In Las Vegas and the Nevada Preservation Foundation has reportedly presented the 995-room Plaza Hotel and Casino with the unique designation of being a ‘building of historical significance’.

According to a Tuesday report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper, the first-of-its-kind categorization comes as the 22-story property is preparing to celebrate its 50th birthday in just over six weeks’ time. Owned by British private investments firm Tamares Group, the Plaza Hotel and Casino with its 80,000 sq ft casino purportedly received a further boost late last week when the Nevada Gaming Control Board cleared it to begin operating without coronavirus-related capacity restrictions.

Memorable marker:

The newspaper reported that the Plaza Hotel and Casino marked the Nevada Preservation Foundation designation by holding a special ceremony in which its Chief Executive Officer, Jonathan Jossel, was presented with a celebratory bronze plaque. The casino boss purportedly declared that this weighty commemoration is to be ‘prominently’ displayed in the lobby of the Nevada venue as it gets ready to mark its milestone birthday on July 2.

Global goliath:

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the Plaza Hotel and Casino opened in the summer of 1971 on the site of the city’s former Union Plaza train station and was at the time the largest hotel-casino in the world courtesy of having in excess of 500 rooms. The Executive Director for the Nevada Preservation Foundation, Cynthia Ammerman, purportedly explained that her organization only awards such honors to facilities that are over 40 years old, hold a significant place in local history and feature an iconic architectural design.

Renewal recognition:

Ammerman reportedly took up her current post in January and told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that she immediately noticed ‘a gap in honoring the heritage of the city and what it’s known for internationally’. She purportedly disclosed that her group moreover wanted to acknowledge the property for embarking on a $35 million restoration project in 2010 rather than yielding to the numerous demolition calls.

Voiced vindication:

The commemoration ceremony was reportedly witnessed by a crowd of around two dozen local dignitaries including the mayor of Las Vegas, Carolyn Goodman, and former United States Senator Richard Bryan. Jossel purportedly told those in attendance that the decision to renovate the Plaza Hotel and Casino rather than knock it down to start anew has proven to be ‘the correct decision’ and that the facility now wants to ‘build on that further’ by reinvesting any profits.

Jossel reportedly proclaimed…

“We felt that there was good history here, enough brand power and good enough bones that we could actually do a successful renovation.”