Today on DMZ

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome to my New Year’s edition of DMZ, the Destination Management Zone…WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS ENDS UP ON DMZ. Brought to you by Las Vegas DMC – Destination Fabulous. Out with the old and in with the new as we begin another fabulous year here in Las Vegas “The Entertainment Capital of the World!” Who needs La La Land when our own city is equally known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Set in modern day Las Vegas, our original musical features “Mimi” and an Aussie from the “Land Down Under”, who explore the joy and pain of pursuing their dreams on the glitzy side of “The Strip.”

So, let’s cut to the chase, what happened to music songstress Mariah Carey and billionaire fiancé James Packer calling their fairytale romance quits? Did he think she was only after his money? Was she really just a gold digging diva after all? What began as a “Fantasy” soon became a “Vison of Love” as James became Mariah’s “Hero”, and had Mariah singing at the top of her lungs that you will “Always Be My Baby” because “We Belong Together.” How did it all go so wrong?

Rumor has it that a source told Page Six, “The relationship was always a sham—it was all about one thing…money, money, money, money.” Woman’s Day Australia reported that Packer was unsettled by Carey’s lavish lifestyle, with an insider telling the rag, “James is very generous, but Mariah takes it to the next level.”

What was to be an “Endless Love” turned out to be a “Heartbreaker” leaving each of our star-crossed lovers to go their separate ways with a simple “Bye Bye.”

However, this wasn’t Packard’s only separation this year…on Dec. 15th it was announced by Crown Resorts, whose top shareholder is the Australian billionaire, that the project known as Alon would not be proceeding with the “Strip” resort planned for a parcel of land just north of Fashion Show mall and directly across from Encore. In a press release, the company said it was looking for ways to recoup its investment in Alon, including an outright sale. The prospect of this project getting off the ground now is “dicey” at best.

Speaking of “dicey”, what was up with Mariah’s NYE appearance on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest? It’s being called a disastrous performance of Britney Spears like proportions without the head shaving. Before the ball dropped and 2016 finally came to an end, revelers in Times Square and viewers like myself watching at home were treated to an incredibly awkward five minutes of song and umm…dance.

Carey flailed through her set because she apparently couldn’t hear the recorded tracks being piped out to the TV audience. The result: we the viewers heard singing though Carey wasn’t moving her lips. One behind-the-scene-type offers a reason for the failed lip synching. The source says while the other stars did a walk-through before the show, Carey didn’t – dispatching a stand-in to do it for her.

Carey’s people blame the production crew – even going so far as to suggest Carey was set up to fail. But Dick Clark Productions says suggesting Carey was sabotaged is “absurd.”

Let’s Ring in the New Year!

The future is ours to see with projects being planned now that will forever change the landscape of the Strip. Las Vegas, always puts a premium on what’s new. So, with that in mind here’s the latest and greatest for what’s on the horizon here in “Glitter Gulch!”

It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

The Strip’s major project well under way is the mega-sized Asian-themed Resorts World. This soon to be new monster on the midway, is being developed on the former Echelon site by Geniting America. Word on the street has it that full site mobilization is imminent during the first quarter of this year. Genting America has said it plans to spend $4 billion on Resorts World, the first phase will feature a hotel, multiple restaurants, over 100,000 square feet of casino space with more than 3,000 slots and table games, a significant amount of retail space (can anyone say Walgreens?) and a nightclub. Construction, is anticipated to be completed toward the end of 2019. More importantly, can you say jobs, jobs, jobs?

Boom Goes the Dynamite!

The Las Vegas Convention Center District sits on the old site of “The Riv” (that’s Riviera to you non-Las Vegans), now owned by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The first phase was imploding The Riv and preparing the site for parking and outdoor convention use. Than land has been paved and work will be completed for landscaping and fencing by the end of this month. The LVCVA’s first outdoor convention CONEXPO-CON/AGG will open on the parcel in March. This project will come ‘In like a lamb, out like a lion’ as a full-fledged 600,000-square-foot-expnasion of the Las Vegas Convention Center is planned for the future. Las Vegas, will reign supreme as… “The Convention Capital of the World!”

Waterworld

Steve Wynn, CEO of Wynn Resorts, has said his latest Strip project, a water-themed park is still in the design phase. The project, as of now called Paradise Park, is expected to cost around $1.5 billion and will replace the 18-hole golf course at Wynn-Encore, the company’s flagship resort, with a giant clear-water “lagoon”, another hotel tower, and much more.

The plans for Paradise Park come with all of the grandeur expected of Steve Wynn and his investments. The main draw of the development will be a 38-acre lagoon built by a South American company called Crystal Lagoon. The water will be clean for swimming with white-sand beaches all around the one-mile perimeter and a small island in the middle.

The development will also feature a new 1,000-room hotel, 250,000 square feet of meeting space, restaurants, and other attractions such as music and live performances, water skiing, paddle boarding, zip-lining, nightly firework shows, and more. We’ll take “Two Tickets to Paradise” please! (Eddie Money not included.)

The Black Hole 2.0

“Are You Ready For Some Football?” The Raiders are committed to coming to Las Vegas! In mid-October, the Nevada Legislature approved a financing plan for a 65,000-seat, $1.9 billion domed stadium in Las Vegas. The bill calls for $750 million in public funding from a Clark County hotel room tax increase. Terms of the stadium deal call for contributions of $650 million from the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson and $500 million from the Raiders.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval signed the bill into law on Oct. 17 during a ceremony at UNLV.

Raiders owner Mark Davis presented Las Vegas’ proposal at the NFL’s fall meeting Oct. 19 in Houston. Davis plans to officially file for relocation this month, and if or when it comes to a vote, the Raiders would need 24 of 32 owners to vote in favor of their move. Based on racetrack odds, The Black Hole “Football’s Most Notorious Fans”, will be moving on up like the Jefferson’s to a deluxe dome in the desert!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

There’s really only one constant in Las Vegas and that’s change. Today, the Strip is changing into an entertainment and business destination that’s less focused on gambling and more focused on entertainment events and extravagance, from hotel rooms to restaurants. These projects are evidence of new trends, and when they are completed, we’ll see a whole new Strip…until Las Vegas’ next big reinvention. In a city, renowned for its glittering lights, the future has never looked brighter.

Lastly, raise your glass as we toast to the New Year courtesy of the Chairman of the Board, Mr. Frank Sinatra, “May you all live to be four hundred years old and may the last voice you hear be mine.”

Fabulously yours in 2017,
Belinda “I’m A Lawyer!” Maguire

p.s. GOT A TIP? CALL DMZ (844-BFABULOUS)

Sources:
www.washingtonpost.com
www.ky3.com
www.pagesix.com
www.lasvegassun.com
www.vegasinc.com
www.lasvegasweeekly.com
Frank Sinatra And The Lost Art Of Livin’ / The Way You Wear Your Hat – Bill Zehme