The Strip:

Treasure Island hiring consultant for convention center project

The Strip-side property opened in 1993.

It will be summer, at the earliest, before Treasure Island knows if plans for a new convention center will get off the drawing board, officials said.

TI is in the process of hiring a consulting firm to do a feasibility study to determine if a convention center can be added, how big it will be and where it should be located. They're hoping to have a report in hand by summer.

"It's something we want to do. We just want to be certain it makes sense," said Michelle Knoll, senior vice president of communications.

Conventions are a huge business for many Las Vegas resorts, but TI doesn't have the space to accommodate large business gatherings. That's because when Steve Wynn built the resort, which opened in 1993, he had planned on sharing the convention space with the Mirage. Years later, MGM Resorts International ended up buying the Mirage, and Phil Ruffin now owns TI.

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