Circa resort still set for December opening in downtown Las Vegas

Aerial photo of construction at Circa hotel casino and the “Garage Mahal” in downtown Las Vegas on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. (Michael Quine/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Vegas88s

Aerial photo of construction at Circa hotel casino and the multitiered pool amphitheater which will have six tiered pools and a 125-foot high-resolution screen in downtown Las Vegas, on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. (Michael Quine/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Vegas88s

Aerial photo of early construction at Circa hotel casino in downtown Las Vegas on Friday, May 3, 2019. (Michael Quine/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Vegas88s

Aerial photo of construction at Circa hotel casino destined to be the tallest building in downtown Las Vegas on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. (Michael Quine/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Vegas88s

Aerial photo of construction at Circa hotel casino and above ground bridge to parking in downtown Las Vegas on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. (Michael Quine/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Vegas88s

Downtown Las Vegas casino executive Derek Stevens says the Circa resort under construction at Main and Fremont streets is still on target for a December opening.

Work on the 777-room resort, destined to be downtown’s tallest building, has continued through the coronavirus shutdown that began March 18 and will run through June 4, when the state’s casinos have been given permission to reopen.

One of Stevens’ downtown Las Vegas colleagues, Boyd Gaming Corp. CEO Keith Smith, said in his company’s first-quarter earnings call April 28 that he had heard Circa had fallen behind during the pandemic and wouldn’t open on time as planned.

Stevens laughed off the comment in a phone interview Wednesday and said, “Keith never asked me … still on time for 2020.”

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.