LAS VEGAS — The prospect of an imploding hotel tower on the Las Vegas Strip conjures images of Hollywood blockbusters — lots of dynamite, a dramatic fall and billowing clouds of dust.
But the owners of the never-opened Harmon near the Strip’s midpoint are convinced that bringing down the 26-story structure can be done safely, with minimal disruption to neighboring buildings and nearby traffic.
Seems tough to fathom given where the stylish oval cylinder sits, but demolition experts say it shouldn’t be too tough thanks to the building’s size and the pedigree of those running the job.
New Vegas hotel may be demolished
“They have to be careful, they have to clean all around it, and they have to make sure there’s an area where the building comes down if it spreads out,” said Herb Duane, a demolition consultant based in New Hampshire who has worked in the industry more than 30 years.
“Twenty-six stories is very doable,” Duane told The Associated Press.
MGM Resorts International, the casino company that owns the Harmon as part of its $8.5 billion CityCenter joint venture, said as it proposed demolition to the county that implosion is the best option for a building that they say wouldn’t be able to support its own weight in a strong earthquake. County building officials had asked the company to propose a plan to fix the building they call a public health hazard.
The Harmon was originally envisioned as a boutique hotel and condominium tower to open in December 2009 with the rest of the 67-acre complex of hotels, entertainment and a casino. But problems with reinforcing steel in the construction led MGM Resorts to shorten the tower in half and put off its opening at least a year. It never opened.
Now, plans call for an implosion in six months, followed by four months of cleanup.
Company spokesman Alan Feldman declined comment Tuesday, saying the company was waiting for all necessary approvals from the county and court officials handling a separate legal case involving MGM Resorts and Tutor Perini Corp., the main contractor for CityCenter. A county spokesman declined comment.
Perini contends the building is structurally sound, and that MGM Resorts is pushing for demolition to bolster its legal case because it’s more economically wise than having to fill more rooms on the Strip. No matter what happens to the Harmon, MGM Resorts and Perini are likely to still have a dispute over unpaid construction bills.
Representatives for LVI Services, Inc., the demolition company that would run the job, and Controlled Demolition, Inc., the subcontractor in charge of the implosion itself, declined comment, referring questions to MGM Resorts.
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