Demolition of Riviera Las Vegas Begins
Demolition of Riviera Las Vegas Begins
This should be over in DEFUNCT Casinos now.....
Out with the old, in with the new.
That's what keeps Sin City hoppin'.
Quote: Wulfgar1224Yeah, that whole end of the north strip is in trouble. Circus is a dump and little is done to upgrade it. Honestly, I can't blame MGM since their money would be better spent on other casinos. Stratosphere and even the SLS are just too isolated from the rest of the strip. It is hard to justify heading up to that part of the strip unless you just don't want to be around people.
The north end of the Strip is definitely in trouble. With the Riviera gone, Circus Circus is completely isolated from other casinos. The giant empty lot between Circus and Fashion Show is brutal as well. SLS has helped things a bit, but it's too far away to help much.
As far as not wanting to be around people, for me that's a feature of the Stratosphere rather than a drawback :-P
The article the implosion is scheduled for 2 AM on June 14. I'm tempted to watch. Who is up for joining me?
Quote: WizardTaller of two Riviera towers to be imploded June 14 --LVRJ article from 6/1/16.
The article the implosion is scheduled for 2 AM on June 14. I'm tempted to watch. Who is up for joining me?
There is a lot of asbestos in those buildings. Not sure I'd want to be in town during or a few days after, and I definitely don't want to be near the actual implosion.
A little asbestos never hurt anyone.Quote: cwazyQuote: WizardTaller of two Riviera towers to be imploded June 14 --LVRJ article from 6/1/16.
The article the implosion is scheduled for 2 AM on June 14. I'm tempted to watch. Who is up for joining me?
There is a lot of asbestos in those buildings. Not sure I'd want to be in town during or a few days after, and I definitely don't want to be near the actual implosion.
Seems an odd time....
Quote: cwazyThere is a lot of asbestos in those buildings. Not sure I'd want to be in town during or a few days after, and I definitely don't want to be near the actual implosion.
I would hazard to say the dust cloud will not reach the onlookers. However, maybe I'll bring a dust mask just to be safe. I also assume there is somebody thinking about the safety of the whole thing. When I worked at Disneyland there was a nightly firework show. It would get canceled if there was any chance of the wind carrying the firework debris over populated areas or the section of the park with guests.
Yup, same as usual for that. Nothing odd about the time, especially for a site that's in or at least on the edge of one of the most densely trafficked areas on Earth, both vehicles & on foot. In fact I think this one is a little earlier than some of the others I've been around for. I think something like 3 or 4 in the AM has also been a common time to pick, if I'm remembering some of them right (and I might not be).Quote: AxelWolfLess traffic
Besides, it's more fun to set off every car alarm within five miles at 2am than at noon. And the fireworks look better, if they're planning any for this one.
Good point. Some of them create a huge dust cloud. And in the desert in the summer or near summer, the strongest winds do tend to kick up during the heat of the day and into earlier evening hours, then tend to die down after it cools off.Quote: AyecarumbaLess wind too.
Quote: WizardTaller of two Riviera towers to be imploded June 14 --LVRJ article from 6/1/16.
The article the implosion is scheduled for 2 AM on June 14. I'm tempted to watch. Who is up for joining me?
I am. I liked the Riviera, had some good times there.
Quote: Wizard
The implosion is scheduled for 2 AM on June 14. I'm tempted to watch. Who is up for joining me?
Ahhh, to live in Vegas! I didn't get to watch as it happened, but the videos on the news sites suggest it was a real beauty of an implosion.
Wiz, did ya see it? Huh? Huh? Was it great, or what? Please share. Curious minds want to know...
Quote: billryanI was there. An awful lot of waiting,followed by some Intense fireworks..
What time did it go down? I heard 2 AM was planned. In case anyone is wondering, laziness won out, as usual, as I slept through it.
Like everything in Vegas, it went off almost exactly on time, thirty minutes late.
Not sure the exact time, but it was well after 230.
Quote: IbeatyouracesHere's the short version.
https://youtu.be/wZdlizuOkUg
Wowie! Many thanx for the video link.
In 1999 I saw them demolish the Waldorf Hotel in downtown Seattle. Even though it was only about 8 stories tall, it was quite a show. And, bless their hearts, they scheduled it for 9 am.
There were "Countdown" fireworks fired into the sky above the event which were very cool.
The Monaco Tower likely had to be imploded first, even if there wasn't any asbestos in Monte Carlo Tower. The Monaco Tower was built into the crevice underneath the suite floors of the Monte Carlo Tower.
Quote: AyecarumbaI watched the video and was curious why the flood lights went out. Was it intended, or did someone or something cut the power prematurely.
There were "Countdown" fireworks fired into the sky above the event which were very cool.
We watched it from the Springhill Suites parking garage. The last fireworks before the ones on top of the tower reminded me of a 21-gun salute.
Maybe the flood lights went out due to the explosion that damaged the electrical. It looks like it happened right about the same time the Riviera sign went out but that could have been from its destruction. It flickered a couple of times before hitting the ground.
Thanks for the details on that. The cutoff dates sound right, and I wondered. I don't have any citation of the source handy, but I have read somewhere in the local business press that the a major reason Binion's hotel continues to sit vacant is that the current owner discovered that the mandatory asbestos remediation costs involved in doing anything, whether major remodeling or demolition & reconstruction, would be astronomical compared to the value of that property.Quote: PokeraddictTo clarify the asbestos discussion, the Monaco Tower that imploded this week was constructed in 1987 and opened in 1988, long after asbestos ceased in construction. The Monte Carlo Tower dates to about 1975 and has asbestos and lead paint in the walls and stucco. It is being covered by a gigantic sheet and that toxic material will be chiseled off over the next two months. If you look at the building now, the interior walls are probably already done.
The Monaco Tower likely had to be imploded first, even if there wasn't any asbestos in Monte Carlo Tower. The Monaco Tower was built into the crevice underneath the suite floors of the Monte Carlo Tower.
Quote: DrawingDeadThanks for the details on that. The cutoff dates sound right, and I wondered. I don't have any citation of the source handy, but I have read somewhere in the local business press that the a major reason Binion's hotel continues to sit vacant is that the current owner discovered that the mandatory asbestos remediation costs involved in doing anything, whether major remodeling or demolition & reconstruction, would be astronomical compared to the value of that property.
They deny this when asked directly. A rep told me that the plumbing and wiring need to be completely rebuilt and that expense makes the hotel not worth repairing, at least at this time. I suppose if there is asbestos in those walls (why wouldn't there be considering the era of the structure?) then that becomes a real problem.
Binion's Facebook page did a tour of the hotel a year or so ago. It is still furnished and looks like it did when it operated, although all of that furniture is probably worthless.
I believe both of the towers at Las Vegas Club are too new to be from the asbestos era. I don't guess we will get an implosion there though for several reasons (FSE, Viva Vision screens, proximity of several occupied hotels). If they demolish it, my guess is they do it piece-by-piece like Harmon.
I wonder how much work they could do to the hotel at Binion's without having to close the casino if it has to come down one day. That hotel will probably sit idle for many years or maybe even decades.
