1st look: Area15 previews 10-acre expansion
Area15 is showing off its 10-acre expansion, making room for the new restaurants, retail partners and experiences such as Universal Horror Unleashed.
Area15 CEO Winston Fisher showcased the expansion of its existing 20-acre campus and locations of key storefronts and experiences, with the first to open in August, during a hard hat tour Monday.
“We’re not trying to add something to the entertainment landscape that doesn’t already exist,” Fisher said during the tour. “I think it’s (Vegas) is one of the most creative cities in the world. So we’re really inspired by what Vegas always was.”
The anchor tenant for the expansion will be Universal Horror Unleashed, slated to open in August. This will be Universal’s first year-round attraction, with over 110,000 square feet and four haunted houses.
Another main attraction for the new expansion is the installation of a 150-foot-long Boeing 747. Previously a Burning Man art installation from Big Imagination in 2017, the airplane will sit in the center of the new campus and will serve as a food and beverage destination.
There are no tenants currently confirmed for the plane.
Fisher said: “I’m not letting just anybody in. This is special.”
Other experiences coming to the campus, aside from Universal, includes the Museum of Ice Cream, Felix &Paul Studios’ Interstellar Arc, The Escape Game and iFLY Indoor Skydiving.
Felix &Paul Studios’, an immersive art group from Montreal, will be unveiling its new VR experience modeled after a space station called Interstellar Arc, adding to the existing out-of-this-world storyline of Area15. The studio will also design the exterior of the building, which will be outer space themed.
The Museum of Ice Cream will occupy 30,000 square feet of space and will serve as a flagship for the company, which also has locations in Miami, New York and Singapore. While little information has been released, Fisher said they have played around with the idea of an ice cream buffet.
Additionally, Fisher pointed out the locations of new storefronts and restaurants including Chilango’s Tacos, Saint Honoré Doughnuts &Beignets, Nacho Daddy and Dolls Kill. There is still some leasing space available, with one spot showcasing a view of the Strip.
Each tenant has been tasked to make their space “a spectacle” and “over the top.”
“It’s always about, ‘how much are you going to showcase yourself?’ ” Fisher said.
Across the new campus grounds, there will be intricate landscaping, including an Area15-themed, psychedelic carousel, murals, art installations, food trucks and retail vendors outside.
Shuttles will also be available to bring patrons back and forth between campuses and to Zouk nightclub at Resorts World in a recently announced partnership, some being driverless.
There is still more to come at Area15, with 50 acres of their overall 80 acres still buildable.
Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X.
