CityCenter

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Construction of Project CityCenter in June 2007
Construction of Project CityCenter in June 2007

CityCenter is a 16,797,000 square feet (1,560,500 m²) mixed-use complex on 76 acres (30.8 hectares), currently under construction by MGM Mirage on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. The project straddles Harmon Avenue and is bordered by (listed clockwise): Las Vegas Boulevard, a CVS pharmacy, the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, Interstate 15, the Bellagio, and The Cosmopolitan Resort & Casino which is currently under construction. The site was formerly occupied by the Boardwalk Hotel and Casino, the Bellagio employee parking lot, and several standalone commerical structures. The project will be connected to the Bellagio and the Monte Carlo by a people mover system.[1]

Contents

[edit] General Design

Unlike other themed resorts along the strip, the CityCenter is set to include multiple high-rise buildings with contemporary urban design. The project will also include $40 million (US) worth of modern sculptures and installations by world famous artists.

The conceptual master plan was designed by Ehrenkrantz Eckstut and Kuhn Architects, laying out the project with approximately 2,650 condominium and condo-hotel units and approximately 4,800 hotel rooms, distributed within several high-rise and mid-rise towers around The Crystals, a Retail and Entertainment District. It is designed to have all commodities for daily life, featuring a 4,000-room hotel and casino, two 400-room boutique hotels (The Residences at Mandarin Oriental and the Harmon Hotel, Spa, and Residences, both of which have 227 and 207 residential condo units respectively located on the upper floors of the buildings), a purely residential offering (Veer Towers), a condo-hotel (Vdara Condo-hotel) and a 500,000-square-foot (50,000 m²) retail and entertainment district which will house the first grocery store on the Strip. The multi-use project is being designed with green technologies to make it one of the world's largest environmentally sustainable urban communities. Plans include the use of reclaimed water, and an on-site power plant. MGM Mirage will pursue LEED certification for the project as outlined by the U.S. Green Building Council. Siemens is to design and build $100 million 9-megawatt central energy plant to help power and cool CityCenter.

With a total cost of approximately $9.2 billion[2][3], CityCenter is the largest privately financed development in the United States. The original cost estimate was $4 billion, but it was pushed up by rising construction costs and design changes. CityCenter is expected to open with approximately 12,000 employees and is planned to open in phases beginning in August of 2009.

[edit] Construction

The Perini Building Company is lead contractor on the project, with Tishman Construction Corporation serving as the executive construction manager. Gensler is the Executive Architect, overseeing the project. The project is being roughly built in three blocks. Block A consisting of the CityCenter Casino & Resort and surrounding facilities, block B holds the Vdara and Block C the Mandarin, Veer, Crystals and Harmon structures.[1]

The last remaining permanent building on the project site, the Boardwalk Casino's mid-rise hotel tower, was imploded on May 9, 2006. After most of the design process was complete, construction began without an official groundbreaking ceremony in June 2006. Most renderings of the project were released in September 2006 and some delayed until February 2007. Construction of the project started taking shape on June 26, 2006, when the first concrete was poured. Prior to this all of the work was site preparation including utilities and other infrastructure.[citation needed]

[edit] Accidents

Six deaths have occurred since construction began. On February 6, 2007, a 3000 pound steel wall used as a concrete mold fell from a crane, hitting another wall which struck four workers, killing two. On August 10, 2007, a worker was cut in half when the counterweight for a construction elevator came down on him as he oiled the machine. On October 5, 2007, a worker fell approximately fifty feet while working on the main resort tower.[4] On April 26, 2008, a worker fell approximately 20 feet in the south tower of the ARIA Hotel & Casino.[5] On May 31, 2008, a worker was crushed and killed when caught between the counter-weight system and the track of a crane.[6]

[edit] Walk Off

At midnight on June 3, 2008, construction workers shut down construction (which had been continuous 24-hours a day) by walking off the job to protest safety conditions at the project. The Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council demanded that the general contractor take three steps before they would begin working again: agree to pay for additional safety training for workers, allow national union researchers to examine root causes of safety problems on the site, and allow union leaders full access to the work site. [7]

On the afternoon of June 3, 2008, Perini Building Co. agreed to all of the Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council's demands and workers resumed work several hours later at midnight June 4, 2008.

[edit] The ARIA Resort & Casino

Designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, the 61-story ARIA Resort & Casino will be CityCenter’s central feature. Two curvilinear glass towers will house 4,004 rooms (including 568 suites) totalling 4,000,000 square feet (400,000 m²). At their base will be a 165,000 square feet (15,300 m²) casino and a three-story lobby that will use natural materials including lush foliage, wood, and stone. Within the the reception area, artist Maya Lin is creating an approximately 133 feet (41 m) silver cast of the Colorado River, which will be her first work of art displayed in Las Vegas. Lin is incorporating reclaimed silver in the spirit of CityCenter's commitment to sustainability and in light of Nevada's standing as the Silver State.

The resort will include a variety of casual to upscale restaurants, lounges, bars and nightclubs.

In the resort's 2,000 seat theater, Cirque du Soleil has partnered with CKX, Inc. and its subsidiary Elvis Presley Enterprises to create a permanent production celebrating the music of Elvis Presley.

All of the rooms and suites will have floor-to-ceiling windows and corner-window views (a first for Las Vegas), and will incorporate integrated technologies never before used in the hospitality industry. Corridors will allow in natural light through areas of enclosed glass, allowing for city and mountain views.

ARIA's 70,000-square-foot (6,500 m²) spa will include 62 individual treatment rooms, three spa suites (for couple's treatments, bachelorette parties or small group events), and a co-ed balcony overlooking the pool. Adjacent to the spa will be a full-service salon, barbershop, fitness room and group exercise studio.

