Outdoor event venue to rise at old El Rancho Vegas site

MGM Resorts International has announced that it will build an outdoor events venue on the north Strip. The complex will be built on a 39.6-acre parcel located on the southwest corner of the Strip and Sahara, just north of Circus Circus.

The prime corner — which was the site of the first casino ever built on the Strip, El Rancho Vegas — has sat vacant for years. MRI had planned to build a second CityCenter there, but the project was derailed by the economic crisis. The complex will host concerts, festivals and sporting events, including soccer and boxing, with the ability to accommodate 25,000 to 85,000 attendees. The area is scheduled to debut with the Rock in Rio music festival next May.

» Nice try: A new restaurant at the Linq called Haute Doggery is advertising a 99-cent shrimp cocktail. Don’t bite. In order to get the shrimp, you have to order a hot dog that goes for $6 to $8. If you want a true 99-center, head down to the Lanai Express snack bar at the downtown Fremont.

» 99-cent tacos: Formerly available Tuesdays only, the Commissary at the Downtown Grand now serves up good 99-cent street tacos daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and until 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The choices are bean and cheese, chicken, and brisket.

» Bat maze: The Adventuredome at Circus Circus has debuted two new Batman-themed mazes. The fee to take on one maze is $5, or try your skill at both for $8.

QUESTION: There hasn’t been an implosion in Las Vegas for years. Do you think they’ll blow up the Harmon Tower?

ANSWER: Demolition work has finally begun on the defective Harmon Tower condo complex at CityCenter, following two years of delays and bitter legal wrangling among the various involved parties. Because of the building’s close proximity to others, implosion is not an option, and a crane is being used to dismantle the tower piece by piece.

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