FAA Gives Green Light for New Tower on Casino Royale Site

By Scott Roeben, on August 03 2023
3 min read 7 comments
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As we reported back in June 2023, a representative of Casino Royale submitted a request to the FAA to evaluate the impact of a 699-foot structure in the works for the site, presumably a new hotel.

The FAA recently cleared the construction for take-off, which we acknowledge is possibly the worst metaphor you will read anywhere today.

Signs are pointing toward Casino Royale being closed and demolished, although no official announcement has been made.

We’ve never stayed at this Best Western Plus, but we get the feeling it should probably just be called Western Plus. Or possibly Western.

The FAA’s determination is dated July 21, 2023, and the approval is directed to Craig Dudley, a longtime Las Vegas deal-maker believed to be working for Casino Royale as a consultant. (We left a message for Dudley at Casino Royale, but never heard back. Shocker.)

The FAA letter states: “The aeronautical study revealed that the structure would have no substantial adverse effect on the safe and efficient utilization of the navigable airspace by aircraft or on the operation of air navigation facilities. The FAA cannot speak to the potential impact upon UFOs or UAPs, or whatever the nutjobs are calling now, but as for planes, you’re good.”

The FAA is known for its sense of humor.

The 11-page letter can be found on the FAA Web site under “Determined Cases.” The study number is 2023-AWP-2081-OE. (Do we have to do everything for you, local media?)

In related news, we’re told Casino Royale (technically, Best Western Plus Casino Royale) has taken no room reservations for the potentially lucrative F1 dates in November 2023. As we said, Casino Royale hasn’t confirmed any plans for closure. Highly curious.

We have learned team members at the Outback Steakhouse at Casino Royale have been informed the restaurant will close. We’re pretty sure this is related to a potential shuttering of Casino Royale, but casino employees have been given no such notice.

The FAA’s approval of the new tower expires on Jan. 21, 2025.

We first shared rumors of a potential closure of Casino Royale back in 2018. A lot has happened since then, pandemicwise, obviously.

We’ve since been told Ritz-Carlton is no longer the hotel partner, and the new hotel on the Casino Royale site will be a different brand.

We’re keeping an eye on any developments, and enjoyed our recent visit to Casino Royale. It’s a holdover from a different era. It’s one of the few stand-alone casinos on the Las Vegas Strip (not owned by a giant casino company or REIT), and it’s all about value. Oh, and there’s still free parking, if you can believe that.

Gaming licenses are extraordinarily valuable, so the hope is the new offering will be a hotel-casino, emphasis on “casino.”

Development projects are fluid in Las Vegas. Some start and stop (looking at you, Dream) and some never start at all (looking at you, All Net). The conditions for development financing aren’t exactly optimal at the moment (just ask Tilman Fertitta about his planned new resort on The Strip).

We’ll have to wait and see if the development on the Casino Royale site has a smooth landing or is buffeted by turbulence. Either way, we’ll keep it on your radar.

Look, do your own blog if you insist upon better metaphors! Are you even sure that’s a metaphor? What if it’s an analogy? You’ll definitely owe us an apology. Allegory? Idiom? How about not criticizing until you sort all this out? Thank you.

 

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