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May. 20, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

CityCenter's centerpiece hotel-casino dubbed 'Aria'

By HOWARD STUTZ
REVIEW-JOURNAL

MGM Mirage on Monday officially revealed the name of CityCenter's 61-story, 4,004-room centerpiece resort: Aria.

Designed by noted architectural firm Pelli Clarke Pelli, Aria's two curved glass hotel towers and its 150,000-square-foot casino space are expected to open in December 2009.

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    • The name leaked last week while MGM Mirage officials were celebrating the topping off of Vdara, the first of the $9.2 billion CityCenter's five major hotel and residential projects. The company formally unveiled the name in a statement.

    "Aria will be demonstrably different than any resort that has preceded it," said Bill McBeath, the resort's president and chief operating officer.

    Bobby Baldwin, MGM Mirage's chief design and construction officer, who also serves as CityCenter's president and chief executive officer, said last week that CityCenter would open in phases, starting with Vdara in August 2009. Aria will be the final piece of the CityCenter puzzle to open.

    Aria will serve as the core of CityCenter, which has 18 million square feet of public space and is considered the largest privately financed development in the United States. Aria will have CityCenter's only gaming space. The three nongaming hotels are the Mandarin Oriental, Harmon Hotel and Vdara. Veer Towers is CityCenter's only strictly residential building. The Crystals is a 500,000-square-foot retail, dining and entertainment district.

    Aria will also house a Cirque du Soleil theater that will host a production show based on the music of Elvis Presley. The hotel will also display portions of CityCenter's planned $40 million public arts program.

    CityCenter is a joint venture between MGM Mirage and Dubai World, the investment arm of the Persian Gulf state of Dubai.

    Baldwin said last week that CityCenter includes more than $600 million in infrastructure. MGM Mirage officials are extending Harmon Avenue from its yet-to-open Interstate 15 overpass through the development, creating Harmon Circle, a raised roadway with off-ramps into Vdara and Aria. Harmon will continue underneath as an east-west connector.

    An aboveground people mover system will connect Aria with Bellagio and Monte Carlo.

    Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871.

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    Hound Dog wrote on May 20, 2008 05:22 PM: Glad to see The King still alive in Vegas. Now get the guy a street named for him or something. Can't just let Franky and Dean, and even Wayne get all the fun.


    CURLEY wrote on May 20, 2008 02:46 PM: ARIA? IS THAT A MUSLEM NAME???


    David wrote on May 20, 2008 12:11 PM: Bill McBeath? He doesn't care what the customers want or need. The Bellagio had the most successful keno game in town and he came in and closed it the very next year. What does that tell you? He only looks out for his bonus check.


    i know wrote on May 20, 2008 10:46 AM: once city center is finished it will make bellagio and wynn look like circus circus


    Grace Bryan wrote on May 20, 2008 09:02 AM: Wow ! what a project...my kind of town. I only wonder how do a Business woman like myself get involved...I am an Avid Collector in Fine Arts and Rare Antiques from all over the world...have any ideas ? Your article is exciting to see the least. What a damn town ! Mayor Goodman has got to be sleeping at night with s smile on his face ! Grace


    Warren L. wrote on May 20, 2008 08:00 AM: I hope they get this thing built ASAP. The workers are dropping like flies. Even the "Union Craftsmen". Remember, "Don't kill the job" is not just a union slogan-in Vegas, it's "don't get killed on the job".


    Maurice Colgan wrote on May 20, 2008 07:34 AM: A theatre highlighting the wonderful and extraordinarily versatile voice of Elvis Presley will be most welcome in Las Vegas.

    There is no mystery why the voice of Elvis, who has been dead now more than 30 years, continues to entertain generation after generation.

    His famous song the wild and riveting "Hound Dog" opens the new Indiana Jones movie!

    But it was Elvis's beautiful rendition of the world's most loved ballads that ensured he would never be forgotten.
    Viva Las Vegas!




    Mile L. wrote on May 20, 2008 06:38 AM: Due to their discrimination against whites, the only thing City Center will get from me is graffiti in the men's room.