Wynn Resorts is facing opposition from local officials over its plans to develop a third hotel tower on the Las Vegas Strip. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Standing in the way

Wynn Resorts is facing opposition to its plan to build a third hotel tower on the Las Vegas Strip. It owns a vacant lot adjacent to its Wynn Las Vegas casino resort, having bought the 38-acre parcel of land in 2017 for $336m. The company has now submitted a request to Clark County to extend the previously approved development plans for another five years.

the original approval came eight years ago

The Clark County Building Department has recommended a denial of the extension, arguing that the original approval came eight years ago and it hasn’t received any technical studies or building permits for a potential project. Officials have also changed certain construction regulations over the intervening period.

Wynn cited the recent pandemic as a reason for the extension, explaining that the disruption led to delays in various development projects that it wanted to complete before turning its attention to the empty lot. The county’s zoning commission will consider the matter in the coming months.

No immediate plans

A spokesperson for Wynn Resorts previously confirmed that it does not have immediate plans to start the work. However, the project would include a hotel tower with 1,110 rooms that would encompass 3.4 million square feet. A bridge would connect the new tower to the company’s other two Strip properties.

Wynn did commission a building height study from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2022 to ensure that it was possible to have a 640-foot tower on the site, completed to ensure “future development rights.”

Development plans for the site originally got approval in 2015 when the Australia-based Crown Resorts was looking to proceed with the $6bn Alon Las Vegas, a project that ultimately was scrapped the following year. Wynn has not outlined any timeline for its plans since it purchased the site in 2017.

A major player

Wynn Resorts is a global company, owning and operating casino properties across the US and in Macau. It is also working on a new resort in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that could open its doors in 2027.

hoping to secure the region’s first-ever casino license

The Wynn Al Marjan Island is hoping to secure the region’s first-ever casino license, with discussions reportedly underway about changing laws in the region. Even with no gambling, Wynn believes that it will prove a “must-see” destination for tourists in the UAE.