Paul Szydelko
The implosion of the defunct Tropicana Hotel (1957-2024), which pending approval is set for 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 9, is the latest of what has become something of a tradition in a town that almost abhors tradition.
Bally’s Corp. and the Oakland Athletics will host a commemorative event featuring a drone and Grucci fireworks display that morning. Removing the two 22-story towers, which date from 1979 and 1986, will clear the site to build a stadium for the Major League Baseball team.
And while the Tropicana is coming down, room rates around the demolition site are going up, according to a report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Strip View rooms at Oyo Hotel & Casino on the night of the event start at $549 (a $500 jump from the rate for the same room one week earlier). Rooms at the MGM Grand are going for $1,550, about a $1,000 jump from the days before or after the implosion. And nearby New York-New York and Excalibur are sold out, according to MGM Resorts International’s online reservation system. (The implosion is set to take place during the Global Gaming Expo, better known as G2E, when room rates tend to increase, especially near the convention site.)
Any major event in Vegas is usually reason to throw a party, and this one is no different.
The Foundation Room, on the 63rd floor of Mandalay Bay, will host an implosion watch party beginning at 10:30 p.m. Guests, who must be at least 21 years old, are encouraged to “dress to impress.” There’s a cover charge of $50, and guests can also purchase a table for the unique event.
In with the new
Team officials hope to begin construction on a fixed-roof, 33,000-seat, $1.5 billion stadium next year and complete it in time for the 2028 season. Bally’s Corp. executives plan to build an adjacent resort, but they have not announced a timeline.
While it remains to be seen if these ambitious plans come to fruition, since funding sources have not been announced, Las Vegas has a storied tradition of spectacular destruction of old, faded buildings in seconds for new concepts to better reflect the needs of the market.
Out with the old
The Strip’s last implosion occurred in 2016: The Riviera (1955-2015) was felled to make room for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The New Frontier (1943-2007) was destroyed in 2007 and its land acquired 10 years later by Wynn Resorts for $336 million to develop. But nothing has happened since on the 38-acre parcel between Resorts World and the Fashion Show mall.
Other memorable implosions include:
• The Stardust (1958-2006) was leveled in 2007 to make way for what ultimately became Resorts World, which opened in 2021.
• Boardwalk (1966-2006) was demolished in 2006 to make way for CityCenter. Ironically, one of CityCenter’s high-rises, what was to be the 49-story Harmon Tower hotel and condominiums, had to be removed when a construction defect was discovered. The 28-story structure was leveled floor by floor rather than an implosion because of its proximity to other buildings. The four-level retail center 63 now stands on the footprint.
• Part of the land under the Desert Inn (1950-2000), which had been recently renovated when it was imploded in 2004, became Encore, which opened in 2008.
• Most of Aladdin (1962-1997) was imploded in 1998 for a new, larger version of the Arabian-themed property, which opened in 2000. The distinctive Theater for the Performing Arts was retained as the centerpiece of the Desert Passage retail area. But the resort soon became Planet Hollywood in 2007, and the retail area renamed Miracle Mile Shops.
• Hacienda (1956-1996) was leveled on Dec. 31, 1996, and Jan. 1, 1997. Mandalay Bay was built on the site.
• Sands (1952-1996), after its destruction in 1996, became the Venetian.
• The site of the Landmark, its demise captured for a scene in the Tim Burton film “Mars Attacks,” remains a parking lot for the Las Vegas Convention Center.
• The implosion of the Dunes (1955-1993) was the beginning of the explosive tradition. Its theatrical 1993 destruction, triggered by Steve Wynn, cleared the way for the Bellagio.
CORRECTION: This story was updated on Sept. 17 to correct the dates that the Tropicana was in operation. The property was open from 1957 to 2024.
