These are from my after Thanksgiving Las Vegas sightseeing trip, November 28, 2008.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3240/3088109928_3ecfd36567_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3043/3087273715_f3c33c17f5_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3014/3087273413_09dd135dd6_b.jpg

this is HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE

wow another mega tower for LV...i think i saw this being built when i was there this july

Fontainebleau




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/donpacho/Part%20Two/DSC07420s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/donpacho/Part%20Two/DSC08277s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/donpacho/Part%20Two/DSC08339s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/donpacho/Part%20Two/DSC08334s.jpg



.

Wow the first photo. It looks really, really HUGE!
The glass looks very nice and this tower makes a nice impact in the skyline.

not very impressive:ohno:

Not Bad!)

Cool construction pics !!

yeeeesh, welcome back to the 1980s.

it is difficult to comprehend the anormity of this thing..... it has grown in leaps and bounds since i was there in April :)

wow, what an amazing building!!! GO Vegas!

Fat and skinny angles.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/mdiederi/buildings/Fontainebleau/FontFat.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/mdiederi/buildings/Fontainebleau/FontFin2.jpg

i really like that color, that blue is fantastic!!

Is this T/O?

Great shots Mark! Here's a shot of the wind tunnel that has developed between Sky and FB on the Strip when you walk between the buildings on the sidewalk. Fascinating.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p131/gdog137/Fontainebleau/CIMG1252.jpg

Southern tip of the resort:

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p131/gdog137/Fontainebleau/fbstrat.jpg?t=1231697539

topped out? with 225m it would be still in the Top 300 :)

btw..does anyone know the number of floors?

Ooh, I like that view of the corridor down the boulevard. Like a canyon.

Yeah, it's topped out, except for the final crown, which they are working on.

Thanks Mark. Here's another.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p131/gdog137/FBdusk.jpg

Great updates. Vegas looks awesome with those new glassy buildings :)

I just came back from Vegas and this tower looks really cozy

Amazing updates. thanx.

Nice pic!

topped out? with 225m it would be still in the Top 300 :)

btw..does anyone know the number of floors?

was supposed to be 63 but i saw someone on another forum highlight 67 floors and that was before the crown

January 20, 2009

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3465/3218906552_4fc6da3708_b.jpg

Looks better in real life than the renderings!

this is HUGE. How many rooms?

this is HUGE. How many rooms?

2,880 hotel units
1,020 resort condominium units
Height: 735ft/224m
Cost: $2.8 billion
Total Interior Area: 7,046,928 sq. ft.
Type: Resort Casino/Condominium/Hotel
Exterior: Glass/Blue (see sample image below)
Opening Date: late 2009
Architect: Bergman Walls and Associates

thanks.

wow, 3,900 rooms. Will this be the largest in Vegas?

thanks.

wow, 3,900 rooms. Will this be the largest in Vegas?

not even close, biggest in vegas

Caesars Palace 3348 rooms (tower with another 665 rooms being built already topped, waiting for economy to pick up)

Bellagio 3993 rooms
Excalibur 4008 rooms
Mandalay Bay/THEHotel 4332 rooms
Luxor 4408 rooms
Wynn/Encore 4750 rooms
MGM Grand 5044 rooms
Venetian/Palazzo 7128 rooms

font sits on just 24 acres, in contrast mgm grand sits on 114 acres and caesars palace on 85 acres

o...tallest?

o...tallest?

it will be the tallest hotel tower yes and second tallest structure in the city after the stratosphere tower which is 1149ft. font will actually be the first hotel tower in las vegas taller than hoover dam which is 726ft tall

oh no there is still a lot to be done!!, and in 1 month I´m going to visit las vegas.. well I think they won´t be finished with the glas then :: :ohno:

A game of cards anyone?

I'll be in Vegas in April. This tower should be fully finished on the outside by ?

Also, where is the forum for Aria? My Skyscrapercity search does not work! It looks almost as tall as the Fontainebleau!

