Steve Wynn is planning quite the transformation for the golf course behind his Las Vegas resorts. The expansive new development includes a 38-acre lagoon attraction, 1,000-room hotel tower, meeting space, restaurants, nightlife, and a small casino.
The plans were revealed by Wynn, chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts Ltd., during a presentation on Wednesday to investors in Las Vegas. The development, tentatively titled Wynn Paradise Park, would be built on 130 acres that the golf course currently calls home just east of Encore and Wynn Las Vegas. While there doesn’t appear to be a price tag for the project, Wynn indicated that the cost could be as much as $1.6 million. Approval is still needed from Wynn Resorts Ltd. board of directors.
According to Wynn, the function of Paradise Park will be mainly as an entertainment attraction, which will center on the lagoon and its white sand beach island in the middle and boardwalk. Guests could choose to water ski, parasail, and paddle board during the day, and in the evening they could enjoy a fireworks show Wynn described as “just like Disney,” according to Vegas INC. Wynn said there would be an admission to enter the attraction.
An additional 260,000 square feet of meeting space will accompany the aquatic options. The meeting space will feature waterfront views, “a variety of restaurants,” and comfortable hotel rooms with “a separate bedroom, living room, and balcony,” according to a statement from Wynn Resorts. Wynn told investors that the project reinvents Las Vegas, and that he normally doesn’t “developer-speak very often,” opting instead to let the company’s projects speak for themselves.
The announcement comes on the heels of the company’s plans for Wynn Plaza, a large luxury retail complex on Wynn Resort’s property near Las Vegas Boulevard. More than 75,000 square feet of luxury retail space will be included in the development that is expected to debut in fall 2017.
Wynn stressed the importance of non-gambling business, now more profitable than the gambling operations, in his comments to investors on Wednesday. He said the people will be there, adding, “I don’t give a damn if they put a nickel in a slot machine. I want them to pay my admission, I want them to stay in my rooms — I want them to drink my booze and eat our food.”
Slated to open later this year, Wynn Resorts is also building a $4.1 billion Wynn Palace Macau, in addition to its Wynn Boston Harbor Resort expected to open in January 2017 in Massachusetts.