New Frontier Hotel and Casino
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| The New Frontier Hotel and Casino | |
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| Facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Opening date | October 30, 1942 |
| Previous names | Last Frontier The Frontier |
| Closing date | July 16, 2007 |
| Casino type | Land-Based |
| Theme | Western |
| Owner | El Ad Properties |
| No. of rooms | 986 |
| Total gaming space | 100,000 ft² (9,290 m²) |
| Permanent shows | none |
| Signature attractions | Gilley's Mechanical Bull |
| Notable restaurants | Gilley's Margarita's Cantina Phils' Steakhouse |
| Years renovated | 1989 Atrium Tower |
| Website | www.frontierlv.com |
The New Frontier was a hotel and casino located on the famed Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, USA, that had operated continuously since October 30, 1942. It was the second resort that opened on the Las Vegas Strip. The Frontier closed its doors for good at 12:00 A.M. (Pacific Time) on July 16, 2007[1], and was demolished on November 13, 2007[2][3], to make way for construction of a new resort that will resemble the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
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[edit] History
The property started as a nightclub called Pair-O-Dice[4] that opened in 1930, then The Ambassador Night Club in 1936 and was renamed the 91 Club in 1939 for its location on US-91.[4] It was subsequently rebuilt and renamed the "Hotel Last Frontier" in 1942. On April 4, 1955, it was renamed the "New Frontier," following a modernization of the resort.
The resort has the distinction of hosting Elvis Presley's first Vegas appearance in 1956, and the final performance of Diana Ross and The Supremes on January 14, 1970.
On September 22, 1967, the resort was purchased for about $14 million by billionaire Howard Hughes, who then shortened its name to "The Frontier". Mr. Hughes purchased the resort from the previous owners, which had also included Steve Wynn in one of his early ventures when he first moved to the Las Vegas area.
Billionaire developer Phil Ruffin bought the resort in 1998 from embattled owner Margaret Elardi and her two sons. In 1999, the name was changed back to The New Frontier.
Phil Ruffin sold the Frontier to ELAD, owners of The Plaza New York, who are planning The Plaza Las Vegas. They closed the Frontier on 7/16/07 and implosion took place 11/13/07 at 2:45 a.m.
The New Frontier closed its doors on July 16, 2007, and demolished by implosion on Nov. 13th (Clauss Construction and Controlled Demolition, Inc.). The entire property will be rebuilt as a new mega-resort on the Las Vegas strip.
[edit] Redevelopment plans
In 2000, Ruffin announced plans to raze the current facility and replace it with a megaresort with a San Francisco theme, but high interest rates and the attacks of September 11, 2001 scuttled those plans. In March 2005, with Las Vegas' fortunes on the rise, Ruffin announced new plans to demolish the current facility and replace it with a new resort with 3,000 rooms.[5] After 65 years of continuous operation, the Hotel/Casino permanently shut down on July 16, 2007, although the lights from its sign were still lit at night up to its demolition. Lettering on the hotel's marquees was removed on August 1, 2007.
[edit] Trump Tower
Donald Trump, in partnership with Ruffin, is building a high-rise luxury hotel-condominium on some of its property, to be named the Trump International Hotel & Tower.
Since part of the old building still exists, some call the New Frontier the oldest remaining Strip hotel and casino.
[edit] Montreux Las Vegas
Phil Ruffin planned to build a $2 billion resort, Montreux (pronounced /mɒntroʊ/), entirely funded by him (with no partners), on the site of the New Frontier. The name Montreux comes from the famed Swiss resort which sponsors the yearly Montreux Jazz Festival.
The upscale 2,750 room resort was intended compete with the likes of the Mirage and Paris. It was to use jazz music as a draw. Ruffin said, "We don't really have a Strip casino that advertises good jazz music." A second Montreux Jazz Festival could have been a yearly event at the resort.
The resort was to feature a 500 foot (152 m) tall Ferris Wheel similar in size to the famous London Eye.
The site has 38.5 acres (15.6 ha) left after selling 3.5 acres (1.4 ha) to Donald Trump for the twin Trump Towers condo project located at the back of the property.
The Montreux bears a striking resemblance to the nearby Bellagio (hotel and casino).
[edit] El Ad purchase
On May 15, 2007 it was announced that El Ad Properties plans to purchase the New Frontier for $1.2 billion. El Ad, which also owns the Plaza Hotel in New York City, intends to demolish the New Frontier and replace it with a replica to be called the Las Vegas Plaza.[6]
On May 16, 2007, it was announced to the 1,000+ employees of the New Frontier that the property would be closing on July 16, 2007 and be implodedon November 13, 2007.
On November 13, 2007 at 2:30 am the tower was imploded with over 1,000 pounds of explosives.
[edit] The longest strike
From September 21, 1991 until February 1, 1998 members of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 in Las Vegas staged a strike against the New Frontier and the Elardis. A settlement was reached on October 28, 1997 when Ruffin announced he would purchase the New Frontier from the Elardis for $165 million dollars. The strike ended when Ruffin officially took possession.
According to an article in the Las Vegas Sun, the following events occurred during the strike:
- 17 CWU Local 226 strikers died.
- 106 babies were born to CWU member mothers who have walked the picket.
- The Dunes, Landmark, Sands and Hacienda were all closed and imploded
- More than 21,340 hotel rooms were constructed in the Las Vegas Strip.
- Construction on an additional 19,000 rooms and suites was started.
- 235 of the original 550 strikers had walked the line in shifts manned 24 hours a day.
[edit] Age
The Tower Atrium Tower, lasted only 17 years, with being built in 1990 and destroyed in 2007.
[edit] References
- ^ KLAS-TV Reports on closing of The New Frontier Hotel and Casino
- ^ Vegas casino headed for the final frontier
- ^ New Frontier demolition set for 2:30 am
- ^ a b Las Vegas: An Unconventional History. American Experience. Retrieved on 2007-06-07.
- ^ http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/gaming/2005/mar/08/518412424.html
- ^ ReviewJournal.com - News - MORE THAN $1.2 BILLION: New Frontier sale sets record
