Las Vegas Planning Commission Next Week Considers 60-Story “Harlem Nights” Resort Development

Shlomo Meiri, a self-described “crazy developer” based in Beverly Hills, California, has proposed the development of a 60-story resort for the Las Vegas Historic West Side. The gigantic development of the property called Harlem Nights will be considered next week by the Las Vegas Planning Commission.

Developing a New Las Vegas Area:

Meiri is the owner of around 2 acres of land in this Las Vegas area and, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal, he wants to develop the Harlem Nights project to drive further investments and developments on the West Side, which Meiri sees as a new tourism area that would vent the Las Vegas Strip and facilitate more visits to the entertainment capital of the world.

“This project will create a lot of work, and people in the community can live and walk in the same place,” Meiri reportedly said. “Las Vegas doesn’t have a place to grow as far as hotels and tourists, and I see that [Historic Westside] is the next area of growth.”

Massive Construction:

The project anticipates the construction of a 687-foot-tall tower, which is even taller than Hard Rock International’s plans for the development of a 660-foot-tall guitar-shaped tower on the Strip. Meiri’s project proposal anticipates 764 hotel rooms, and 458 residential units, as well as casino space, a theater, shops, and other amenities topped with a bar on the top floor of the building.

Lisa Mayo-DeRiso, the project consultant, reportedly said that the Harlem Nights resort to be located at the corner of Jackson Avenue and F Street would represent a $700 million investment. The developer Meiri reportedly added that the resort named after the 1989 film “Harlem Nights”  will have Harlem in New York City during the 1920s and 1930s as the main theme incorporated in the design of the property. If Las Vegas Planning Commission approves the project, the West Side area may echo the sound of Ragtime jazz and blues rather soon.

Height-Related Concerns:

However, the West Side area has already faced some building restrictions, such as the $2 billion development project brought to a halt by the Nevada Gaming Control Board in 2016. As for Harlem Nights, the height is the major concern of the regulators, but the project would also require a zoning change and amendments to parking rules. The Commission staff recommended the denial of these requests.“Deviating the height of the proposed development by 53 additional stories is out of character with the surrounding area,” they reportedly stated.

Planning Commission and City Council:

Ahead of the Las Vegas Planning Commission meeting scheduled for Tuesday, the project consultant Mayo-De Riso reportedly said that the project will be pursued regardless of the Commission’s decision on the project. “The final vote on the project is the job of the (Las Vegas) city council, and we are hopeful they will all see the value of this catalyst project for the Westside and what it means for jobs, the economy, and housing,” Mayo-DeRiso reportedly stated.

Both Meiri and Mayo-De Riso reportedly stated that the development project would be completed in six years. The ”crazy developer” Meiri is facing the first gate Tuesday on his way to this goal.