^^it's under Project CityCenter in the Highrises forum.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=32547042

Is there currently a height regulation in Las Vegas? I heard a while back it was 50 stories. This obviously is not in effect today. I think it had something to do with the MGM fire? I know in the US over 2000 ft is restricted by the FAA.

^^yes, the heights get lower the closer you get to the airport, that's why Crown Las Vegas was reduced from 1,888 ft to 1,064 ft before being canceled.

Is there currently a height regulation in Las Vegas? I heard a while back it was 50 stories. This obviously is not in effect today. I think it had something to do with the MGM fire? I know in the US over 2000 ft is restricted by the FAA.

nothing to do with the mgm fire but rather the proximity of the las vegas strip to mccarran airport (the runway is very close to the south strip e.g) FB was allowed build at 700ft+ because it was further from the airport

not sure on south strip limit but mid strip has a limit of 600ft, further north that limit is something like 750ft

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3584/3330281915_e87c2e7230_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3330274705_b9be50583f_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3550/3331103180_e96c626880.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3332/3330259285_20da6607a6_b.jpg

Thanx for the updates :P

this is topped out right?

yep, topped out. now the tallest building in vegas (besides stratosphere)

Today.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/mdiederi/buildings/Fontainebleau/Font-6.jpg

go go go Las Vegas

What a monster !!! it is a glass giant and looks very nice !

The sunset will look so great on that facade...:nuts:

viva las vegas!!!

What a building.....! greetings from La Vega, dominican Republic

This is my favorite building in Vegas.

The belt of white glass around the crown and at the middle are very cool.

First crane to come down.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/mdiederi/buildings/Fontainebleau/FontCrane.jpg

btw..does anyone know the number of floors? By my count it's about 68 levels.

Just got back from Vegas, the scale of this hotel is amazing. In the past you could look at Bellagio, MGM Grand, TI, etc and say wow, those are BIG. Now they don't look so impressive compared to Fontainebleau! When viewing the skyline from a distance, it's easy to pick out this hotel, and city center.

how close is it to topping out?

With pictures it's hard to grasp an idea of the true scale of this building!

But it should look MASSIVE in real life!

how close is it to topping out?

It's already topped out.

awesome, someone should change its status to t/o

With pictures it's hard to grasp an idea of the true scale of this building!

But it should look MASSIVE in real life!

It doesn´t... :lol: I don´t know why but altough Vegas has many high skyscrapers they don´t really look high... but they look impressive.. but I think its because of the size of each building... look at the luxor hotel with the pyramide... it has over 110m, but it look as it had 60m... or even less... but when you go into the building you see how big it is...

That is because they are so wide ^^

Also, if you look at the window designs of some Vegas hotels, there are 4 rooms per 'window'. It makes you think the building is smaller than it really is. TI is a good example of this as well as Bellagio (horrible hotel) and maybe a few others. The current designs look like they try to express the size as much as possible with lots of smaller individual windows.

Any progress?

I find it really ugly. bad proportions and wrong scale. Boring cladding.

can anyone get a new picture. i want to get a look at the finished product :)

???

???

:lol: i meant to say finished product, my bad

It's topped out and about 90% completed... BUT, work has stopped on the site while the owners are in court facing 2 different lawsuits...:bash:

More like 5 lawsuits now:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jun/23/more-subcontractors-accuse-fontainebleau-failing-p/

Will THIS building BE completed???

Because of the lawsuits, the Fontainebleau Casino Resort will never open despite most of the resort being completed already.

This building is so ugly - I would really like it to be demolished. It is an eyesore.

its las vegas, i dont have mercy for how bad it looks lol id like the whole city to be demolished...

Lawsuits are all eventually settled. This will open. Noone would put that much money into the structure to let it sit unfinished forever.

First crane to come down.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v120/mdiederi/buildings/Fontainebleau/FontCrane.jpg

Amazing building.
I love it:)

^^ nice pic

- edit

so close to completion, hard to believe it wont eventually open.

love the blue glass btw. massive.

Any financial news about this project? Any glimmer of hope that it will resume? Seems like a worse situation to keep it unfinished instead of opening it and generating some revenue...

