While I was out of town, Alex Yemenidjian sprang another big-ass remake of the Tropicana Las Vegas upon local media. Now, most of A-Yem’s big, shiny ideas have had tragically short lives. (Anyone remember Bagatelle Beach Club? Wayne Newton: Once Before I Go? The Jamie Gold poker room? Brad Garrett‘s comedy club? Even the Mob Attraction has defected.) The latest reinvention is to impose a two-story shopping mall on the Trop’s facade, wrapping around and extending the Strip-facing facade. This will, among other things, necessitate removing the beloved, barrel-glass Tiffany skylight on the casino floor. Alas, that never looked right anymore after Yemenidjian redid the casino in white on white. Say goodbye to the Tropicana Avenue parking lot, too, so Yemenidjian better be serious about adding a new garage near Hooters, too.
More quietly, the Trop has gone about adding poolside villas, overhauling the Tiffany Theater (which will have a more generic look now) and consolidating one, 30-unit floor into six luxury suites. Whether one likes this or that decision, Onex Corp. has come about as close as one can to creating a brand-new resort without disturbing the bones of its predecessor. It’s a decision on wishes Sam Nazarian had chosen to make at the Sahara, instead of ripping it to shreds. Now the big question is how tenants Yemenidjian can land — and keep.
yuck
The last thing Vegas needs is more retail, especially at the price of sacrificing the look and feel of one of the iconic landmarks of the town.