Panel to See Bourbon Street Plan

It may be a while until Bourbon Street is redeveloped, a spokesman for the property's Dallas-based owner said Monday.

The small Flamingo Road hotel-casino, between the Westin and the Barbary Coast, has plans for a redevelopment project set for consideration by Clark County planning officials.

But the property's request for a county OK of the redevelopment plans is only a procedural move intended to preserve the owners' ability to best develop the property, said Mark Jordan, a spokesman for real estate investor Michael Block, the property's owner.

The redevelopment plan expands on plans the county approved in November 1998.

"It's basically a rebuild and remodel of the project," Bourbon Street land-use consultant Greg Borgel said.

The redevelopment plans call for the small, 225-slot casino to be replaced by a 32-story, 375-foot hotel tower.

The tower's rooms would be divided into 182 hotel rooms and 660 time share rooms with kitchens.

The existing four-story casino building that abuts the north side of Flamingo Road would be replaced by a new four-story building, which would have an additional 32 guest rooms.

The project would more than double the size of the existing hotel-casino.

"We haven't struck our deal yet," Jordan said of Block's plans to redevelop the property.

He said Block owns a variety of real estate, but no other Las Vegas property.

Block is in the middle of a Gaming Control Board licensing investigation; until he's licensed, the property's casino is leased to slot route operator United Coin, a subsidiary of Alliance Gaming Corp.

United Coin has operated the property's casino for almost three years, a company spokesman said.

The casino now has a lounge, a cafe and a small bar, but no table games. The casino's 225 slots are spread out around a space that could easily hold 300 or more.

Borgel said the Bourbon Street redevelopment plan is expected to appear on the planning commission's Dec. 18 agenda.