For as long as most people can recall, the Las Vegas Strip has stretched a reliable 4.2 miles. This was its length in 1959 when the iconic Las Vegas welcome sign was installed. Locals and Sin City’s frequent visitors alike can tell you the Strip is bordered by Sahara Avenue in the north and Russell Road in the south. And though a lot of the buildings in between are different than they were decades ago, the boundaries have remained constant. Those boundaries won’t be changing anytime soon, but very well could be changing in the future. That’s because industry insiders have been proposing something truly unprecedented. To compensate for a lack of property supply, they’re finally considering the expansion of the Las Vegas Strip.
The Experts Weigh In On Las Vegas Strip Expansion
As reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, two noted experts of the city’s gaming industry recently addressed expansion of the Las Vegas Strip in a panel for NAIOP Southern Nevada. For those unfamiliar, NAIOP is the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. The experts? A former executive with MGM Resorts, Alan Feldman, and a founding member of the Las Vegas Strategy Organization, Josh Swissman. Both agree that expansion of the Strip is on the table as a potential solution to drying up real estate.
A 13-Mile Strip?
Feldman imagines the Strip branching out further to the south to reach the M Resort at the cross streets of St. Rose and Las Vegas. Swissman looks northward, speculating an expansion in the opposite direction that incorporates an MLB stadium at the Sahara and Las Vegas cross streets. Their combined dream would envelope around 13 miles of commercial property; over triple the Las Vegas Strip’s current length. For these experts, it’s a little more than armchair speculation but nowhere near a funded plan in motion. In fact, development at such a scope would likely require decades of work. But considering the Strip’s borders have remained firmly in place for over six decades, a decade or two is nothing.
The Las Vegas Strip is Already Changing
Feldman and Swissman are mulling over a potential end result. Yet, the changes that inspire this expansion would be put in place way before that two decade mark. One of those changes may have already happened with the 2021 opening of Resorts World. The contemporary luxury hotel and casino has drawn attention to the oft-neglected northern portion of the Las Vegas Strip. And with another lavish resort opening on the north side in 2023 with the long-delayed Fontainebleau, the Strip’s northern end could be a hot spot once again.
New Life for the Northern Side of the Strip
Most activity on the Las Vegas Strip has concentrated on its central portion over recent years. This owes heavily to the presence of two of its most popular resorts: Caesars Palace and the MGM Grand. The Wynn serves as sentinel for the northern side of the Strip. And beyond it? You’ll find recognizable names like the Sahara, Circus Circus, and The STRAT, but also plenty of deserted and underutilized areas in-between. But with the addition of Resorts World and the promise of Fontainebleau, the northern side is already undergoing new development. It could be just as bustling as the center within the next decade.
South Side Strip Speculation
Meanwhile, the southern portion of the Las Vegas Strip could expand down to Warm Springs Road sooner rather than later. And what could pull guests to the lower portion of the Strip? If you guessed a new resort, you’re only partially correct. That’s because Sin City is finally dipping into sports with the construction of a 20,000-seat arena on the south side of the Strip. And, yes, the arena will include its own hotel and casino. And while there are currently no plans for Las Vegas to host its own team, the new arena will be constructed to NBA specifications.
With big things happening at both ends of the Las Vegas Strip, Feldman’s and Swissman’s predictions don’t seem too far-fetched. The length of the Strip can hardly be considered tradition. And is anything truly sacred in Sin City anyway? Will we see a 13-mile Las Vegas Strip in our lifetime? If so, it won’t be the strangest thing we’ve witnessed. Not by a long shot!
