Downtown Las Vegas’ Fremont Street Experience has the go-ahead to upgrade its signature five-block-long overhead light show with technologies to make it sharper, more elaborate and bright enough to be shown during daylight hours.
Las Vegas City Council put the final piece of the $32.8 million project in place by approving a $10.7 million 10-year tax-exempt bond for the FSE. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is kicking in $9.5 million. The FSE, a private entity owned by the district’s casino owners, is funding the remaining $12.6 million, most it financed by the city’s Reinvestment Development Authority.
Downtown gaming revenue casinos soared nearly 12 percent last year amid increasing tourist interest in the neighborhood. A 2016 LVCVA study found that 53 percent of all visitors to Las Vegas visit Downtown at some point during their stay. The report said 59 percent of tourists credited the light show as the main reason for going there.
“The canopy is the spine of Downtown visitation,” said FSE Chief Executive Patrick Hughes.
The overhaul is slated for completion by June 2019, with work starting from east to west along its 1,500-foot length and completed in increments to “minimize experience disruptions,” he said.
