True, our Stiffs & Georges columnist, David McKee, checked out rumors of the Lion Habitat’s impending demise last autumn. "No planned changes at this time" was MGM’s mantra as of Sept. 27. So what did happen? "No business decisions had been made and there was nothing to announce at the time you inquired," says MGM spokeswoman Yvette Monet. "The Habitat is closing [on Jan. 31] as part of a $160 million hotel-wide renovation plan which is detailed" at an MGM Web site dedicated to the renovation.
Since Studio 54 is closing on Jan. 9 and the lion hangout is in the immediate vicinity, it’s no stretch of the imagination to suggest that the king of beasts is being evicted to make way for some bigger, bolder form of nightclub. "Nothing has yet been announced regarding future use of the Habitat space," spokeswoman Yvette Monet writes and all that MGM’s Web site is prepared to specify are "exciting things to come!"
And what will become of the lions themselves? Monet reassures us, "The big cats will stay home at their desert ranch, where they have always lived and where many were born." Pretty soon, the only lion you’ll be able to see is the giant, gold-hued sculpture out front.
