The long-awaiting announcement of the name and theme of the first all-new casino in Las Vegas since the Sundowner casino opened in 1980 was held last week. Ironically, the Sundowner is now the D Casino Hotel, owned by the developers of the latest casino, Derek and Greg Stevens, who also own Downtown’s Golden Gate Hotel Casino.
Before an audience of more than 1,000, Derek Stevens outlined the path taken before announcing the name, the Circa Casino Resort. Stevens originally bought the Las Vegas Club at the corner of Fremont Street and Main Street. Later, he purchased the Girls of Glitter Gulch and the Bayou. But the final piece fell in place when Boyd Gaming agreed to sell Stevens the large lot across Main Street between Main Street Station and the Plaza, where Stevens will build a nine-story parking garage dubbed “Garage Mahal.”
Circa will be the tallest building Downtown at 44 stories and will contain 777 rooms, five restaurants, seven pools, a stadium-style sports book and a dual-level casino.
“There is a lot of unmet demand for fun in Las Vegas,” said Stevens. “At Circa, our goal is to create a destination resort in a historic part of the city, while showing guests the time of their lives. We plan to double down on the world-class service Las Vegas has always been known for while bringing personalized experiences to a new level.”
Circa pays homage to old Las Vegas. Stevens says the design and theme were influenced by such luminaries as Jackie Gaughan, designer of Circus Circus and Caesars Palace Jay Sarno, impresario Bob Stupak, creator of the Stratosphere, Steve Wynn and others.
According to a press release issued at the reveal, Circa will deliver a new experience built on the original principles of old-school Vegas hospitality. It will mix the glamour of vintage Vegas with modern luxuries and cutting-edge technology, honoring the golden age of the city. Guests can expect top-notch entertainment while enjoying honest, attentive and friendly service.
Paying homage to the city’s vibrant history, Circa will nod to the Las Vegas legends of decades past, ranging from the visionaries behind the first gambling halls on Fremont Street to the preeminent destination resorts on the Strip.
The property is being designed by Steelman Partners, with Tré Builders as construction manager, and McCarthy Building Companies Inc. as contractor.
Construction will begin later this month, with a target completion date of 2020.
Meanwhile, the Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino has begun construction of a new 495-room hotel tower.
No price tag was given for the project, which is slated for competition in 2020 and will nearly double the Fremont Street resort’s room count to 1,124.
“We are advancing our progressive growth plan for the Downtown Grand development as the demand for our rooms have steadily increased since our opening,” General Manager Kevin Glass said.
Both projects appear to signal a resurgence of tourist interest in Downtown, which has been overshadowed for decades by megaresort development on the Strip.
Boyd CEO Keith Smith told investors in October that the area is continuing to see “positive trends” in gaming revenue, hotel occupancy and room rates.
Downtown’s casino win jumped 26 percent from 2014 through 2017, although it cooled through the first 11 months of 2018 to just 1.3 percent.
The average daily room rate, meanwhile, has climbed 14 percent over the past three years
