The developers of the LVXP project recently received zoning approval for what has been described as what will be the tallest resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, accompanied by a basketball arena to accommodate an NBA franchise should one relocate or be awarded to Las Vegas.
Little Debate
The Clark County Commission had few questions and little debate regarding the LVXP project which is slated to be a 2,600-unit hotel and condominium project that will soar 752 feet into the Las Vegas sky, coupled with an 18,000-20,000-seat NBA-ready arena. The site is located on the north end of the Strip on a vacant lot of land between the Sahara and Fontainebleau resorts.
The LVXP, aka the Las Vegas Xperience Project, is taking the place of the ill-fated All Net Resort project led by former UNLV basketball standout and NBA player Jackie Robinson. Although the project received the commissioner’s approval, there were local residents who voiced concerns.
“Is this just yet another development company saying, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, we can do this,’ or is this really gonna happen?” one speaker said. “Because we’ve been looking at an empty hole for way too long. Way too long.”
That concern was in reference to the previous project, the All Net Resort, that had been lingering since its initial approval in 2013 when the commissioners refused to give it an additional extension in 2023. Increasing construction costs and failure to secure capital funds ultimately doomed the project.
Concerns from Turnberry Place abutters ranged from the high-rise building blocking views from their condominium units to increased congestion during construction to the possibility of declining property values due to the close proximity of the structure.
Win-Win
Although the project is without a permanent name, nor has a cost associated with it, the proposed construction time will be approximately four years. Before groundbreaking would commence, there is much to be done, including traffic and drainage studies that would need to be completed.
LVXP Chief Construction Officer Nick Tomasino called the project “an absolute win-win for the community.”
“Based on today’s vote, the commission also shares our opinion,” he said. “We think it’s going to have a great economic impact, and at the end of the day, we’re going to all stand back several years from now, looking back to this day, and enjoy the beautiful new development.”
NBA in Sin City
Of course, should the NBA come to Las Vegas, the traffic flow would have to be addressed well in advance. There are already two professional sports teams in the area, including the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders and the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, while MLB’s Oakland A’s will be moving to Sin City once their new stadium is built, expected to be ready for the 2028 season.
Last year, NBA insider Brian Windhorst said there was no shortage of interest in bringing an NBA franchise to Las Vegas.
“I can already tell you that there are multiple groups that are preparing to buy this expansion team in Las Vegas that I know about. Much less what I don’t know about. And LeBron [James] has also—not very veiled—indicated that he would like to be a part of the franchise in Vegas,” Windhorst said.
