Riviera Closing May 4, 2015

The Riviera will be closing on May 4, 2015. The historic Las Vegas hotel was recently purchased for 182.5 million by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). The Riviera will be imploded as early as June to make way for the Las Vegas Global Business District. The Business District will cost a whopping 2.3 Billion dollars and will extend the existing convention center all the way out to the Las Vegas Strip.

It's always sad to see a classic Las Vegas property close down, but it isn't unexpected. The Riviera has been struggling badly for some time now. The aging casino combined with a bad location made the Riviera seem like a ghost town on most nights recently.

The Riviera could have benefited from a North Strip turnaround, but the cavalry led by Resorts World didn't show up in time. As much as I would have liked to see a comeback story from the Riv, this convention center expansion is probably a better outcome for everyone involved. A 2.3 Billion dollar project could just be the kickstart needed for the North Strip revitalization that we've been waiting on for years now.