The iconic icon of the Las Vegas Strip is closing forever
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Change seems to be accelerating on the Las Vegas Strip. Biggest players including Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts for the Strip’s smaller landowners, every inch of land on this 4.2-mile stretch of road seems like a matter of debate.
You have major projects like the Fontainebleau Resort Casino on the North Strip, which is finally nearing completion, and Caesars is renaming its Bally’s Casino under its Horseshoe mark. There is, of course, also the massive Guitar Hotel project underway at the Mirage as Hard Rock International prepares to take over this property from MGM.
But for every arena being built (and there could be two more on the way) or massive casino development/redevelopment project underway, there are also smaller deals that are reshaping the Strip. In some cases, this results in the closure of very popular attractions and stores that seem to have been on the Strip forever.
You may not be upset when a gift shop or motel closes, but many of these dying shops and low-end places to stay represent what Las Vegas used to be for many long-time visitors. Now another highly visible piece of longtime Las Vegas Strip history is closed and likely to become just another Sin City memory.
Say Aloha Las Vegas
Two separate lots totaling nearly 16 acres directly on the Las Vegas Strip across from CityCenter appear to be approaching development, Casino.org reported.
A 6.2-acre plot recently purchased by billionaire Tilman Fertitta has long housed a Travelodge, which recently “closed permanently”, according to a sign on the property. Downtown Golden Nugget owner Fertita is widely expected to develop a resort casino on the property, but he has not confirmed any plans for the land.
It’s a notable loss, but no one gets too upset about a motel closing. But, people may be getting more nostalgic for what’s happening at the site next to Fertita’s property where the 80,000-square-foot Hawaiian Market closed earlier this month.
Las Vegas loses the Hawaiian market
Hawaiian Marketplace was one of those “Las Vegas only” devices. Its existence made little sense, but that’s hardly the logic that applies in a city that has a fake Eiffel Tower and a Statue of Liberty. The trading area activity was featured on Vegas.com.
If you thought you couldn’t find the spirit of Aloha in the middle of the desert, think again: the 80,000 square foot Hawaiian Market brings a taste of island-style shopping to Vegas.
Inspired by the Honolulu International Market, the outdoor mall features tropical plants, bright colors, and larger-than-life Hawaiian statues.
If you are looking for a place to a) pick up some last minute souvenirs b) find an outfit for the club tonight c) get your feet massaged, teeth whitened or tattooed or d) all of the above then this is for you – shop stop.
And, realistically, you probably weren’t “looking” for any of these things (or a Hawaiian market), but Las Vegas might be the only place on Earth where every part of those three paragraphs makes sense. Now Hawaiian Marketplace has closed for good and something new is coming to the Las Vegas Strip.
Guests at Polo Towers, a timeshare hotel behind the Old Hawaiian Market, received a note from management explaining what was happening at the site, according to the Vital Vegas Twitter. Basically, the site is being redeveloped to provide new retail and dining options.
“The Hawaiian Marketplace revamp could extend to nearby Cable Center stores, a mall just north of the Travelodge. Hawaiian Marketplace and Cable Center Shops are owned by the same New York-based investment firm,” Casino.org added. “Cable Center shops, which included tobacco, beer and wine, as well as souvenir outlets, also closed earlier this month.”
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This story was originally published July 22, 2022 2:02 p.m.