This project looks so ugly in reality. Wish they would pull it down. It is an eyesore.

This project looks so ugly in reality. Wish they would pull it down. It is an eyesore.

the fontainebleau in my opinion is gorgeous idk what you are talking about.

Is this project still on hold? I think they were still working on it when I was there in august..

I think they have to put the project on hold until the economy recovers. Most, or all of the casinos in Las Vegas are suffering direly due to this economic crisis. Last news I heard is that revenue alone suffered 25% losses in average. They have to put it on hold in my opinion or no one will be there once this casino opens.

fugly... nothing like the render

maybe I should get my eyes checked, because it looks exactly like the render!

This building looks very impressive in person. It's massive compared to a lot of the other buildings on the strip. When it's done and lit up at night, it'll be pretty cool.

updates ?

updates ?

none... the building is just sitting there 70% done with 0 work moving forward...

Almost a year has gone by... :bash:

I think they have to put the project on hold until the economy recovers. Most, or all of the casinos in Las Vegas are suffering direly due to this economic crisis. Last news I heard is that revenue alone suffered 25% losses in average. They have to put it on hold in my opinion or no one will be there once this casino opens.

It was not a decision based on the economy. The developer is bankrupt and the courts are in control of the property.

updates ?

Well actually the Las Vegas Fire Department has been using it for drills and will be over the next month at least! They are very happy to be using it and it really is a win-win situation for all those involved! However; I wouldn't want to be the one climbing 60 some flights of stairs at least once a day for at least the next month, lol...

Hope it will be pulled down. It is a mega eyesore.

What are u talking about? It's almost done, im sure someone will buy it.

:banana:Hope it will be pulled down. It is a mega eyesore.:bash:

I think they should tear down the Sydney Opera House, it is so weird looking.

thanks guys

:banana::bash:

I think they should tear down the Sydney Opera House, it is so weird looking.

Hell no, it is the only thing worth visiting in that vast wasteland!!!:lol:

you guys are so unfair.

FB is awful. The SOH is tremendous. Besides there are many nice buildings in Melbourne and even in Geelong.

Hell no, it is the only thing worth visiting in that vast wasteland!!!:lol:

Oopps my bad I meant to say that vast penal colony.:lol:

Maybe like City Center they can restart with a little help from Dubai :)

I do hope they finish it. Its so close to completion already!

:lol:Oopps my bad I meant to say that vast penal colony.:lol:

the vast bankrupt u.s. of a. :lol:
now many homeless in vegas? :)
is bellagio presidential suite $50 a nite these days? :lol:

:lol:

the vast bankrupt u.s. of a. :lol:
now many homeless in vegas? :)
is bellagio presidential suite $50 a nite these days? :lol:

wow you're funny, im sure little australia with less people than California is thriving these days. At least we know how to turn desert into a city, your desert goes unused. And btw, Las Vegas is still more expensive than you will ever be able to afford. $6,000/ night for the presidential suite. And the suite on that playboy building is $50,000/night

:lol:

the vast bankrupt u.s. of a. :lol:
now many homeless in vegas? :)
is bellagio presidential suite $50 a nite these days? :lol:

I stayed in a Bellagio suite (regular, not presidential) a few months ago. It was discounted from $1000 per night to $550. The Fontainebleau hotel will be finished. Our banks are back to making profits by jacking up interest rates on the middle and lower classes, and the Russians are throwing money into NYC.

Funny how there are people in the world who think suffering is funny. I guess it's the difference in our core values. If Australia ever suffers an economic disaster, the USA will send help, even if we are still hurting.
Things are looking up here, slowly, but surely. Until 2012!

this is str8 fugly

Funny how there are people in the world who think suffering is funny. I guess it's the difference in our core values.

Well I don´t think it´s funny but many people also here in germany make fun of you, because your way of life... I mean we in germany have also many rich people like you, an we are also a rich country, but you americans are too extravagant... I´ve lived for 6 months in Irvine Orange County, and I saw many people driving big cars, having big houses with garderners and everything... but most of those people live of the appearances, many of you pretend to have a lot of money,but you don´t ... I mean I know many people in Germany who could afford a house in Newport Beach but allthesame they live in the country side, they don´t drive big cars, we don´t build extravagant buildings....we are more modest....

so what about the tower now? is it still on hold?

