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Oct. 04, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Harrah's: Tower open, safe

Officials investigate remodeling

By JOAN WHITELY and ARNOLD KNIGHTLY
REVIEW-JOURNAL

The Rio's Ipanema Tower, which has 1,448 rooms, was built in phases between 1989 and 1995.
Review-Journal file photo

Harrah's Entertainment said Wednesday that the Rio's Ipanema Tower is open, doing business without any imminent danger to customers.

But upstairs in the Ipanema, county building officials are investigating whether the company remodeled 17 floors in the tower, mostly in 2005, without obtaining proper permits or safety inspections.

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    • Clark County Development Services opened its investigation after prodding from an extensive Review-Journal examination of allegations, made by remodeling workers, that safety had been compromised. Last week, the county department issued six notices of violation to Harrah's involving floors three through 19 of the Ipanema Tower.

    Some local and state leaders have expressed concern the community's reputation as a tourist destination might suffer because of the negative publicity sparked by the Rio.

    "We have the most stringent building code in the world, and we need to make sure it's enforced to the 'T.' Tourism is very important to our economy, and people need to come here and feel safe," said Rory Reid, chairman of Clark County commissioners. "Let the chips fall where they fall."

    But many Rio patrons appeared nonchalant on Wednesday, a day after the county's investigation became public. Interviewed near the elevators to the Ipanema Tower, several guests said they had not heard about the hotel's code violations.

    Currently, 12 guest rooms at the Rio -- six each on the tower's 18th and 19th floors -- are closed for assessment purposes. Harrah's has hired a contractor to open walls and do the testing while a county inspector is present as a witness, several county officials said. The tower has 1,448 rooms, according to Harrah's.

    Some evidence already has been found that faulty remodeling took place, Phil Rosenquist, assistant county manager, said late Wednesday. Ron Lynn, director of Development Services, was out of town.

    "We have seen evidence there are cores (holes drilled) through the concrete that have not been appropriately sealed. We don't know how many yet," Rosenquist said.

    He was referring to holes drilled in a slab that serves as floor and ceiling between two stories of a building. The holes allow plumbing, electrical wiring or other utilities to pass between stories. To prevent smoke spread in a fire, such holes need to be closed off by an approved method.

    The 12 rooms will be closed for three to five days, estimated Jan Jones, Harrah's senior vice president of communications and government relations. "We're working with the county to rectify any possible issues at the Rio," she said. "It is our practice -- and the public should be assured -- to be in full compliance with permits and inspections."

    "Definitely," Rosenquist said, when asked whether any building permit will be needed once the initial group of guest rooms has been fully opened to view the extent of work done since the tower's original construction. The Ipanema was built in phases between 1989 and 1995.

    After the work is visible, Development Services personnel will assess the next steps for Harrah's to take.

    "Once it becomes clear what was done, and what needs to be done to remediate things, that is going to define the scope of the building permit that is going to be pulled," Rosenquist said.

    Harrah's will make additional rooms available for inspection as the county requests, Jones said.

    "Before it's done, we will be in every room in that tower," Rosenquist predicted.

    The current plan, Rosenquist said, is for the county to focus first on the tower's upper floors. Workers had told the Review-Journal that the 19th floor had been entirely gutted of its guest rooms as part of the remodeling, with the central guest corridor's walls as the only original interior walls left standing.

    "It does look like, up to this point, the extent of work done -- in terms of plumbing and electrical and wall work -- was broadest on the 19th floor. Which also affects (floor) 18, because of the penetrations" through the concrete slab that separates the two floors, the assistant county manager said.

    Once the upper floors are evaluated, the county will proceed to lower floors. "We don't believe we have that level of (safety) issues below 18," he added.

    Rosenquist said Harrah's will pay, as every party doing remodeling would, the fees associated with submitting plans to the county, having them reviewed and approved, and then undergoing inspections.

    The company has the option of reimbursing the county for overtime should it desire to have inspectors available outside normal business hours. That option is standard Development Services policy, Rosenquist said.

    Asked whether Harrah's would pay any penalties, by virtue of its high corporate profile and lack of permits for an apparently extensive remodeling project, Rosenquist said the county's "whole focus is code compliance without being punitive."

    Harrah's Entertainment is the world's largest gaming enterprise, with operations in several countries. Locally it owns Bally's, Bill's, Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Harrah's Las Vegas, Imperial Palace and Paris Las Vegas.

    Remodeling projects are taking place at Caesars Palace, the Flamingo and Harrah's, but Jones discounted any possibility that problems might exist in them. "The company is always concerned that we're following proper policy," she said. "That is something we review on an ongoing basis."

    But some of Harrah's employees, named by Rio remodeling workers as supervisors in that project, are now personnel at Roman Empire Development, a locally based subsidiary wholly owned by Harrah's. Formed in late 2006, Roman Empire Development's specialty is hotel remodeling.

    Dennis Neilander, chairman of the state Gaming Control Board, said the Rio situation does not appear to pose any gaming regulatory issues.

    "The only way it would rise to a level to where we'd look at it was if there was some kind of willful misconduct," he said, adding that the control board will consider the results of the county's Rio investigation. Development Services has promised to share the results of its investigation in a public written report.

