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\n\tFireworks explode during the grand opening of SLS Las Vegas, formerly the Sahara, in the early hours of Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014.<\/p>\n
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\n\tFireworks explode during the grand opening of SLS Las Vegas, formerly the Sahara, in the early hours of Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014.<\/p>\n
\tDon Chareunsy LV Sun
\n\tAfter eight years and a $1.2 billion investment ($800 million for the Sahara and $400 million for the renovation), Sam Nazarian, the founder, chairman and CEO of SBE, the parent company of SLS Las Vegas, ended a Friday-morning news conference at his new Strip casino resort with the following instruction: \u201cLet\u2019s go have some fun!\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tIn the hourlong gathering led by SLS President and COO Rob Oseland, who was onstage with Nazarian and financier Terry Fancher of Stockbridge at the former site of the Conga Room in the Sahara, the north-end-of-the-Strip property was introduced at Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue with multiple thanks and praise.<\/p>\n
\tOseland, who was a guest columnist in July, in his opening remarks called SLS a \u201ccatalyst for investment on the north end of the Strip,\u201d praised Gov. Brian Sandoval and Steve Hill, the executive director of the Nevada Governor\u2019s Office of Economic Development, for their commitment and persistence, and said that SLS employs 3,400 people and started as a grass-roots effort in a depressed area that is now one of opportunity and the \u201cdoorstep to downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tClark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani quipped that SLS stood for Sipping Liquor Slowly, said that she lived 1 mile away and would be at SLS often, talked of two projects in the area (one of them Rock in Rio) and deemed SLS \u201cthe jewel on the Strip\u201d in praising it bringing economic vibrancy to the area. With a Key to the Strip, Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak and Giunchigliani declared Aug. 23, 2014, as SLS Day, with Sisolak deeming SLS as Service Luxury Style and revitalizing the area.<\/p>\n
\tOseland praise contractor Penta for finishing SLS \u2014 a renovation of the bones of the Sahara \u2014 on budget and a few days early. Beth Campbell of design firm Gensler said that SLS \u201cembraced the maverick spirit\u201d of Las Vegas. KT Corp. designed the digital and automated art installations. Paul Blum of Fred Segal, who has 30 years of creating retail experiences, said that the seven Fred Segal outlets at SLS are \u201cauthentic and individual places\u201d and that SLS is \u201ca series of experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful, wonderful day,\u201d Fancher said as he took the podium. He praised the historic Sahara, which opened in 1952, and said that it fell into disrepair when it lacked money, freshness and ideas. Despite the worst recession Las Vegas had ever seen in 2008, 2009 and 2010, Fancher said SLS succeeded because of \u201cthe great heart of the Sahara.\u201d Stockbridge owns 90 percent of SLS.<\/p>\n
\tFancher said that they aimed to make SLS affordable and approachable and had reasonable goals for its success. Congresswoman Dina Titus, the \u201cmama of the project,\u201d was praised for her friendship and council and in returned praised SLS for its leadership, faith and investment in the heart of her District 1. \u201cLas Vegas is coming back, and SLS is a great community partner,\u201d Titus said, who revealed that veterans were sought as employees. \u201cYou are indeed legendary,\u201d Titus said.<\/p>\n
\tSen. Harry Reid deemed Fancher and Nazarian an all-star team and shared an anecdote about Steve Wynn, \u201cwho has an ego that we all admire\u201d \u2014 when Wynn asked Nazarian what SLS stood for, Nazarian replied, \u201cSam Loves Steve.\u201d Of SLS, Reid said, \u201cThis area needed a shot in the arm, and this is the shot in the arm.\u201d He said SLS is \u201ca good, important part of the new Las Vegas\u201d and praised chef Jose Andres, who has Bazaar Meat and Ku Noodle at SLS \u2014 \u201cthis man is a champion.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tNazarian was the last to take the stage, and he thanked Reid and the room of dignitaries and cited Wynn, Sheldon Adelson, Jim Murren and Alex Yemenidjian as supporters and leaders he admired. He said that Murren and Wynn had emailed him Friday morning saying that they were rooting for SLS. He said that SBE has an obligation to give back to the community.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cSLS is the flagship for us, and we are going to give back more than we take,\u201d Nazarian said. \u201cNow let\u2019s go have some fun!\u201d<\/p>\n
\tFriday also included tours of SLS and a round-table discussion before the grand-opening celebration. SBE Senior VP of Restaurant Operations Matt Erickson led a tour of SLS\u2019 restaurants and nightlife venues \u2014 the buffet, Bazaar Meat, Ku Noodle, Cleo, Katsuya, Umami Burger and Beer Garden, Griddle Cafe, Life Nightclub, The Sayers Club and Foxtail \u2014 and impressively greeted many employees by first name during the tour.<\/p>\n
\tExiting the grand-opening party after the fireworks at midnight, when SLS opened to the public early this morning, the line of foot traffic was around the block to enter SLS, and traffic on I-15 N was at a standstill starting at Flamingo to exit at Sahara.<\/p>\n
\tCheck back later today for a report from the grand-opening celebration and photographs, including the star-studded red carpet Friday night.<\/p>\n
\tDon Chareunsy is senior editor for arts and entertainment of the Las Vegas Sun.<\/p>\n
No replies were posted for this topic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fireworks explode during the grand opening of SLS Las Vegas, formerly the Sahara, in the early hours of Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014. Don Chareunsy LV Sun After eight years and a $1.2 billion investment ($800 million for the Sahara and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-latest-casino-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7890"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7890\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumarchives.tmsites.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}