A three-story 300,000-square-foot (27,900 m²) convention center will include four ballrooms (three with fully functioning theatrical stages), 38 meeting rooms and a glass-curtain wall overlooking the pool.

At the north valet, artist Jenny Holzer is creating a 250 feet (76 m) LED sign to welcome visitors to the hotel.

The hotel will also include 900,000 square feet (83,600 m²) for back-of-house areas, offices, and a subterranean parking garage.[8]

The ARIA Resort and Casino is scheduled to open on December 16, 2009.

[edit] The Vdara Condo Hotel

The Vdara Condo Hotel, designed by Rafael Vinoly of RV Architecture, LLC, will be the complex’s only condo-hotel, located between the ARIA Resort & Casino and the Bellagio, Vdara’s 57-story tower will house 1,543 residential units, ranging from 500 square feet (46 m²) to 1,750 square feet (163 m²). The architect of record is Leo A. Daly in association with Detroit based Hamilton Anderson Associates. The Vdara is scheduled to open in August of 2009.

The Vdara was the first of the six high rises in the project to be topped out on May 14, 2008 after the 57th story was added.[9]

[edit] The Harmon Hotel, Residences & Spa

In early stages known as the Lifestyle Hotel, it was designed by Lord Norman Foster & Partners and will be operated by Andrew Sasson’s The Light Group. The Harmon Hotel, Residences & Spa will have an elliptical layout and is set to have a highly reflective exterior. The hotel’s pool deck will be perched 100 feet (30 m) above the Strip. The tower will have 400 hotel rooms and approximately 207 condominium residences from 800 square feet (70 m²) to 2,900 square feet (270 m²). The Harmon Hotel & Residences is on the northeast corner of the project at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard South and Harmon Avenue.

[edit] Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas

Part of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, the hotel was designed by KPF Architects, with mixed Residential interiors that have been designed by firms of Kay Lang & Associates, and Paige & Steele Interior Architects. Living spaces will be characterized by an eastern approach to design. The Residences at Mandarin Oriental will feature approximately 227 condominium residences situated on the upper floors of the 400-room hotel tower, with a private owner’s lobby and clubroom. Parking for this area is provided by an 8-level parking structure located south of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and a one-level subterranean parking structure underneath a shopping center. The Residences at Mandarin Oriental were released for purchase in February 2007. More than 90 percent of the residential offerings sold in a mere 14 days, generating more than $600 million in sales.

[edit] The Veer Towers

The Veer Towers will be two in opposite directions leaning towers (five degrees from center) that will rise adjacent to the Crystals, Retail and Entertainment District, and across the street from the Mandarin Oriental tower. They were designed by Helmut Jahn’s Office based in Chicago. The twin 37-story towers will each house 337 luxury condominium units ranging from 500 to 1,500 square feet (140 m²). Atop each tower, there will be an amenities floor including a pool, fitness center, spa, cabanas and a patio for outdoor entertaining. Lobbies and public spaces have been developed by designer Francisco Gonzalez-Pulido and will showcase works by natural light. The team of Dianna Wong Architecture & Interior Design, Inc. are designing the residences. In early stages of the project they were known as the Sobella Residential Towers.

[edit] The Crystals, Retail and Entertainment District

Designed by Studio Daniel Libeskind and interior architecture by Rockwell Group, CityCenter’s 500,000 square feet (46,500 m²) retail district will feature fashionable clubs, gourmet restaurants, retailers, galleries, incidental offices and support areas. For the interior architecture, the Rockwell Group will create an experiential environment that complements the overall city scene. This neighborhood of retail shops, dining and entertainment venues will form the core of this project.

There will be a flagship 20,000 square foot Apple Store located within The Crystals.

[edit] Auxilliary Structures

The project also includes several support structures including a fire station, an on-site power plant, and a 7,500 car parking garage.

[edit] Photo Gallery

[edit] Construction

Eiffel Tower Picture, late June 2007.

Mandarin, Veer and Casino & Resort under construction, Monte Carlo in backround.

The CityCenter Casino & Resort, June 2007.

Drilling work on the Casino & Resort, in June 2006.

The Casino & Resort, October 2006.

The Vdara Condo Hotel, June 2007.

The Mandarin Oriental, June 2007.

The Harmon Hotel, June 2007.

Harmon Hotel, June 2007.

The Veer Towers, June 2007.

The Veer West Tower, June 2007.

Parking Garage, April 2006.

[edit] Design

Model of the Project CityCenter, 2006.

Model of the Project CityCenter, September 15 2005.

Various sections of the Citycenter Project, September 2005.

Model of the Veer Towers, 2006

[edit] References

  1. ^ Benston, Liz. "CityCenter still selling condos despite slowdown", Las Vegas Sun, 2008-05-09. Retrieved on 2008-05-15. 
  2. ^ Benston, Liz. "CityCenter will not all open at once after all", Las Vegas Sun, 2008-05-16. Retrieved on 2008-06-03. 
  3. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named notopenatonce
  4. ^ 'Iron worker falls to death on Strip',Brian Haynes,Las Vegas Review-Journal,October 6,2007.
  5. ^ 'CityCenter worker dies in fall',Las Vegas Review-Journal, April 29, 2008.
  6. ^ 'Sixth worker dies at Vegas CityCenter project',Reno Gazette-Journal, May 31, 2008.
  7. ^ Berzon, Alexandra. "Workers walk off CityCenter site in protest", Las Vegas Sun, 2008-06-03. Retrieved on 2008-06-03. 
  8. ^ MGM Mirage. "CityCenter Unveils Details of Development's Resort Casino", Market Wire, May 19, 2008. Retrieved on June 4, 2008. (English) 
  9. ^ Stutz, Howard. "THE RACE TO BREAK THE CLOUDS", Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2008-05-14. Retrieved on 2008-05-15. 

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