Back in the early 60's I can recall standing outside in the vicinity of the front of the Hacienda Hotel and Casino where the Mandalay Bay presently stands and looking way down Las Vegas Blvd through miles of open space and seeing the distant Sands Hotel with nothing around it except miles and miles of desert sand.

Back in those days the rear exit of any hotel on the Boulevard opened up to an unending view of sunparched desert, craggy hillsides and, billions of bright stars lighting up the heavens.

Nothing was built east or west of Las Vegas Boulevard and everyone was convinced that no one would ever be foolish enough to do so.

Most hotels along the boulevard were no closer than half a mile apart and there were no sidewalks to go from place to place. Just a sea of sand washing over the roadway drying up little pools of melting tar.

The few major hotel establishments along the boulevard were no taller than two stories straight up and each and every one of the better establishments had a small patch of green grass out in front and one very small but inviting swimming pool with a flashing sign someplace close letting all us desert weary travelers know that the place was cool inside and you could have a decent lunch for forty-nine cents or thereabouts.

The passing of ten cars each hour was considered a busy day.

That's a bit of how I remember it when I first saw it. It was nothing at all like it is today and there is nothing now within miles of it that I can even compare it to.

Who would have known?!!!!!!

But enough of the past! Let's jump ahead and take a look at the future. Can it be any stranger than what has gone by?

Let me put on my Bugsy hat and make an attempt at trying.

By 2020 Las Vegas will be much different than it is today. Better or worse, I cannot say, but changes are better judged by those who live within them anyway.

So here's my forecast for the future and you who may live to see this happen will have to decide yourself if things are better or have seen their better days.

By 2020 the much thought about high speed "rail" will leave Los Angeles on the hour, 24 hours a day, every day of the week and arrive in Las Vegas exactly 90 minutes later with two stops along the way.

The new I-15 will be diverted east at a point midway between Prim and Las Vegas and head north once again along the present Lake Las Vegas Blvd and tie up with the other freeways a mile or so north of Fremont Street. The freeway as we know it today will be converted to a "country lane" as described someplace below.

By 2020 the Las Vegas Airport (Wynn Fields) will be situated between Primm and the Las Vegas Strip/ It will have its very own high speed monorail system servicing every part of the Las Vegas basin every hour of the day and evening.

By 2020 what we call The Strip today and what will be called the "South Strip" tomorrow will be a pedestrian mall stretching from St. Rose Highway all the way to Sahara Boulevard. The mall will be called "The Safari Walk" and allow all pedestrians an opportunity to experience a leisurely stroll through a tropical jungle before taking a break in one of the connecting hotel/casinos along the trek. Don't want to walk the entire route????? Just hop aboard the moving sidewalk or the "hunting van" and take it all in at your leisure.

By 2020 the present LV airport will be a major shopping and parking complex for all those cars that used to take advantage of all that free parking they used to provide in all those fancy hotel casinos.

By 2020 there will be no more free parking in those fancy Strip Hotels. In fact there won't be any parking at all. All those free parking structures will be converted to fine hotels, luxury residences, and fancy time share units with profitable (and numerous private) casinos on the first and second floors.

By 2020 a major part of Las Vegas on the west side of the freeway stretching from the Silverton to Sahara Blvd will be converted to ultra modern shopping and entertainment complexes and expensive high rise apartments with ample free parking for LV Strip hotel and casino visitors.

Each of these parking structures will provide swift and convenient and complimentary transport to the Strip. Each major hotel will have check in facilities on this western side of the freeway with elaborate routes to the casinos. (Under the freeway of course.) These routes will be a major attraction within themselves with each hotel striving to create "an experience to remember" as soon as the guest leaves the privacy of his automobile.

These "west side parking structures" will provide every convenience possible so that hotel employees and guests can shop for whatever they need before hoping in their car and driving home or checking into the hotel for a luxurious vacation.

By 2020 luxury high rise apartments will span what was once the I-15 freeway with drive in entrances on the west end of the project and "leisure mobile sun powered conveyances" to the Strip on the east. The old freeway which will now be converted to a picturesque "country lane" will be the exclusive route for emergency vehicles and those "home owners" along the Strip who will still have rights to their condo apartment parking stalls.

