LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A multi-story casino will not be coming to Las Vegas's Historic Westside, at least for now. City Council voted 6 to 1 to reject the Harlem Nights project planned near Jackson and F Street. Victoria Seaman was in the minority.
Residents who packed the meeting strongly opposed the project. The city cited concerns about increased traffic, noise pollution, and potential negative impacts on the neighborhood's character.
We previously heard from residents and their thoughts on the planned casino, set to feature a 10,500-square-foot gaming floor, a food hall, upscale retail space, a spa, a nightclub and a rooftop pool.
"To bring a structure like this in the middle of a tiny neighborhood is ridiculous," said a resident during the meeting. "How are you going to compensate these people because, eventually, they are going to have to be displaced and moved out."
WATCH | 'Harlem Nights': Another casino in the Historic Westside has been proposed. Will the plan hold?
Mayor Shelley Berkley told developers they need to reconsider their plans and better engage with the community.
Developer Shlomo Meiri argued they made several revisions, including reducing the building from 60 stories to 22, but that still exceeds the area's seven-story zoning limit.
Meiri said that the limitation would make the project unprofitable.
Developers had hoped it could one day become a landmark destination for the African American community — much like the iconic Moulin Rouge — the first racially integrated hotel-casino in the U.S.
Looking Back ➡️ Historic Moulin Rouge property sold for $3.1 million; plans for new casino
The meeting became heated when he threatened to pull out of the project.
You can hear that exchange here:
Developers must now either abandon the project or revise their plans to meet the land's zoning requirements. If they seek rezoning, they would have to wait another year before bringing the project back before the city council.