    Special Projects reporter Alan Maimon contributed to this story.



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    jb8824 wrote on November 06, 2007 08:47 AM: Hey Watcher,

    Everything Frazzetta had claimed to be wrong with the remodel project was correct... You and the real electrician look pretty stupid defending this project!


    a real electrician wrote on October 04, 2007 10:42 PM: I worked side by side with Fred during some of the remodels that he is complaining about. During the time of these remodels he wasnt complaining obout his paychecks or any of the work that went on there at the rio. The reason he is complaining now and calling the paper and OSHA and every agency is he sucks as a worker and his knowledge of electrical work was substandard. When managment realized this and wanted to terminate his employment, he became disgruntal. This is not about right and wrong but about a person who can not hold down a job because of being lazy, unmotivated,and worthless. His only recourse is to discredit hard, honist working people trying to make a living at the trade he cant suceed in.


    watcher wrote on October 04, 2007 04:43 PM: I understand the concern for public safety. But I also know that Mr. Frazzetta does not care about that. He wants revenge, like a child he didnt get what he wanted. People are actually listening to a man who got fired from for STEALING lightbulbs and a safety report NOT given to him but stolen off a desk. Shame on RJ for not checking their facts. Did the RJ ever ask why Mr. Ken Roy no longer works for Harrahs? Maybe they should.

    Also if you want to comment on current projects run by Harrahs why don't you check with OSHA, bet you have and there are no problems.

    Mr. Frazzetta has a habit of mixing fact and fiction to suit his needs. He has on more than one occasion accused Harrahas employees and others not even associated with the company of wrong doing simply on hearsay. This is a FACT. This is a man on a mission to destroy as many lives as he possibly can. Another FACT. I'd be willing to bet he's done this to former employers. Mr. Frazzetta?

    Safety guildlines should be followed, work should be properly done. That is being done, and Mr. Frazzetta is still not happy. Why?

    One more thing, there were no where near 700 or 500 core holes drilled at the Rio. Another FACT.


    Larry wrote on October 04, 2007 01:59 PM: Hello all, I am way behind onteh news as I don't keep up on it, so here goes: I just heard about the Last Supper picture depicting Jesus Christ and his desciples as abunch of buttt slamming, dick sucking, child molesting homosexuals. Such Blasphemy, 2 things will happen, 1 GOD WILL have his vengence for such vile disgusting behavior and 2, if there is a anthoer terrorist attack in this great Christian based nation, I hope it's in San Fransicko. I pray for the people who did this, for GOD will do far worse to them then anypne can imagine, so I pray that you please kneel and repent, for your salvation.


    RussBBinVegas@aol.com wrote on October 04, 2007 01:35 PM: I wandered into the Rio last night, and the place feels nothing like it used to. Their "hip" bowling alley was deserted, along with the bars, and even their lame plastic flowers were dirty & dusty; the whole place seems faded. I guess corporate-genius Overman and Madame Ex-Mayor and the smarty pants down at headquarters need to get their act together, in more ways than one.


    Casper the Friendley Ghost wrote on October 04, 2007 11:46 AM: Where is the FBI and Metro to put some of these rats in prison?


    GOD wrote on October 04, 2007 11:29 AM: TRUTH, INTEGRITY, HONESTY, AND ESPECIALLY COMPETENCE MEAN NOTHING IN THIS CITY!

    IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR, DOLLAR, DOLLAR!!!

    Shame on the RIO, Ford Contracting, overpaid Virginia Valentine... the list is too long!!!


    Carlos wrote on October 04, 2007 09:07 AM: C'mon don't you know that casino's are exempt from laws in this city. If they weren't here none of us would be here, wink,wink! Just like crime has gone down, Not! I applaud the RJ in actually covering this. Keep it up.


    Fred Frazzetta wrote on October 04, 2007 06:31 AM: How much more needs to come out for this to be considered willful misconduct? I gave Harrah's every opportunity to remedy this situation before I went public, and I have the proof to back up every one of my statements. If you want the truth come to the source...my phone number is 870-7553. There is not anyone involved in this that is clean - it took six months for the county to make the initial visit to the Rio from the date of my complaint. There are plenty of employees that would be willing to discuss what has taken place if they weren't afraid for their jobs. Ford Contracting is a licensed contractor fully aware of the necessity of pulling permits before work begins, and they did the framing a sheet rock work at the Rio. What about asking the company that x-rayed the floors at the Rio during the night to prepare for the coring of the floors. Harrah's knowingly put both the Rio Hotel Employees at risk and the Guests of the Hotel...they refused to remedy the situation - what they have done is criminal in every sense of the word, and know they have had a helping hand. I personally met with Virginia Valentine, Clark County Manager and even though I had documentation which I had gathered from the Building Departments Public computer database showing that Mr. Maddox's (the inspector that was assigned the case at the Rio) report was totally inaccurate/deceptive (I have a copy) she refused to even consider reopening the investigation at the Rio. There is much more to come, and I have a suggestion for Jan Jones...you better do your homework because you are inserting your foot into your mouth - you just don't know it yet!