As the autumn leaves begin to herald the arrival of October, the iconic “Trop”, more formally known as the Tropicana, is set to disappear from the Las Vegas skyline, according to information recently obtained from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
In a city famed for its spectacles, including, occasionally and quite literally, the spectacular implosions of its iconic buildings, the destruction of one of Vegas’s enduring landmarks might well become an event in itself. The revelation came from Soo Kim, chair of Bally’s Corp., which presently owns the Tropicana. He suggested the October date but was quick to add caveats that such a timeline is subject to obtaining the necessary permits and may face changes.
Bally’s is likely, by the sound of it, to seek approval for a controlled implosion — a method that demands more environmental compliance than using a wrecking ball as it would minimize environmental impact. However, the corporation kept its cards close to its chest and did not reveal which demolition methodology it would choose.
Either way, one thing remains clear: the passing of such an enduring bulwark of Las Vegas history — which opened its doors to the world on April 4, 1957, and will shutter them for the very last time on April 2, 2024, — will not be an easy task. It will require considerable preparatory work, not to mention the subsequent clean-up.
Bally’s Corp. has made no secret of its vision for the post-Trop future. It plans to invest $1.5 billion in a brand-spanking-new baseball stadium for the Oakland Athletics right on that site. The construction firm Mortenson-McCarthy, engaged by the A’s last year, advised the Las Vegas Stadium Authority that work on the spanking new ballpark would kick off in April 2025 and be completed just in time for the 2028 season.
However, the company’s ambitions may be in jeopardy after a downgraded credit rating from Moody’s, relegating Bally’s rating into junk territory — a development that casts a pall over its future endeavors.
Beyond the ballpark, Bally’s has its eyes set on constructing an adjacent casino hotel on the same premises. Astonishingly, it is reportedly $800 million short of the required financial backing for a casino hotel in downtown Chicago.
The situation has Las Vegas observers concerned that the iconic Strip might lose a slice of its rich history and, in its stead, inherit another barren site for what could be 10 years or more.
On a more immediate note, the Tropicana has vacancies through its last night in business on April 1, with room rates for the final Friday and Saturday listed at $259 plus taxes and fees. As Monday night rolls in, day and night rooms will go for $499 each. Come 3 a.m. Tuesday, the casino’s slot machines will whirl no more, and the tables will host their last games. The fall of an icon looms and, with it, severs another link to Las Vegas’s colorful past.
