What was no more than a road and a patch of dirt two years ago now is the newest, coolest, and possibly the most environmentally friendly development on the Las Vegas Strip.
MGM Resorts International on Monday unveiled its 3-acre Park and on Wednesday revealed the $365 million T-Mobile Arena, which already earned Gold Certification for sustainability and is one of the most environmentally friendly arenas in the world.
Murren says MGM focused on its core values of inclusion, diversity, and environmental stability when building the arena, and every drop of water used at either the Park or T-Mobile Arena is recaptured for later use.
MGM and entertainment giant AEG partnered to build T-Mobile Arena, using only private funding and employing 3,500 union workers to complete the 20,000-seat, multi-purpose venue. MGM has more than 100 events scheduled at T-Mobile, including sporting events and concerts, and has a target of more than 200 annual events. A NHL pro hockey team is expected to play in the new arena within a year or two.
The initial investment of $365 million already is paid for via T-Mobile paying $365 million to name the arena. That leaves MGM and AEG looking to profit from ticket sales and related events spending.
Which is where the Park comes into play.
The Park is a tree-lined and shaded community setting where visitors can enjoy shade and a cool breeze on a hot summer day. Murren said MGM built the Park to provide a community gather place for local and visitors alike.
He said every great city in the world has a park where people can congregate and share a sense of community, and the Park is that place in Las Vegas.
Unlike the popular Fremont Street Experience in Downtown Las Vegas, The Park won’t allow busking, and panhandling won’t be allowed. That means visitors also won’t be inundated with pocket-sized cards advertising local strippers, which remains a common, although less so, on the Strip.
Entering The Park from the Las Vegas Strip, pedestrians can pass between lengthy water sculptures lining either side of the walkway and acting as a cooling element, before entering The Park’s shaded, breezy seating areas.
Trees and shade structures with outdoor seating beneath on the Park’s expansive patio offer ample opportunities to relax, enjoy a cold beverage and snack, and take in the Park’s ambiance.
Artistic performers, who aren’t looking for handouts, and artworks abound in the Park, and visitors can have fun playing bag toss, Jenga, and other fun games while spending time with friends and family.
The Park also features a variety of food and drink establishments offering a wide range of fares, from sushi to sausages, and indoor and outdoor seating.
Anchoring the south end of the Park is the 40-foot tall Bliss Dance sculpture, which represents human dignity and the import roles women play in society and people’s daily lives.
Between the Park and T-Mobile Arena is Toshiba Plaza, where up to three outdoor performance stages provide free entertainment for locals and visitors. Guests don’t need tickets to events at T-Mobile to hang out at Toshiba Plaza and take in the fun and entertainment offered there.
Parking for the venues are located at the New York-New York and Monte Carlo Casino parking structures, but visitors will have to pay to park during big events, where $10 commonly will be charge for event parking.
During non-event hours, visitors who drive to the Park eventually will have to pay hourly parking fees at MGM facilities. MGM planned to start charging for parking this month, but delays have pushed back the parking fees until possibly this summer.
In the meantime, though, MGM likely will do as the Westgate does during big conventions, and charge a flat fee of $10 to park during events.
MGM’s new big development isn’t its last. A new, 5,000-seat theater is underway at the Monte Carlo casino, and Murren said last week that the new name for Monte Carlo would be announced in June, and that the new brand would attract a new clientele.
Fortunately for MGM, the Monte Carlo has a relatively basic casino structure, making it relatively simple to make major changes and rebrand it. By contrast, MGM’s Excalibur casino and its castle-like structure is highly unique and would be much more difficult to remake and rebrand, without a complete demolition.
With T-Mobile Arena and its 20,000 seats, the MGM Grand Garden Arena and its up to 15,000 seats located a block away, and the Event Center at Mandalay with more than 10,000 seats, MGM is counting on the Park benefitting from large events, and smaller ones, too, when the Monte Carlo’s new 5,000-seat theater is completed.
Nearly 45,000 venue seats within a block of the Park and Toshiba Plaza suggest MGM has a certain winner on its hands, and the Park will enjoy robust business.
Globetrotter Makes History at New Vegas Arena
Before the Harlem Globetrotters play the first sporting event inside T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas-native Scooter Christensen officially christened the new venue with improbable shots from the outside.
His first shot was from a balcony over 80-feet away. His second one was over 100-feet. And Scooter’s final shot was made on the first attempt from the roof of an 8-story parking garage.