I hope your not seriously comparing the lifestyle of the average Orange County person to the average American!!

btw: What about the thousands of Germans who buy sports cars worth over $200,000 to speed on the Autobahn?

December 15, 2009

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2526/4198970412_6ca579400a_b.jpg

^ Erm..the Fontainebleau is less than a mile away from the Stratosphere. Circus Circus is right across the street. And actually between FBlue and the Strat are 3 tall buildings.

Sky
http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/images/Sky%20finished.jpg

Hilton Grand Vacation
http://arestravel.com/appimages/hotels/36/4536/description.jpg

Allure
http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/images/allure%20070902.jpg

And can we stay on topic please? Nothing makes me more upset when people venture off topic with nonsense. People are different all over the world and instead of trying to understand those differences, we make fun of them. No place on earth is better than the other and you are foolish if you think that.

I´ve lived for 6 months in Irvine Orange County, and I saw many people driving big cars, having big houses with garderners and everything...

I travel to Germany twice a year, and know it very well.

Imagine comparing Munich to Monaco. That's like comparing me from SC(South Carolina) to someone from SC (Southern California)

There is no comparison. If you look at Europe like a group of states, there are VERY different levels of, how did you say it, being modest, conservative?

Back on topic, Las Vegas is what it is. This hotel is typical of the city, extravagant, oversized and overbudget. That formula has been the typical reason for the success of Vegas. One bump in the road, not the end of the road.

beautiful city

Something that not many people a realizing: Vegas is 'growing up.' By that I mean if you noticed, Vegas isn't really building 'themed' resorts/hotels anymore. The hotel in and of itself is the theme. I think the Palazzo is the last of the themed resorts. I think that Vegas will continue to build architecturally striking buildings from now on.

:lol:

the vast bankrupt u.s. of a. :lol:
now many homeless in vegas? :)
is bellagio presidential suite $50 a nite these days? :lol:

Spoken like a true felon! Ooopppps my bad!!!:lol:

Had to delete some posts in this topic. Keep it on topic and friendly please.

wow you're funny, im sure little australia with less people than California is thriving these days. At least we know how to turn desert into a city, your desert goes unused. And btw, Las Vegas is still more expensive than you will ever be able to afford. $6,000/ night for the presidential suite. And the suite on that playboy building is $50,000/night

Hi-Five for the most pathetic post on the entire SSC Forum!
It isn't a matter of turning a desert into a tacky city full of casinos. Australians prefer the coastline and beach culture... so as long as a coastal city provides more pull factors, people will continue moving there.

Besides, I don't quite understand your argument. Australian population vs. Californian population, vs. ability to create tacky desert city and then you go on to argue about whether or not someone can afford to stay in a presidential suite? .... O.K.

Funny how there are people in the world who think suffering is funny. I guess it's the difference in our core values. If Australia ever suffers an economic disaster, the USA will send help, even if we are still hurting.
Things are looking up here, slowly, but surely. Until 2012!

To think this bullshit started from one guy saying that this building was an eyesore...

Hell no, it is the only thing worth visiting in that vast wasteland!!!:lol:

Oopps my bad I meant to say that vast penal colony.:lol:


Spoken like a true felon! Ooopppps my bad!!!:lol:

Anyway, the building isn't the best in Vegas, but it isn't the worst by any means. It's tacky enough to fit right in.

What are you guys talking about, this thing is the sh*t just like the citycenter. I just really wish the crown would have been built it would have looked amazing

nice building!

It drives me crazy to see a building so close to completion stopped dead in its tracks. I wonder when the banks will get over their fear of Vegas and finance that last finishing touch. :ohno:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jan/19/carl-icahn-take-ownership-fontainebleau-las-vegas-/

Carl Icahn to take ownership of Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort

Carl Icahn is expected to take over ownership of the bankrupt Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort after two potential competitors vying to buy the property failed to submit qualifying bids as of a 5 p.m. deadline Friday.
...

