Next Las Vegas Casino: First Look At Durango Station As Plans Approved
Las Vegas is getting a new casino in 2023 following planning approval for the Durango project off the 215 Beltway.
Station Casinos has received approval for the latest Vegas casino and hotel from the Clark County Commission, despite initial fears of the project being held up by union disputes.
The casino could well become one of the most recognisable sights in Vegas as it is situated off the highway as tourists drive into the city from Los Angeles.
And there are already plans in place to expand the hotel from its current 200-room proposal to double the capacity at the site.
What We Know About Durango Casino
The Durango casino will be suit on a patch of deserted land off the highway that Station Casinos has owned since 2000.
In a statement Bob Finch, chief operating officer of Station Casinos, outlined that the casino isn’t necessarily there to pull Vegas’ tourists off the Strip – but instead offer a local destination for the city’s southwestern neighborhoods.
Plans for a casino, sportsbook and two hotel towers have all been approved at the Durango
“We thank the Clark County Commission for their support of the Durango project,” said Finch. “For over 45 years, we have been the go-to local casino and entertainment destination in neighborhoods across the valley, and we are excited to share our vision for the next generation of Station Casinos properties with residents in the Southwest.”
Construction work on the Durango is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2022 and be completed by the end of that year. All being well visitors will be able to play a host of casino games and enjoy the resort’s other amenities come 2023.
Durango Casino in Numbers
- 83,000 sq ft of casino space
- 200-room hotel tower
- Four restaurants
- Sportsbook and racebook
- 20,000 sq ft of meeting space
- 40 electric vehicle charging stations
- Pool area
There will be two phases to the construction. The first will focus on the venue’s core amenities, such as a 216ft hotel tower, parking facilities, four restaurants, a pool, water features and a meeting space. After that, phase two would see a second hotel tower built, with an additional 214 hotel rooms added.
What’s more, once both phases are complete the casino space will expand to 92,911 sq ft.
“Once again Stations, as a true locals casino, is coming to the rescue in the southwest, I’d say, by providing them with a place where they can dine, where they can go hang out,” Finch added.
“This is a statement to the local market that, you know what? We’re rebounding, and it’s going to be good. Las Vegas is going to continue to grow.”
Local Opposition
Permission to build the casino has been granted only after local opposition to the plans were aired. Many locals claimed the new casino would increase traffic around the area from 18,533 to 78,558 vehicle trips per day, endanger children crossing the road and impact access to the Red Ridge Family Park.
The Culinary Union which has fought the proposals is urging its members to push the casino’s builders into moving the entrance away from the nearby Tanaka Elementary School.
