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Breaking News
Nov. 13, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

New Frontier imploded

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The New Frontier’s 16-story Atrium Tower was reduced to a four-story high pile of concrete, steel and glass in 18 seconds early Tuesday morning with the implosion of one of the most troubled casino properties to ever have a Strip address.

From Meg Bertini’s eagle-eye vantage point, it was quite a show.

“We had a great view from the balcony,” said Bertini, after watching her first implosion from her 35th-floor condominium at Sky Las Vegas nearly a mile south. “It was amazing. You could hear what sounded like the floors coming down before the outside imploded in.”

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    • A series of detonations moved through the building north to south followed six seconds later by a louder series of explosions that brought the building down in a large dust cloud.

    Hotel Last Frontier opened in 1942 with 105 rooms; the Atrium tower was added in 1990.

    The hotel-casino was the second one to be built on what has become the world-famous Strip, but its history has been a mixed one.

    Originally built with partially mob-backed funds, it was also the site of Elvis Presley’s unsuccessful Las Vegas debut in 1956 and of a nasty 2,325-day strike by Culinary union workers. Eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes also once owned the property.

    For the full story on the New Frontier’s implosion, read tomorrow's Review-Journal Business section.



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    Neal wrote on November 13, 2007 01:40 PM: I prefer not to watch videos of imploding the Frontier. It would be like watching videos of a family member die. We will instead keep our memories of the Frontier in our minds and our heart and smile when we remember them. At least Robert Goulet was gone and didn't have to watch.
    Good by old friend.


    fred wrote on November 13, 2007 01:28 PM: it was a great implosion except i stood at the wrong end of the building http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZQt5gMF9M3w


    P wrote on November 13, 2007 11:29 AM: SO TRUE


    RussBBinVegas@aol.com wrote on November 13, 2007 11:03 AM: Yes the Frontier in its last years was a dump, but wasn't Steve Wynn his usual gentlemanly couth self to have described it in a NY Times article as "the biggest toilet in Las Vegas". At least the few bargain hotels still remaining in our city offer & provide inexpensive vacations. How sweet of our egomaniac moguls like Wynn & Adelson to mock those who cannot afford to waltz into their $500 room and $400 restaurants.