^^ Great news! With a lot of housing inventory getting cleared and now this development hopefully getting back on track, Las Vegas can focus on new things in the future!

I like the color-theme, specially when seen at night it kinda adds a glow of the state-of-the-art architecture. And it's really huge.

Sorry for really bumping this thread but, I have a few things to say

Today I decided, "you know what, I want to go see the sales center". So I walked from my hotel room (14th floor of nyny) to ballys, then wayyyy back to the monorail, where I got off at the hilton. After walking for a few minutes out in the killer wind today I found a taxi driver willing to take me the few blocks (I really didn't know where it is located just that it is on the other side of the strip or another road). So we go for a couple blocks and he pulls into the sky condos entrance, where a guard asks what we are doing. The guard tells us the office has been closed since the bankruptsy. So, disappointed, I paid the driver the 5$ fee and started walking. The guard then informed me that the building will not restart until 2014-16 somewhere in there when the economy turns around. Very disappointing, for I love this building. Then what he tells me next is worse. There is no roof on it so 30 floors are pretty much screwed. More work for icahn. But hold on, what kind of retard postpones the decision for a rooftop pool? Yeah the guard told me they were still trying to decide?

To add to the las vegas architecture-depression, the echelon has been postponed (old news) until the turnaround, and the harmon..oh god..cut to half the size? what's wrong with you people! How can they mess up construction so bad that its reduced to half the size? Foster's must be very upset that their part of citycenter will never live up to its name (litterally)

is new pics?

Pull it down - this is such a horrible sructure. I am glad it is not being finished.

atleast half of lv's towers are horrible (imo), but what you gonna do? tear them all down? nah, they're ok for the location and purpose.

They really can't just pull it down, it was over a billion dollars to make the thing and it is already t/o. Imo, I would just make a roof and wait for the interior work until the economy turns around.

Is not Ugly, i really like it, and it is the tallest in Vegas.

I was at CTIA in Vegas last week and watching such a magnificent structure like that being lonely and dark is a sad site to see. Across the street Echelon sits about 10 stories or so high and spread out where the old Stardust hotel used to be... The north strip is in bad shape.

Does anyone know what the mayor and city council are doing about these things? Icahn taking over is a good start. Based on what I saw and also what all of the taxi drivers were saying they might not want to make this a high end structure like the others that have recently opened. The taxi drivers know the climate and what they are saying is that the crowds are still showing up but are being VERY frugal with what they spend. I negotiated a limo ride to the airport for $20 from Trump. This was something that would never have happened 4-5 years ago...

wow, what an amazing building!!! GO Vegas

It just fits Vegas well, and it looks good behind Encore.
Sky and Allure are anonymous buildings.

It is a magnificent building I absolutely love it:D but right now it is a very sad sight to look at. Hopefully the north end picks back up, and the echelon, fountainebleau, trump 2, and the plaza all are built. Then, we may see within the decade a decision from MGM/mirage to make another resort up there. They own the circus circus (imo, take that thing down right away) and a lot of property by it, so we would see something on the scale of citycenter or bigger. The company that owns the Atlantis resort in Dubai has part of that property shared with mgm/m so it will be cool to see what they do.

For those asking, a picture:
http://i.imgur.com/FkRMe.jpg

That is one big picture.

This is almost the Ryugyong of Vegas...

Honestly I think this is great! No theme, no bs. Elegant modernism.

Lets wait for the economy to recover then they might just be able to continue this project

This is the tallest building in Vegas and I expect more to come.

Does the Fontainebleau Resort Hotel look boring to anyone else?

Has anyone seen the building in person? I have not been to Vegas in a couple years.

I've seen it in person and it looks pretty impressive. It's huge.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4445183653_c782f6fb83_b_d.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/holgeresser/

Nice building. Las Vegas would seem like a built-up city but when you visit it, it's like Phoenix with a street full of buildings. I wish Las Vegas would become more of a city, because it looks great at night with all these buildings but looks like 1970s New York during daytime. Macao has both city and casinos, why not Vegas?

