A developer wants to build the tallest building in America on the Strip at the site of an old water park. Aviation authorities say such a tall building could cause problems for airports.
Posted on 12/09/2006 8:07:32 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Southern Nevada has long been a place where architectural imagination runs wild (think volcano, pyramid and New York skyline), where would-be developers ignore the constraints of reality and hope their spectacular - if not fantasy-based - visions will take root and become tomorrow's icons. Now come two wildly contrasting visions of where Las Vegas-bound tourists can escape - one, a towering Strip hotel that would be the second-tallest building in the world and the other, an artists' village in the nearby desert that might best befit a world of unicorns and rainbows. As intriguing as each might be, they both face significant hurdles. Is there enough water in the desert to sustain a castle? Would the Strip hotel endanger the very airplanes that deliver tourists here? But for now, who's worrying about such details?
By Liz Benston
Las Vegas Sun
A Texas developer is seeking Clark County approval for yet another casino resort on the Strip, this one at the site of an old water amusement park near the Sahara.
If he keeps it at a few hundred feet tall like his neighbors, approval would probably be a slam dunk.
But Christopher Milam is thinking taller. Like 1,888 feet tall, in the shape of an obelisk.
That would put it about two-thirds again taller than the Stratosphere. It would, in fact, eclipse the tallest building in the country, the 1,450-foot Sears Tower in Chicago.
"Kinda tall," one county planning aide remarked.
Too tall, says Randy Walker, Clark County's aviation director, because it would be a danger to aircraft.
The County Commission, which is scheduled to consider the plan in March, won't approve projects that don't pass Federal Aviation Administration muster. Walker says it won't.
Nellis Air Force Base brass also are objecting to the obelisk, saying it would disrupt military operations at the base.
Las Vegas has long been a magnet for over-the-top, even zany ideas - including Stratosphere creator Bob Stupak's never-built Titanic resort (the casino was going to be in the iceberg) and a hotel in the shape of a giant slot machine, a concept that gave way to the now-defunct Boardwalk.
In 2001, developers vying to build on former Union Pacific Railroad property downtown proposed a 2,200-foot hotel and condominium tower, which at the time would have been the world's tallest. The proposal made for a fascinating architectural rendering but didn't go much further.
Milam's project, presented by the commercial developer with a straight face, would be the second-highest building in the world, short of the Dubai Tower, which is under construction, in the United Arab Emirates. It would contain 5,000 hotel rooms and all the other trappings of a resort - casino, showrooms, convention halls and a dining-entertainment-retail shopping complex.
Las Vegas' tallest hotels are shorter than 700 feet , with developers maximizing the value of expensive land by building up to the maximum heights allowed by the FAA, which has already notified Milam that any building over 708 feet would be hazardous.
"I've seen (the FAA) adjust by as much as 50 feet upward," Walker said. "But this would be a huge leap ¦ It's just not going to happen."
The Stratosphere has forced departing planes to make steeper climbs and delays departures when visibility is low, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said. The FAA recommended that Las Vegas not approve the Stratosphere, but the city's planning rules don't require FAA approval. It's rare for a municipality to overrule an FAA recommendation, however, Gregor said.
Milam has built upscale condo and retail developments in Arizona and Texas as president of privately held IDM Properties, but he has no experience building casino resorts. He was the developer behind Peter Morton's $1.2 billion condominium project near the Hard Rock Hotel - condos that were never built and planned on land that Morton is selling with the Hard Rock.
Milam has an option to buy the 27 acres, where he wants to develop the $4.8 billion resort. He won't discuss financing beyond that he is securing well-known sources for bank loans and bonds.
He isn't ruffled by Walker's opposition to his towering obelisk. "That's exactly what I'd expect Randy to say," he said. "His job is to protect the interests of the airport."
The tower has "airspace issues" that can be resolved because the tower is just north of protected airspace needed for circling planes, he said.
"Almost everyone we talk to has been delighted to see it," he said. "It adds to Las Vegas. It's an iconic building."
Liz Benston can be reached at 259-4077 or at benston@lasvegassun.com.
I like it.....
A developer wants to build the tallest building in America on the Strip at the site of an old water park. Aviation authorities say such a tall building could cause problems for airports.
I thought Taiwan had the tallest building and the one being built in Dubai would be even taller...the tallest in the world?
Dubai? Dubai will be a wasteland in 20 years after the this current war.
The Burj Dubai (Arabic: برج دبي for "Dubai Tower") is a skyscraper currently under construction, since April 15, 2005, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at 25°11′58.34″N, 55°16′20.66″E. The lead architect is Adrian Smith of the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Its final height is officially being kept a secret due to competition; however, figures released by a contractor on the project have suggested a height of around 808 metres (2651 feet)[1]. "
A large phallic symbol to greet Las Vegas visitors.
I flew into Vegas to change planes while on a business trip last month. Noticed that the tall hotels were just north of the airport and can see why the FAA would have issues with this.
That picture is kind of ...well...never mind.
Looking at that picture......well.....I am wondering if it vibrates.......LOL!
That's a landmark for sure....
Well, I guess they could just move the airport, huh?:')
They are talking about moving the airport way south of town....occupies some valuable space where it is....
Moving the airport was under discussion before this latest proposal....
Used to be a time when McCarran was practically out in the middle of the desert... just crazy growth in Vega$.
Planning is underway for development of the Ivanpah Valley Airport (IVP), a project that the Nevada Alliance has actively supported since 1996. The airport is one of only three major U.S. airports currently planned to begin development during this decade.
This facility will provide a second major public air carrier (passenger and cargo) airport serving the greater Las Vegas metropolitan area. IVP will augment the capacity available at McCarran International Airport. The Clark County Department of Aviation will administer both airports. The airport will be situated in Ivanpah Valley, about 23 miles south of Las Vegas between the communities of Jean and Primm. The airport will be constructed in the area between Interstate Highway 15 and the Union Pacific rail line. It is anticipated that IVP will serve international and long haul domestic passenger flights, as well as international and domestic air cargo demands.
IVP brings significant potential economic development and diversification benefits to Clark County and southern Nevada. The approximately 6,000 acre airport site will be designed to accommodate the largest "next generation" passenger and air cargo aircraft. The airport's landside infrastructure is expected to feature state-of-the-art intermodal transportation systems for the rapid transfer of freight and passengers from the airport to their ultimate destinations.
The amount of land available at the airport site will facilitate adjoining industrial development. An industrial/commercial park is expected to host a variety of domestic and international convention, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and aerospace trade interests. Extension of the Las Vegas Foreign Trade Zone to include the airport and industrial center will add value.
Preliminary design, environmental, and air traffic studies are underway. Current plans call for construction of the first phase to begin late this decade, with initial operations beginning in 2017. Increase growth of passenger traffic at McCarran, or other uses, may result in accelerating development of Ivanpah Valley Airport.
President Clinton signed federal legislation permitting Clark County to purchase the airport property from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on October 28, 2000. Clark County purchased the property from the Bureau of Land Management June 18, 2004.
Additional information is available from the Nevada Alliance at (702) 862-5532.
I have only flew in a few times but nights were always special when we came around the mountain and saw the lights.
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