Former Site of Imploded New Frontier Hotel Continues to Sit Unused Nearly 17 Years Later

LAS VEGAS, NV – The New Frontier Hotel and Casino was an iconic sight on the Las Vegas Strip since it originally opened for business in 1931; over the years it changed hands several times until it’s eventual final sale and closure in May 2007. The structure was finally imploded in November of that same year following a fireworks celebration and countdown chanted by onlookers who gathered to see a remnant of Vegas’ colorful past finally crumble to dust.

Nearly 17 years later, the property continues to sit unused; casino operator Wynn Resorts, which bought the land and four adjacent acres in early 2018, has not announced any plans yet, merely stating in a February securities filing that it “may be used for future development” without any further details being provided.

As a result of the inactivity, a 38-acre tract of land is currently sitting unused between Fashion Show Mall and Resorts World Las Vegas. Over the years, the property was bought and sold following New Frontier’s closure by numerous entities before it was purchased by Wynn Resorts, each of which brought different plans to the table that ultimately never came to fruition.

New Frontier sold the 16-story, 984-room hotel-casino in 2007 for $1.24 billion to Israeli investors who subsequently imploded the tower for a multibillion-dollar project that would have seen the construction of a massive resort with 4,100 hotel rooms, 2,600 resort-condo units, and over one million square feet of casino, restaurant, convention, and retail space. However, the project was never realized, due in part to the mid-2000s recession.

From there, the property was acquired in 2014 by Australian billionaire James Packer in hopes of building a 1,100-room hotel-casino; however, funding issues resulted in the project never getting off the ground, leading to Wynn Resorts purchasing the property – in addition to some adjacent plots – for $336 million in 2007.

But while Wynn Resorts founder Steve Wynn had announced at the time that he wanted to quickly develop the land, he would soon resign as chairman and CEO following a series of sexual misconduct allegations.

Since then, the site of the New Frontier Hotel and Casino has sat vacant and unused.

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.