guess is that no insurance company on the planet will touch The Harmon. So, the rumor goes on to say that The Harmon will be replaced with a fitness center and a (much needed) grocery store ($18.00 Pop-Tarts, anyone?). ... << MORE >>

There are currently two demolition projects happening at the Tropicana. See then here 

The old venue "The Cellar" is being ripped out to make way for a new nightclub. I know, I know - does Vegas really need another nightclub? Well, in this case the answer is a resounding YES. The Trop doesn't stand a chance of competing with the big-boys without one.

The other demo is a little more devastating, the entire 300-wing of Garden-Rooms is being removed (that's the odd wing that points toward the MGM Grand.  This area will serve as a new entrance which will service the crowds waiting to enter the new nightclub, Don't worry, 80% of the Garden-Rooms are safe and will be renovated. ... << MORE >>

It looks as though Carl Icahn is getting ready to unload the Fontainebleau, according to a report in the New York Post.  He's selling everything that's not welded in place. Beds, furniture, etc. are being sold. This seems like a strategy to get as much as possible out of the place before it's sold to another developer.

Icahn is reported to have said that he has no plans in sight for the completion of the resort. Can the depressed Vegas hotel market handle another 4,000 rooms anytime soon? - I think not.

Thoughts??? ... << MORE >>

I just launched the new Hotels page.  This should make navigating the site easier.  If it is well received, I will precede to changing  the other navigation pages (Condos, Other Projects, Mixed Use).

The old Hotels page had a truncated description of each project and a "More" button. A lot of folks ignored the "More" button and never saw the page for the projects in which they were interested. I feel this list-style is a no-brained approach.  Also, it was one more page to edit. There are still phrases like "will be" for projects that were long ago completed. This fixes that issue as well. << MORE >>

Don't panic, The Smith Center is not going to be green (or teal). While it is a LEED Green building, the color you see in the new photos on the site is just the first step in the afore-mentioned three-step plaster process. You can see one of the photos below.


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For those of you who have written about the destruction of the front of Paris Las Vegas, let me assure you that the project is just another enhancement to the Strip and an additional Strip-front restaurant. The 15,000-sq.-ft.  Sugar Factory restaurant and retail will have a roof-top outdoor dining patio with great Bellagio Fountain views.  Speaking of fountains, the Sugar Factory replaces the fountain that was in front of Paris.



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Our good Mayor is a little miffed that ThePlaza isn't going to be imploded. You see, he envisioned a gently-arching pedestrian bridge (full of kiosks, vendors and such) as an extension of Fremont Street, linking Fremont to SymphonyPark. Well the folks at Tamares Real Estate "plan" to revamp ...

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After four failed attempts to capture the exterior lighting on The Cosmopolitan (every time I went down to the Strip, they were off), I have opted to use some shots of more fortunate photographers. I have added several shots from Jay Abramson and a few Flickr-finds by Las Vegas Lover. ... << MORE >>

It, looks like the owners of the old Plaza (Union Plaza- downtown) have made some expensive decisions. At the expense of their employees that is. It was reported today that 400 of the Plaza's employees will be laid off (some relocated) so that they can close all of the hotel rooms for renovation. The rest of the public spaces (casino, restaurants, etc.) will be renovated in stages (while still open). The project is expected to take one year to complete.

The owners (Tamares Real Estate) are working on getting a $20-million loan to invest in the property. When they reopen, the hotels name will be changed back to Union Plaza, as agreed, so as not to be confused with the new "The Plaza", that Elad still hopes to build on the Strip.

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I updated the Convention and Meeting Space page on the site. ... << MORE >>

The folks at Forest City were kind enough to let VegasTaT be the first website to show the full sized rendering of their Symphony Park casino resort. The resort is to begin construction once the New City Hall is complete (we'll just see). If built to plan, the iconic building will put a new twist on downtown's skyline. The curvy tower is quite aDesign stunning design, unlike anything in the Las Vegas valley. I hope this comes to fruition. ... << MORE >>