You're in luck, for the time being at least (which may not be music to the ears of your siblings). The Blue Angel, designed by iconic-Las-Vegas-sign-designer extraordinaire, Ms Betty Willis, is still where she's always been, atop the Blue Angel Motel on East Fremont Street, although for how long she'll remain there, who can say?
There was a plan, announced back in 2011 and approved by Las Vegas City Council, to redevelop the neighborhood into the "Downtown Gateway Center," a "91,000-square-foot master-planned development," featuring Hispanic-oriented retail and dining outlets, nightlife venues, and other entertainment. The hub was to be the so-called "Four Corners" axis located at Fremont Street, Eastern Avenue, Charleston Boulevard, and Boulder Highway, and some of the existing buildings slated to be cleared away in order to make space for this project included the motels that occupied that vicinity, including the Blue Angel, Vegas, and Par-A-Dice.
In December of that year, Mayor Carolyn Goodman cut the ceremonial ribbon for the "Gateway" and made a speech to an enthusiastic crowd, while the residents of downtown's most iconic motel, several of whom were featured in *Matt O'Brien's poignant collection of real-life vignettes, My Week at the Blue Angel and Other Stories from the Storm Drains, Strip Club, and Trailer Parks of Las Vegas, were obliged to move out and move on.
In accordance with the original plan, the Par-A-Dice was razed last year, and the vacated Blue Angel was fenced off, pending her own demolition. However, things now seem to have ground to a halt, and two-and-a-half years after the project was first green-lit, with developer Arnold Stalk claiming that he's been unable to find enough suitable future tenants, we can't help but wonder how many more new "redevelopment" projects this city needs or can sustain, even as Zappo's kingpin Tony Hsieh continues on his frenzied buying spree (see "Today's News"), while the Symphony Park concept remains only partially realized.
The Blue Angel statue, beloved by so many, was supposed to be relocated as a welcoming icon at the entrance to the new "Gateway," but right now she's somewhat forlorn, fenced off with the abandoned motel whose residents felt she looked over and out for them. Should Stalk's plan to revive this rundown intersection amount to naught, then we sincerely hope that the Blue Angel statue will find a safe haven elsewhere -- the Neon Museum would seem to be logical home for her.
*As a result of his experiences exploring the storm drains and other dark nooks and crannies of this city, and meeting the people who call them home, Matt O'Brien founded a non-profit to help those in need in practical ways, providing everything from socks, food, and medical attention, to drug counseling and housing. Click the link if you'd like to find out more about Shine a Light or to make a donation.
