Sahara hotel-casino renovation approved

Once the epicenter of Las Vegas glitz and glam, the Sahara now sits empty on the Strip.

No more 6-pound burritos. No more roller coaster.

The Sahara was forced to close its doors six months ago after falling victim to the recession, but a remodeling plan approved unanimously Wednesday by the Clark County Commission could breathe life into a hotel-casino that served celebrities and common folk alike for almost 60 years.

County officials also hope the project will breathe new life into the north end of the Strip, which has seen better times.

According to the plan, the existing room towers, the Tunis, Tangiers and Alexandria, will be renovated. The roller coaster will be dismantled and a 2,830-square-foot beer garden will be constructed. The number of hotel rooms will be decreased from 1,700 to 1,622.

Retail, tenant and restaurant spaces will be added, and the casino floor will be renovated. A 21,000-square-foot nightclub will be built, and 41,000 square feet of meeting and convention space will be added with a new pool deck area.

It's unclear when construction will start and how much the renovation project will cost. Those figures were not included in the plans, and owners SBE Entertainment of Los Angeles and private equity firm Stockbridge Real Estate of San Francisco did not comment.

According to county staff analysis included with the plans, remodeling the nearly 18-acre property bordered by Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas Boulevard South and Paradise Road could enhance the area where construction projects such as Fontainebleau and the Echelon resort have stalled.

Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, who represents the area, echoed the comments and said the plan will generate the foot traffic needed to boost the economy in that portion of the Strip.

"This may be the synergy needed to kick start some of the properties on that side. ... This is spending in the economy, taking the package you have and using it to the best of your advantage," Giunchigliani said. "I'm excited. I'm happy and glad that the Sahara, even though it might not have the same view, is still there."

The issue of Internet gaming is generating a "comfort level coming back into that area in the realm of gaming," which could indicate somewhat of an economic rebound, she added.

"I think we're still premature in that," Giunchigliani said. "I think people are poised. It will take a couple of years to do the remodel and what not, but it might be the right window. For commercial and housing, we're still a way off."

This isn't the first discussion county officials and property owners have had regarding renovation.

Redevelopment of the Sahara property began in 2007 but was put on hold two years later because of the economic downturn.

It's one of the oldest existing properties within the resort corridor and was most recently renovated in 1999. Mega- resorts constructed during the area's two-decade building boom dwarfed the aged Sahara.

The property owners acquired the hotel-casino in 2007 from the family of late casino pioneer William Bennett.

In March, SBE said it was "no longer economically viable" to operate the Sahara. The Moroccan-themed hotel-casino closed in May, and the property's 1,050 workers had to search for employment. About two dozen of them were hired by the Stratosphere.

SBE has been able to find funding since then, Giunchigliani said. Details on that funding were not released Wednesday.

Contact reporter Kristi Jourdan at kjourdan@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519. Review-Journal writer Howard Stutz contributed to this report.