Replacement fir trees spotted on Bellagio property

MGM Resorts International appears to be wasting little time in getting back to its iconic fir tree look in front of the Bellagio.

Several trees, ranging from a dozen feet to possibly 30 feet or more, could be seen Monday evening on Bellagio property. The roots were in crates, prepared for the their return to the sidewalk location in front of the fountains once again.

“The timeline and specific species of the streetside trees are still being determined,” MGM’s Krystal Webb said in an email Monday evening. “The trees along the lakeside should be back by the end of the year, which has previously been reported.”

All of the trees were removed during the summer to provide better sight lines for Formula One patrons who filled the three-story, 3,600-seat Bellagio Fountain Club temporarily built on the sidewalk in front of the world-famous fountains.

The tree removal came after months of traffic jams as new pavement built to F1 standards snarled traffic and riled some of the public from spring until shortly before the race earlier this month.

Bellagio’s objective had been to build a sturdy venue suitable for a few thousand race attendees and VIPs, with a nightclub experience at the top and a restaurant-bar space inside.

Just hours after the Nov. 18 Grand Prix concluded, MGM said it would move swiftly to get the area in front of its properties back to normal before Christmas.

“We did want to showcase Bellagio, and we wanted to do something we knew had to be temporary that could be deconstructed in five weeks,” Andrew Lanzino, MGM Resorts’ vice president of citywide events strategy, said last week. “But we didn’t want it to feel cheap. This is Bellagio. It has Bellagio’s name right on it. We wanted it to and live up to the Bellagio namesake, knowing all of this has to disappear and go back to normal.”

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com.