^^ now that's a nice shot! pretty massive building if you ask me. also the blue glass looks very good.

Nice building. Las Vegas would seem like a built-up city but when you visit it, it's like Phoenix with a street full of buildings. I wish Las Vegas would become more of a city, because it looks great at night with all these buildings but looks like 1970s New York during daytime. Macao has both city and casinos, why not Vegas?

As new york shows the people who live there, people staying in hotels, tourists, public transportation, taxis, all of this is part of the car and foot traffic and takes up a lot of room. We have many cities in America and Vegas is meant to be a getaway for tourists (the strip atleast). What they could do is maybe make a separate part on a different few roads which is offices and hotels. If there were offices on the strip and hotels it would be way more congested than it already is and that could take away from the casinos revenues.

Any updates?

Nice building. Las Vegas would seem like a built-up city but when you visit it, it's like Phoenix with a street full of buildings. I wish Las Vegas would become more of a city, because it looks great at night with all these buildings but looks like 1970s New York during daytime. Macao has both city and casinos, why not Vegas?

Las Vegas needs to be like a huge city.

As new york shows the people who live there, people staying in hotels, tourists, public transportation, taxis, all of this is part of the car and foot traffic and takes up a lot of room. We have many cities in America and Vegas is meant to be a getaway for tourists (the strip atleast). What they could do is maybe make a separate part on a different few roads which is offices and hotels. If there were offices on the strip and hotels it would be way more congested than it already is and that could take away from the casinos revenues.

automobiles take up a lot more room in vegas than they do in new york. and single-use development makes congestion worse, definitely not better.

I don't see what's so wrong about Vegas. I thought it was a great experience. Much more foot traffic than anywhere in Dallas. Loved the natural surroundings as well. Great on the strip. Great nature type vacation spots outside of the city.

no offense, but if you're from dallas, las vegas might indeed look like a pedestrian paradise. but if you're from new york, san francisco, europe, asia .... well actually pretty much everywhere except most US cities, especially the texan ones, las vegas isn't such a great place for pedestrians after all. sure, a lot of people walk there, but how great is a walk along a 10 lane highway? wasn't great for me. although I did like the overall las vegas experience, too...

^^ nice photo though i don't think that large advert in front of it does any favours.

You would think someone or some company would have bought this hotel by now. With interest rates so low, construction costs lower, and desperate current owners...

The thing I love about Vegas is that you can drive just an hour north and be at Mount Charleston Lodge. It was 80+F in Vegas and 31F with snow on the ground on the mountain! (in April)

Carl Icahn took over FB in January: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jan/19/carl-icahn-take-ownership-fontainebleau-las-vegas-/

Very little work had been done at the properity, up until a few weeks ago. I drove by and it looks like they ate inclosing the exposed areas of the building. I don't think they are working at a pace that would indicate they are trying to fininsh the property.

Good article and information, but did he actually take ownership? The story only said he was 'expected to'.

Updates please

It is still empty and 70% finished like in the above pics. It is still stalled indefinitely

http://www.ktnv.com/story/13755805/primm-hotel-furnished-from-bankrupt-vegas-casino

no offense, but if you're from dallas, las vegas might indeed look like a pedestrian paradise. but if you're from new york, san francisco, europe, asia .... well actually pretty much everywhere except most US cities, especially the texan ones, las vegas isn't such a great place for pedestrians after all. sure, a lot of people walk there, but how great is a walk along a 10 lane highway? wasn't great for me. although I did like the overall las vegas experience, too...I disagree. I'm from London and I've travelled all over the world (more than 50 countries on every habited continent). I say the Las Vegas Strip is one of the most fun streets to walk in the world.

so the hotel is in construction?

C'est pas trop original !

Jesus; this is a depressing project, it is so close to being completed and it has been stalled for close to two years now. Maybe the Fontainebleau is America's answer to North Korea's infamous Ryugong Hotel.

