LAS VEGAS — After 5 years of construction, the $8.5 billion CityCenter project has opened. The project comprises 18 million square feet of retail, entertainment, hotel and residential space located on 67 acres of prime real estate on the Las Vegas Strip. The official opening caps off a December filled with completions. Earlier this month, the 57-story, 1,495-suite Vdara Hotel & Spa, and the 500,000-square-foot Crystals retail and entertainment district opened.
Other components of CityCenter include ARIA Resort & Casino, a 61-story, 4,004-room hotel that also contains a 150,000-square-foot casino, a 300,000-square-foot convention center and a 1,800-square-foot theater. In addition to Vdara and ARIA, CityCenter also contains the 400-room Harmon hotel and Mandarin Oriental, a 47-story structure that comprises 392 hotel rooms and 225 private residences. Veer Towers adds to CityCenter's residential offerings with approximately 670 units split between two 37-story towers. A half-mile long, dual-lane people mover system carries visitors from the nearby Bellagio and Monte Carlo through CityCenter. Finally, an 8.5-megawatt cogeneration provides electricity to the entire project.
CityCenter is also making efforts toward sustainability. Six of the project's buildings have already achieved LEED-Gold certification, and it is estimated that the amount of energy saved by CityCenter's design could power 8,800 homes for a year. This is being achieved by the use of window glazing, building shades and reflective rooftops. Other green features include the use of non-toxic interior paints, sealants and carpeting; the diversion of more than 94 percent of construction waste from landfills; the use of Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood; and the acquisition of local construction materials.
CityCenter is owned by a joint venture between MGM Mirage and Infinity World Development Corp., which is a subsidiary of Dubai World. Tishman Construction Corp. was the construction manager and Perini was the general contractor. The design team included multiple architecture firms and was led by Gensler.
— Coleman Wood