Major Construction Projects Have Stalled And Left Vacant Plots Of Land On The Vegas Strip

During Wynn Resorts’ most recent earnings call, CEO Craig Billings reiterated that the company will eventually expand in Las Vegas, saying:

“It's really a question of when, not if, and we will take advantage of the land bank that we have in Las Vegas.”

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The expansion will be across the Vegas Strip to an empty lot next to the Fashion Show Mall. Longtime visitors to Las Vegas may remember this empty lot that was once home to the New Frontier. The casino was demolished in 2008.

Still standing tall, Fashion Show Mall is next to the empty lot that was once the New Frontier. (Image: Parmorama/Alamy)

Before the land was sold to Wynn, it was earmarked to become a luxury casino resort named Alon. Wynn initially had plans to expand to this land in 2018. The company put those plans on hold shortly after the announcement.

North Vegas Strip

The vacant lot across from Wynn isn’t the only undeveloped land on the Vegas Strip. There are empty plots of land on the north and south ends of the Vegas waiting to be developed after projects were paused or stopped completely.

Former All Net Arena Land

The land between Fontainebleau and Sahara has been sitting empty since the Wet n Wild water park closed in 2004. There have been numerous projects planned for this vacant land on the north end of the Vegas Strip.

Most recently, there was a plan to build All Net Arena on 27 acres of land. The idea to build mixed-use property with multiple hotels, an arena, and retail shops never secured financing, and plans were scrapped.

The land has a new owner and developer with a similar plan. Las Vegas is high on the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) list of cities for a potential expansion team.

An NBA team playing at a venue on this site would become the anchor of a potential project. However, there’s another company with plans to build an NBA Arena complex in Las Vegas.

If the Oak View Group’s plans come to fruition, the company plans on self-financing a $10 billion sports and entertainment complex a couple miles south of Mandalay Bay. It's likely there will only need to be one new arena for an NBA team.

Fontainebleau/Riviera Land 

Earlier this year Fontainebleau purchased a 10-acre plot of land that was once home to the Riviera. There are no plans for the land that has been vacant since the Riviera was imploded in 2016.

The deal is expected to close before the end of the year. Fontainebleau’s developers will likely announce plans once the sale is completed.

If Fontainebleau doesn’t close the sale, a retail developer could buy half of the land.

Vacant Land Between Fontainebleau and Peppermill

Right now there's 10 acres of vacant land that looks like a parking lot between Fontainebleau and the Peppermill Restaurant. The land was once home to La Concha Motel and is now owned by The Siegel Group.

During the 1990s, the La Concha Motel shone brightly on what is now a vacant lot. (Image: Robert Landau/Alamy)

The developer owns restaurants, housing, and retail properties. Two years ago the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported the company was reviewing plans to build a hotel-casino. That's the last public information available for the future of this land. 

The Seigel Group could develop the land or sell it for more than the $75 million it paid two years ago.

Las Vegas Festival Grounds

The Las Vegas Festival Grounds is caught between being vacant and a part-time concert venue. This “open-air venue” is technically part of Circus Circus.

Treasure Island’s owner, Phil Ruffin, purchased the casino and adjacent land in 2021 and had big plans, including a water park and possibly retail. Since taking over the casino and hotel, Ruffin has been focusing on updating Circus Circus instead of developing the land.

This land was once a possibility for a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium for the Oakland A’s. It could be developed by Ruffin or a new owner in the future.

Mall Casino in the Sky?

Now for something completely different. This isn’t about vacant dirt on the ground. This is about vacant air above a mall.

Fashion Show Mall is the only non-gaming property on the corner of Spring Mountain and Las Vegas Blvd. It’s opposite Wynn, The Venetian, and Treasure Island.

Fashion Show Mall may stay grounded, but the sky's the limit. (Image: Belinda Jiao / Alamy) 

However, there could someday be a casino on this particular corner of the Vegas Strip. The mall would still exist but there could be an addition above it.

Howard Hughes Holdings owns 80% of air rights above the mall. Yes, air rights are a real thing and not just a topic from Ocean’s 13.

The company floated the idea (pun intended) of possibly building a casino above the mall. The land remains in use for the mall and the air still doesn't have a casino. 

South Vegas Strip

There has been vacant land on the south end of the Vegas Strip for decades and that could increase later this year with the upcoming Tropicana implosion. 

Tropicana Plans Still TBD

Bally’s and landowner Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI) have not announced official plans for the Tropicana's land after the implosion. The companies are waiting to hear if a potential anchor tenant will, in fact, be a key part of the future.

Nine of the 35 acres are slated to be used for an MLB stadium for the Oakland A’s. However, the team may not have financing to cover its share of the stadium.

Construction on the MLB stadium is slated to begin in early 2025. Time will tell what becomes of the land across the street from Excalibur, MGM Grand, and New York-New York.

SkyVue Pillars Still Standing Across From Mandalay Bay

Nearly 40 acres of land across the street from Mandalay Bay and Luxor have been vacant for decades. In 2011, there was a groundbreaking ceremony for SkyVue Las Vegas.

The project barely got off the ground. The developers didn’t secure enough financing to build more than two pillars for a 500-foot tall observation wheel that would have been taller than Mandalay Bay’s hotel towers.

SkyVue pillars still stand across from Mandalay Bay, unchanged since 2011. (Image: Courtesy of bestoflasvegas.com)

After a few years of empty land, the land that also would have included a casino and retail outlets was put on the market. The pillars still remain standing on this empty lot.

Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota Land

Three tribes from western North Dakota purchased a total of 23 acres of land across the street from Mandalay Bay and Luxor a few years ago. The largest parcel of land was the site of the Route 91 shooting in 2017.

A smaller piece of land was once home to the White Sands Motel. While plans have not been announced for the vacant lots, the hotel was demolished earlier this year.

Plans for Dream Hotel and Casino Paused

Dream Hotel Group held a groundbreaking for its first Las Vegas property across the street from Mandalay Bay and Bali Hai Golf Course in 2022. The boutique hotel and casino project was paused a year later due to a lack of financing.

Hyatt purchased the hotel operator just before the Las Vegas property was put on hold. Late last year, KTNV reported that construction might resume in January 2024. It’s August and there hasn’t been a peep about the progress of this boutique hotel and casino. There's no word when or if construction will resume.