The Riviera will be destroyed under a $42 million plan approved Tuesday by Las Vegas tourism officials.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s board of directors unanimously approved the Riviera plan, paving the way for the shuttered hotel-casino’s eventual demolition or implosion as the authority prepares to replace it with more convention space.
It’s still unclear exactly when the hotel will be taken down, but authority staff have said it won’t happen any sooner than six months from now.
Next, the authority will select contractors who will be in charge of the demolition. Terry Miller of Cordell Corp. told the board that while the exact method of demolition still needs to be determined, he anticipates the hotel towers will be imploded, while other parts of the property will be torn down.
An authority committee previously approved the Riviera plan last month, opting to take the hotel down sooner rather than maintain the existing buildings for a while. By getting rid of the structure in the near future, the authority will be able to temporarily lease the empty land.
Board member Chuck Bowling, who chairs the committee that first approved the demolition plan, said the faster timeline will allow the authority to immediately benefit from bringing in more visitors. He said it will also send a clear public message that plans for the Riviera site, which the authority purchased for $182.5 million in February, are moving forward. The property has been closed since May 4.
Local resident Kelden Engel, who’s about to begin classes at UNLV, wanted the board to go a different route.
Donning a “Save the Riviera” T-shirt, he advocated for the preservation of what he said is an important piece of Las Vegas history.
“The Riviera was one of the last down-home, customer-service-oriented properties,” he said after the board meeting.
But the Riviera site is a key component of the authority’s vision to maintain Southern Nevada’s status as a premier convention market. With other cities vying for a piece of Las Vegas’ convention business, authority staff say expanding the Convention Center to the Strip will allow it to stay competitive.
Moving forward, the exact plans for the Riviera site should also be shaped by the work of a new tourism committee recently convened by Gov. Brian Sandoval.
One of that committee’s goals is to examine Southern Nevada convention facilities and make recommendations regarding new space. That group is expected to send a report to the governor in about a year.