$50M entertainment fortress planned for Las Vegas — off the Strip
During his frequently ribald Monday’s Dark hosting appearances, Mark Shunock has a running joke about the debauchery that unfolds on Polaris Drive and Harmon Avenue.
The Space, which Shunock founded and is home to Mondays Dark and myriad performances, is just a few somersaults from that corner. About eight years ago Shunock converted a warehouse into a small-theater fortress for charity shows and small-cap music and cabaret performances.
But The Space is too small to contain Shunock’s long-term vision. Its concept is about to evolve and move to the sandy lot on the northwest corner of Polaris and Harmon. This is where the jokes stop.
The Space 2.0, a reported $50 million project, is being announced Monday afternoon, on that site.
The name is a placeholder for now, until ground is broken for the new Space, in the fourth quarter of this year or in early ’26. A generous estimation for opening would be the fourth quarter of 2028. Maybe we’ll celebrate with a holiday party.
Entertainment name checks who are reportedly backing the project are UFC exec Dana White, Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys, a Las Vegas resident dating to 2017 (about when The Space was opened); actor Annette Bening; and star comic-actor Brad Garrett, proprietor of his eponymous comedy club at MGM Grand.
The five-story, 80,000-square-foot community center will take over a parcel granted to Shunock’s operation by the Clark County Commission.
The grant was approved about four years ago. Public works had used the parcel for construction equipment storage for the Harmon Avenue expansion. Commissioner Michael Naft, who started discussing this plan with Shunock about five years ago, will be on hand for Monday’s event.
“Obviously, I think this is a wonderful concept. I think it’s something that our valley will benefit from dramatically,” Naft said in a phone chat Friday afternoon. “I think it’s there are some incredible stakeholders. What Mark has done for philanthropy in this community is is noble and is impressive, and I admire that work. But now he is really taking it to the next level.”
The concept is to create a multilevel annex serving entertainment and hospitality professionals, first responders, and tutoring services for those who want to enter the arts and entertainment industry in Las Vegas.
A mental health facility is also in the master plan.
Shunock told Hollywood Reporter, first to publish details of the project, “Forty million people visit Las Vegas every year to forget their problems, but in a city designed for visitors, locals don’t always get the attention they deserve.”
Bening is chair of the Entertainment Community Fund’s first Las Vegas headquarters. Shunock’s COVID online telethon raised money and awareness for ECF (formerly The Actors Fund) in 2020.
Shunock and his board have been working on the blueprint for The Space 2.0 for about three years. He’s been hosting cloistered, informational update sessions at The Space. A capital campaign to fund the fortress is underway, with $2 million raised ahead of Monday’s announcement.
Shunock arrived in Las Vegas in November 2012 as the cast member Lonny in “Rock of Ages” during its run at The Venetian, in what is now the Voltaire nightspot. His idea for a Mondays Dark community charity was hatched the night of previews.
Since premiering in 2013 at then-Body English nightclub space at Hard Rock Hotel (today’s Virgin Hotels Las Vegas), Mondays Dark has raised some $2 million for more than 200 charities. The event moved to the Vinyl room (now 24 Oxford) before setting up at The Space in ’17.
Shunock’s star has ascended along with The Space. He’s in-arena host for the Vegas Golden Knights, and host and ring announcer for Top Rank Boxing’s ESPN telecasts.
A far throw from his days when he wore a mullet and an “I Love Boobies” T-shirt as Lonny, Shunock will host the early section of Saturday’s Keep Memory Alive Power of Love gala at MGM Grand Garden Arena. This is no less than the largest annual philanthropic event in Las Vegas.
Tease this …
We keep hearing an announcement is imminent — imminent, I tell you! — regarding a Beyoncé “Cowboy Carter” tour stop at Allegiant Stadium. She still has Las Vegas on her socials promoting the tour; she’s not headed for Sphere this year, we understand. Check back next week.
At the Copa!
We have had (FM) radio silence on Celine Dion so far in ‘25. But members of AEG Presents and production officials from Janet Jackson’s residency at Resorts World Theatre took in the Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns show at The Copa at Bootlegger Bistro earlier this month. We don’t feel it was related to Celine directly, though Danny Falcone, Eric Tewalt, Phil Wigfall and Nathan Tanouye have all backed Celine at the Colosseum.
No Celine at this Santa Fe show, but she is always welcome at the Kats Table.
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Rock-guitar virtuoso and EDM visionary Ashba opening for Pitbull at Fontainebleau BleauLive Theater, five shows running March 7-15. Ashba is a monster musician, who more than a decade ago was a member of Guns N’ Roses at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel when Axl Rose was split from Slash.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.