Is there any update on CET’s plan to construct a bazaar at the entrance to Bally’s?
A:
Good question. Although, originally, ground-breaking was meant to take place in the latter part of last year, we hadn’t heard a thing more about the planned "Grand Bazaar Shops" at Bally’s since we first/last wrote about the project last fall (see QoD 9/17/2013).
The frontage of the Strip casino has, apparently, long been a bug-bear for Caesars Entertainment, but no one was sure what to do with it. Then, finally, plans emerged (we can’t say the project was "announced," it was a lot more on the down-low than that) for a complete makeover that would entail, among other things, 270 retail/dining outlets and a "state-of-the-art" light show.
The Grand Bazaar Shops concept, from a company called Parball Corporation, was apparently inspired by the world’s great historic markets and gathering places, like Morocco’s Marrakesh Souk, Jerusalem’s Grand Market, and Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. However, with the spotlight on the Linq, not to mention major upgrades at the former Imperial Palace/O’Sheas — now The Quad, and the subsequent news of Bill’s planned transformation into the boutique Hansevoort hotel and nightlife complex, any aspirations for an upgrade at Bally’s seemed to be forgotten, at least by us.
However, the ever-vigilant blogger over at Vegas Chatter has been a step ahead of us in coverage of this mysterious project, and their curiosity was evidently rekindled around the same time yours was. While Chatter also found scant new information, she did discover that approval for the still-alive project had been granted at a March, 2012 meeting of the Clark County Planning Commission, which you can actually watch in its entirety, should the urge take you. Alternatively, you can simply click the prior link for a summary of what was agreed upon which, in addition to restaurants, food stalls, and general retail outlets, also included a photo studio; psychic arts; a tattoo parlor; and farmer’s market.
The website for the Grand Bazaar Shops is still up and running, and you can download a site plan and leasing brochure, should you have a yen to open a psychic-arts kiosk or sporting-goods store on the Strip. The phone number listed is still operational but on a Friday afternoon our call went through to voicemail, as did our attempt to contact the corporate PR spokesman for CET. So, we went straight to the horse’s mouth and called the concierge desk at Bally’s, and were informed by an enthusiastic representative that the project is still very much a go, but is standing in line behind the Linq, Quad, and Bill’s projects. Once they are in a state nearer to completion, attention will be turned to Bally’s, we were assured, and the Grand Bazaar is still expected to open some time in 2015.
As this project, to date, has been distinctly in the shadow of all those other grandiose CET ambitions, if you haven’t heard any further update a few months down the line, give us another prod and we’ll put our sleuthing hats on once again again.
from las vegas advisor http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com
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