It s so fat, boring and ugly ... This poor clading stinks 90's ...

you sound jealous. i bet that whatever place youre from doesnt have a building that looks this nice.

Fontainebleau Las Vegas developers fight ‘vulture investors’ lawsuit

Heavy hitters in the worldwide casino and real estate industries have flooded a Nevada court with legal briefs denying they’re responsible for the failure of the $2.9 billion Fontainebleau Las Vegas casino resort development.

The briefs were filed in a lawsuit initiated March 25 in Clark County District Court by a group of about 45 corporate investors in Fontainebleau’s $2.84 billion credit facility.

Construction on Fontainebleau was halted in the summer of 2009, and its initial developer, Fontainebleau Las Vegas, filed for bankruptcy after banks halted funding for what had been envisioned as a $2.9 billion, 3,815-room resort.
More: http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2011/sep/06/fontainebleau-las-vegas-developers-fight-vulture-i/

Las Vegas: A tale of two hotels

"It's disheartening to see the cranes just sitting there with their booms on the ground and nobody on the construction site."

Robert Van Ausdal has worked in the construction business in Las Vegas for fifteen years and has witnessed first-hand the dramatic collapse of the industry.

He is describing the construction site of the Fontainebleau, a 63 storey mega-hotel.

The planned development featured more than 3,800 rooms - but construction was halted in the spring of 2008 with the hotel around 70% complete.

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14792312

American proudly presents Ryugyong Hotel Redux! Tearing your dreams apart since 2007.

Shame about this as it would bring some much needed civilisation to that end of the strip. Was there a few days ago and the only shot I got was from the Stratosphere. Didn't actually know what it was and assumed it was on its way to completion... clearly not!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/lancebloke/IMG_0678.jpg

Definately a huge mass of a building.... althought quite a bland one compared to some of the others it will be competing against if its ever finished.

American proudly presents Ryugyong Hotel Redux! Tearing your dreams apart since 2007.

Well, there are some similarities, but more differences.

1) It isn't a concrete shell
2) it isn't a supertall in a city of mostly 20-30 floor buildings
3) it hasn't been abandoned for 15 years (yet)
4) no one has airbrushed it out of Las Vegas Photos (that I know of)
5) private companies vs. government built
6) Ryugyong has better style

^^^ what is the giant unfinished 'box' directly to the left of the hotel in that picture?

^^^ what is the giant unfinished 'box' directly to the left of the hotel in that picture?

I believe it is a finished parking structure.
Ugly (as most parking structures are), but finished.

In a decade Vegas can turn this building into the biggest and most exciting indoor paintball and lasertag scenario in the world. ;)

I recently read a Las Vegas Sun column advocating for the Sahara to become the new state capitol building. I think the Fontainebleau has a very "political" look to it and wouldn't mind if it was made the new capitol building. I know, I know-Wishful thinking. But it's past time that Las Vegas residents had to travel 450 miles to get to their capital. As the article mentioned, that's like a citizen of Boston having to travel to Harrisburg. With so many empty structures in Vegas, this is a novel idea in my mind. Feel free to viciously destroy my wish. :)

^^
I would destroy your wish, but only because I agree with another poster and wish it to be turned into a huge lasertag/paintball arena.

With all of its furniture sold to the Plaza, I don't think they'll finish it anytime soon, by the way.

I found an article from last year that spells it out:

Las Vegas Sun (http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/aug/05/fontainebleau-sit-idle-until-economy-improves/)


Carl Icahn: Fontainebleau to sit idle until economy improves
By Steve Green (contact)

Thursday, Aug. 5, 2010 | 8:48 a.m.

http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/images_2/fontainebleau_vegas_090415a.jpg

Three pieces of news emerged today about the massive, unfinished Fontainebleau casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip:

--Investor Carl Icahn, who bought Fontainebleau out of bankruptcy in February, confirmed that there are no immediate plans to restart construction on the resort.

--Despite talk that he may sell the property, Icahn indicated he plans to hold on to the asset until business conditions improve.

