Developers of boutique hotel next to Smith Center allowed Plan B

Restaurateur Charlie Palmer’s plans for an exclusive boutique hotel adjacent to the Smith Center in Symphony Park have taken a twist. There’s a Plan A if an arena agreement is approved by June 2, and a smaller Plan B if it’s not.

Right now the delayed project would be 371 rooms with a Charlie Palmer Restaurant.

Without an arena, the project would be reduced to a 111-room hotel and a Charlie Palmer Restaurant.

Project officials asked for a 10-month extension for the project so it could present a revised plan on Sept. 3 if the arena does not move forward. The extra time was granted.

Palmer told the Las Vegas City Council he was “anxious to get started and build a world-class boutique hotel.”

He said other opportunities have been offered in Las Vegas, “but we want to be in Symphony Park and downtown.”

Under either plan, the land is being sold for $72 a square foot.

The plan for a nongaming hotel dates back to 2008. If an arena is approved, the hotel sale will close in May 2015 and construction will begin in 30 days.

If a downtown arena is nixed, then Palmer’s group, the Palmer City-Core Union Park Hotel LLC, is expected to develop in phases, said Bill Arent, the city’s director of Economic and Urban Development.

Design drawings for either option should be presented to the City Council in September.

Contact reporter Jane Ann Morrison at jmorrison@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-027