New Strip casino-resort Dream Las Vegas to break ground next to airport on Friday

The Strip is about to get a new casino-resort on Las Vegas Boulevard, next to the airport. A ceremonial groundbreaking announced by Developers of Dream Las Vegas will take place on Friday, thus marking the beginning of the 531-room property’s construction, which is expected to open in late 2024. The project’s price tag is near the $550 million mark and will feature restaurants, nightlife, a third-level pool deck and meeting and event space. 

Developed by Southern California firms Shopoff Realty Investments and Contour, Dream would be smaller than the existing resorts, characteristic of Las Vegas Boulevard. It would offer a boutique-style experience in an ultra-competitive market dominated by hotels with thousands of rooms, huge casino floors and other amenities.

As reported by Las Vegas Review-Journal, Bill Smith, senior vice president of design and construction at Shopoff, said the resort will be the flagship property for operator Dream Hotel Group of New York City. The operator already boasts Dream-branded locations in Manhattan, Miami Beach, and Nashville, among others.

Construction is set to get underway as visitor totals in Las Vegas continue to bounce back from the pandemic-driven drop, and as Nevada casinos rake in more than $1 billion a month in gambling revenue.  

The upcoming project has faced concerns regarding its location, which is next to the airport, as illegal drone flying, laser lights and even bombs hidden in garbage trucks were considered before its approval. This led to a series of design changes. 

The project plans were sent to several agencies including the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service, as they raised “safety and security concerns” about the airport operations. 

The Transportation Security Administration issued an assessment stating the project was near an area of the airport “used for high-level individuals, special operations and military aircraft packing”; and the resort would “increase risk to both the aircraft and the passengers due to active shooters and the ability to throw things over the fence intended to cause harm” to people and planes, according to county documents. 

In consequence, project representative Tony Celeste of law firm Kaempfer Crowell described multiple design changes to the Clark County Commission at an October hearing. Dream’s porte-cochere was moved, allowing the movement of the tower away from the airport property line and toward Las Vegas Boulevard. Its border with the airport now includes a 9-foot tall, double-reinforced security wall with guard rails and wrought-iron fencing. 

A security checkpoint will be installed to allow only authorized vehicles onto the service road that rings the property, and grates or spikes would be installed on the other side of the building to prevent drivers from avoiding that checked entry, Celeste stated. 

Additionally, sightlines to the airport were reduced as well. The hotel’s pool deck was added a "decorative" 10-foot security wall, and all the guest-room balconies were scrapped. Each room will feature a “glass-break detector system” alerting security if anyone tampers with the windows. This security measure was taken based on the gunman who attacked the Route 91 Harvest festival in October 2017, killing 60 people.

The project’s approval took place at a hearing last fall where county commissioners voted 6-1. The project is on Las Vegas Boulevard just south of Russell Road, set to sit on a roughly 5-acre project site. It’s also near the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign, a popular attraction where photo-snapping tourists would capture Dream in the background of their shots.

Las Vegas continues to expand with new projects after the pandemic. In late June, details of a $3 billion entertainment district south of the Las Vegas Strip were unveiled by Oak View Group, including an 850,000-square-foot arena, casino, hotel and amphitheater. The arena could eventually be home to a Las Vegas professional basketball franchise.

The project, which was previously unveiled in March, will be located near the intersection of Interstates 15 and 215. The arena, included in the plans, will host upwards of 20,000 seats and will offer amenities such as suites and premium hospitality clubs.