A new casino property may be in the works on the Las Vegas Strip. At a time when there may appear no more space is available to add another casino along the famed stretch of real estate, the area above and behind Fashion Show Mall could be seeing a new gambling venue.
Howard Hughes Holdings has an 80% interest in the area above the mall and the company recently announced a planned casino. Hughes’ new Seaport Entertainment division is set to take over the company’s entertainment operations and announced it would be adding a casino and hotel tower above the property.
“The assets of Seaport Entertainment lie at the intersection of real-estate and entertainment,” Howard Hughes CEO David R. O’Reilly said. That apparently now includes adding a Strip to the company’s growing portfolio.
A New Player in the Las Vegas Casino Scene
The Fashion Show Mall opened in 1981 and features major retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dillard’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue. A new casino tower would be located across from Wynn and Palazzo, and next door to Treasure Island.
Seaport also takes control of a few other Las Vegas enterprises, including the city’s Aviators minor league baseball franchise. Seaport will also control a stake in the Jean-Georges Restaurants, which has two Vegas locations at Bellagio and Aria.
Howard Hughes will then become a real estate holdings company. The firm developed the Summerlin master-planned community in west Las Vegas and also owns and builds home, office, and retail locations in Arizona, Hawaii, Maryland, New York, and Texas.
“The planned separation of Seaport Entertainment from Howard Hughes will refine the identity of HHH as a pure-play real estate company focused solely on its portfolio of acclaimed master-planned communities,” the company noted in a news release.
Details on the planned Strip casino haven’t been unveiled yet. However, the company also announced a major Las Vegas industry veteran to spearhead Seaport operations. Anton Nikodemus, a former executive at MGM Resorts, was named as Seaport CEO. He formerly was the president and COO of MGM’s massive CityCenter development where he oversaw The Cosmopolitan, Vdara, and Aria casinos and hotels.
Nikodemus’s background also includes overseeing the development of two other MGM properties – MGM National Harbor Hotel in Maryland and MGM Springfield in Massachusetts. He looks to now be the executive expected to lead the development of the casino above Fashion Show Mall.
Fontainebleau’s Long Story Finally Leads to Strip Casino Addition
In other Vegas Strip news, details recently emerged about what is planned for the Fontainebleau casino, which opens Dec. 13. The property has been in a state of limbo since the announcement to build the resort in 2005.
Construction began in 2007 but financing issues and bankruptcy delayed the project. Plans for the property changed hands a few times before construction was once again delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeff Soffer, owner of Fontainebleau Resorts, acquired the property again in 2021 and construction ensued again.
The $3.7-billion property becomes a significant addition to the north end of the Strip, which also now includes newer resorts like the Sahara and Resorts World.
“The opening of Fontainebleau Las Vegas marks a significant milestone in our company’s legacy, as we look to create an era-defining moment in Las Vegas history,” Fontainebleau Development’s President Brett Mufson told Travel + Leisure magazine.
The 67-story, 3,644-room hotel is reported to be the tallest occupiable building on the Strip. The hotel’s registration area is designed by David Collins Studio, with elevator banks and the lobby meant to mimic the group’s work at Qatar’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Harrods department store in London.
Fontainebleau will boast quite a grand casino with 150,000 square feet and 42-foot-high ceilings. Guests can also check out entertainment acts at the 3,800-seat, 90,000-square-foot theater or head to the 50,000-square-foot Liv nightclub.
Plans also call for a “stadium-styled” 35,000-square-foot Liv Beach club as well, opening in spring. This is one of seven water features at the six-acre pool venue. Plenty more is also planned for the property including numerous bars, restaurants, and a 55,000-square-foot spa facility.
Fontainebleau brings yet another significant addition to the Strip. Beyond those already mentioned, another Strip casino may also be in the works. In 2022, Houston businessman and billionaire Tilman Fertitta, owner of the Golden Nugget, announced plans for a new casino at the southeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue.
Fertitta hopes to build property with a 2,420-room hotel and 59,000 square feet of casino space. The property also will include a 2,500-seat theater and 2,000-space parking garage. Fertitta’s filings with Clark County estimate the project to begin in March and completion set for March 2025 after purchasing the land for $270 million.