By 2020, Fremont Street will be exclusive high rise business complexes with major sports arenas on the western end. This area will be completely void of casinos but will offer an elaborate Restaurant Row with some of the finest chefs in the world preparing the finest meals you ever tasted.

By 2020 the final three Wynn Las Vegas Golf Estate residences will be sold for $32,000,000 each and the Wynn Corporaton will be in the process of purching a vast tract of land on the eastern edge of their present property to construct a second course with 20 luxurious estates offered at $20,000,000 each and up.

By 2020 the University of Las Vegas Nevada will adjust their campus boundaries to allow Harmon to pass through the campus for the construction of more casino hotel because the present Harmon is all "filled up".

Any other forecasts ?? Feel free to add a few and then print it out and stick it to the refrigerator door and see how it all turns out.

Will800, when I first read this post, I kept thinking that 2020 is barely 15 years away. That's not really a very long in the big scheme of things. I don't often reply to your notes about this because you pretty much have the subject covered.

There was some local airport news this week. They are looking to build a new airport south on
I-15 between Jean and Primm. And if I know my airport history, if you build an airport, people will move there so that they complain about the noise. Sooooooo, expansion to the south will probably happen sooner than later. BTW, it will take at least 10 years to get the airport built as there are still studies and approvals that need to be made. AND the current airport is expected to reach capacity in 5 years.

The SouthCoast will open soon and is getting 10 applications for each job opening they have to offer. It will open with about 650 rooms and by mid year, the second tower will be finished with almost 700 more rooms. Boyd got approval for their gaming license today.

Thanks, JMT, but doesn't is seem strange to you that someone would spend millions on a hotel/casino BEFORE they were assure of obtaining a gaming license?

You would think that Big Business Guys would be sure that they had that license before investing that first dollar of many millions.

Or could it be possible that they KNOW that the gaming license will be assured beforehand?

Anyone have any idea of how this works?

Didn't you see the movie Casino? You don't need a license to operate.<g> I'm sure the boys ruined it for everyone back then.

They might have to pay taxes on that license from the time it issued. A unique circumstance in this case was that Coast Casinos started the project. Later on, they were absorbed by the Boyd group. So it was Boyd that had to buy the license.

I've seen TV news reports on the day that some casinos were granted a license. It seems to be a one day deal although there is a lot put into it. They exhibit floor flans, mission statements, security details, descriptions of rooms, casino cages, entertainment venues, parking, financial statements, pictures, slides, videos, etc. That's the part that makes the local news. Who knows, they might cut a check and slide it under the desk of each member of the gaming control board.

The pictures of the room looked kinda average, except for the plasma TVs. I think it was a picture of a drawing though. The pictures of the casino show that a lot of the machines are already on the floor and covered with plastic. most of the security cameras aren't installed yet, but there are tons of wires hanging down where the cameras will go. There is no carpet on the casino floor yet. The bowling alley looked ready, unless that was a picture of a drawing. I think it was a real picture though. I couldn't tell much about the equistian center since a dirt floor is expected. I know the roof isn't quite finished on it. They claim there are several events already booked there.

I didn't pay too much attention to this post back when first posted, but I got a slightly twisted angle to explore on it.

While it seems Wills original post was aimed at the future, on new things to come, and progress. I'd like to sort of look back, not back in time, but on the degeneration of properties.
See if anyone can follow me on this abstract thought.
I call it the "weakest link theroy". Or natural selection of the corp. world.
OK, you got the fringe places either being bought, knocked down, refurbished, or just closed. Who is going to fill that void, you know, the dives. Like in the wild, the sickly, or old get weeded out. Sines there is always an Omega in the pack, who/what is it going to be.
Looking back, Westward Ho, San Remo, Boardwalk, Bourbon Street, Castaways. And that's just this past year!
Do we see the remaining old casinos sliding farther down the food chain? Or does it give a short term new lease on life to those casinos. Places like the Frontier, Riveria, Tropicana. After all, those displaced players are playing somewhere.
Me I like dives. While I didn't shed a tear with any of this past years closings, in some small way, I will miss them. If only as a scapegoat of jokes for some.
Any thoughts?