What’s happening? Nothing, to the best of our knowledge. A call to the building’s owner, Icahn Enterprises, was not returned. However, a pair of our spies said they’ve not seen anything going on at the site, although glass panels continue to fall from the tower, which is studded with such pockmarks.
Terry Shanks, of the Clark County Building Department, checked their records. "I don’t see any active permits," she reported, adding that department staff does have meetings with Fontainebleau representatives with regard to its status as an inactive project. "We do require them to [make] the location safe and secure," and to keep trepassers off-property added Clark County Public Information Officer Dan Kulin. But there’s no construction, "as far as I know," he said.
With all due respect, could you be talking about the Sahara? Activity at that former casino, which is being turned into SLS Las Vegas closely corresponds to the work described in your question.
The only other thought that crossed our mind, with regard to what you saw, is dependent upon when you noticed this activity: If it was toward the end of last year, it could conceivably have been the preparations for the birthday bash of a Chinese billionaire who hosted a (very) exclusive private shindig that put the Grammy's to shame, via a specially constructed temporary party zone adjacent to the Wynn properties.
The site of the November 3 party-to-end-all-parties featured a massive rented tent, Ferris wheel, carousel, trampoline, cigar lounge, and a temporary stage that witnessed performances by the likes of Britney Spears, Ludacris, Chris Brown, LMFAO, Psy, Swizz Beatz, Busta Rhymes, and QTip, MC'd by Jamie Foxx. In addition to the performers, the guest list included Kim and Kanye, Paris Hilton, Robert De Niro, Tobey Maguire, Benicio Del Toro, Pharrell Williams, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Phelps, and Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis of Hangover fame (who were in town filming Part III).
The whole extravaganza, which also featured stilt walkers, acrobats, a 24-foot bar carved from solid ice (serving complimentary cocktails, including entire bottles of Crystal), and a troupe of 20 giant umpa loompas (naturally), climaxed in a 15-minute fireworks display (which, actually, must've seemed somewhat anti-climactic, after all the other stuff, like Leonardo rapping with Busta and QTip, and those umpa loompas. Jus' sayin'.)