--Icahn has already gained -- on paper -- a $52 million profit on the property.

Today's disclosures by one of Icahn's companies, Icahn Enterprises L.P. of New York, are significant because they are the first official word from Icahn since the Las Vegas Sun reported in June that a contractor, Taylor International Corp., had pulled $1.2 billion in construction permits for the resort.

Icahn and Taylor International at that time declined to address whether construction would resume anytime soon on the property on the northern stretch of the Las Vegas Strip, between the Riviera and the Sahara hotel-casinos.

Construction on Fontainebleau was halted last summer and its initial developer, Florida-based Turnberry Associates, sought bankruptcy protection for Fontainebleau Las Vegas after banks halted funding for what had been envisioned as a $2.9 billion, 3,815-room resort.

The project was hurt by declining revenue projections because of the recession, an associated lack of condominium sales and cost overruns. Costs to finish the project could reach $1.5 billion, bankruptcy court filings revealed.

"Our real estate segment intends to secure the former Fontainebleau property until market conditions improve," Icahn Enterprises said in a regulatory filing today regarding the unfinished building and 25 acres of land.

[...]


Carl Icahn is a billionaire corporate raider and activist shareholder. He could easily afford to finish the Fontainebleau if he wants.

Investors unearth records in alleged Fontainebleau cost overrun coverup (http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2012/feb/06/investors-unearth-new-records-alleged-fontaineblea/)

http://photos.lasvegassun.com/media/img/photos/2011/07/28/scaled.0728_LVS_North_Strip.004_t618.jpg?ba5b5b122dd3d37cc13d83e92a6a0ec0d5bfa32a


Investors suing over losses at the stalled $2.9 billion Fontainebleau Las Vegas casino-resort say they’ve uncovered startling internal documents detailing how its developer allegedly covered up cost overruns and other problems at the project.

Among them, according to documents filed by attorneys last week in a Clark County District Court lawsuit, are internal memos recovered from Turnberry West Construction Inc., Fontainebleau’s general contractor. One memo details how Fontainebleau executives, including owner Jeff Soffer, allegedly directed Turnberry West to manipulate cost estimates so the executives could hide cost overruns and meet the project’s budget. Up to $450 million in allegedly hidden cost overruns are at the heart of the lawsuit.

Investors holding $700 million of Fontainebleau’s debt are the lawsuit plaintiffs. They say Fontainebleau never would have been allowed to borrow that money if the lenders would have been aware of the cost overruns. That’s because cost overruns would have been a signal Fontainebleau was on track to fail and the lenders wouldn’t be repaid.

The numbers had to be manipulated, the investors charge in the lawsuit, because Fontainebleau as designed couldn’t be built with its construction budget — and this fact allegedly was hid from lenders who financed the project.

-------

Work on the 3,815-room hotel-casino was halted in 2009, Soffer put it into bankruptcy protection and some 3,000 construction workers lost their jobs. Investor Carl Icahn eventually bought the unfinished project out of bankruptcy with plans to hold on to it until the economy turns around.

at least it's on the skyline already

why is it in the proposals section, it should at least be in U/C

I recently read a Las Vegas Sun column advocating for the Sahara to become the new state capitol building. I think the Fontainebleau has a very "political" look to it and wouldn't mind if it was made the new capitol building. I know, I know-Wishful thinking. But it's past time that Las Vegas residents had to travel 450 miles to get to their capital. As the article mentioned, that's like a citizen of Boston having to travel to Harrisburg. With so many empty structures in Vegas, this is a novel idea in my mind. Feel free to viciously destroy my wish. :)

That would only make sense if Nevada needed a new state capitol building. Does it? I haven't heard so.

So again, the building is topped off, someone needs to move it from the proposals section.

can they at least put some kind of lighting on it at night, the tallest building in this city is not visible at night

So again, the building is topped off, someone needs to move it from the proposals section.

No. Buildings that are on hold belong in the proposed section.

fair enough... but it's already built though???

It ain't finished yet. Construction stopped which means it's on hold..

I hope they demolish the monster.