The Tropicana Las Vegas resort will be closed by Tuesday to make way for the new Athletics Major League Baseball Stadium.
The iconic Las Vegas Resort on the strip will welcome its last guests on Monday and close its doors permanently on Tuesday at noon. The flashy gaming floor the resort was famous for will close to guests by 3 a.m. on Tuesday.
A Landmark of the Strip That Has Stood Through Las Vegas Growth
The 35-acre plot is owned by Bally’s Corporation, a leading entertainment company, out of which nine acres will be used to build the Athletics baseball team’s new stadium. The stadium is said to have a capacity of 30,000 seats, which will be a huge boost to the team as it is moving its operations from Oakland, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Tropicana Las Vegas opened in 1957 and was set to celebrate its 67th anniversary in a few days. It was built for $15 million and was bought by Bally’s Corp. for $148 million in 2022. The resort had a couple of major overhauls during its lifetime, going from 300 rooms in 1957 to 600 rooms in 1979, and with the expansion in 1986, the resort boosted to an impressive 800 rooms.
Mobs used to have a key relationship with the resort in the 1970s. The federal investigation authorities found key evidence related to mobsters skimming gambling revenue from Las Vegas casinos, including Tropicana. The infamous mobster Frank Costello was also considered part of this activity.
Once considered the landmark building on the Las Vegas Strip, it lost a lot of its aura when resorts like Caesar Palace came in. Still, people have fond memories of the resort, and people have taken their sentiments to Instagram to post their fond memories they had at Tropicana.
Read more: USWNT Midfielder Korbin Albert Apologizes For anti-LGBTQ+ Post After Backlash From Megan Rapinoe
Cabaret shows were popularized in the country by Tropicana, going on for nearly 50 years. Several celebrities have found Tropicana to be their go-to destination on the strip for decades. To commemorate the love fans had for the place, the resort is collaborating with several museums in Vegas to preserve artifacts that have been part of the property. They have also made arrangements where fans can purchase artifacts from the property before it gets demolished.
It is an emotional moment for all the employees that have been part of the resort. The union representing all the workers has said that they will be trying to get all the unemployed people back into jobs and also hopes that the new establishment will have some jobs reserved for the employees who are losing their beloved jobs. The management has also announced severance packages for these employees.