The Stardust was imploded in 2006 to make room for Echelon - a huge resort project with multiple hotel and condo elements. Simply put Echelon was going to be the north Strip's version of CityCenter. When construction started the economy crashed and Boyd had the foresight to halt the project early. The project sat dormant for a few years until March 2013 when Boyd announced they had sold the Echelon land to Genting Group for $350 million.
Genting is a large Malaysian company with properties all over the world. They do have a presence in the United States having opened Resorts World New York a few years ago at Aqueduct.
Resorts World Las Vegas is going to be built on the existing Echelon layout. It is expected to open in phases, starting out with 3,000 rooms with the potential to double that down the road. Some other family friendly features like an indoor water park and a panda exhibit have also been mentioned.
The resort is going to have a strong Asian theme, which is refreshing since most Vegas hotels are moving away from themed spaces. The family friendly aspect of the resort is also different, but makes sense considering it will be catering to international families on vacation.
Work behind the scenes is well underway, with visible construction set to begin any day now. I'm definitely looking forward to keeping tabs on the progress.
Rendering: Wikimedia.
