Despite the city's significant downturn in tourism, Las Vegas is hoping for a rebound in visitors with the soon-to-open CityCenter, the eye-catching city-within-a-city that is the most expensive privately-financed project in U.S. history.

 The enormous project on the Las Vegas Strip, essentially a city by itself with its curvilinear steel and glass towers, is situated between two other lavish properties, the Bellagio and New York, New York. Its cost, estimated at $8.5 billion, dwarfs anything ever built by private investors. The complex consists of seven towers that include a casino, four hotels, luxury apartments, huge shopping areas, unique restaurants, a fire station and an on-site power station.

CityCenter's opening -- several venues will open in December -- comes in the midst of Las Vegas' most significant visitor slump in years. Once considered recession-proof because of the popularity of casino gambling, high-end shopping and glittering nightlife, Las Vegas' tourism has fallen two years in a row. Something like that hasn't occurred very often there.

In 2007, the peak year for tourism, there were 39.2 million visitors. Last year, 37.5 million visitors came to Las Vegas while this year the city may barely break 35 million visits, analysts say. With the downturn comes empty hotel rooms and slumping casino revenue that has been sliding like the visitor count. Casino revenues, in fact, are at levels not seen since 1984.

But the opening of CityCenter and the media blitz that is sure to occur could change the outlook. At least that's what many Vegas-watchers are saying -- a 5-percent boost to tourism is hoped for -- and what the city's convention and visitors bureau is anticipating.

CityCenter is hoping to open the door "to the world's most spectacular offering in one singular setting and will be a landmark destination to introduce a new generation of Las Vegas resort experiences," publicists say.

The complex's president, Bobby Baldwin, told the press recently that "CityCenter bridges the vitality of Las Vegas with the experiences travelers seek when they visit great cities around the world, whether London, Hong Kong or San Francisco: spectacular architecture, culturally significant art, great public spaces, sophisticated hotels, unique restaurants and incredible amenities."

Driving unusual interest in CityCenter's opening is the lavish entertainment production of "Elvis Lives" -- a permanent offering from Cirque du Soleil which celebrates the life and music of Elvis Presley.

CityCenter itself has received three Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certifications from the U .S. Green Building Council. Especially cited are the Aria Resort's hotel tower, Aria resort's convention center and theater and the Vdara Hotel.

In addition to helping tourism in Las Vegas, CityCenter's opening also is a boost to employment -- some 12,000 workers are being hired to staff the new facility -- the largest single employment opportunity in the United States. The city's current unemployment rate is about 12.5 percent.

CityCenter venues

Here is a rundown of some of the major venues included in CityCenter, a joint project between the MGM Grand and Dubai World. The first opening will be Dec. 1 and some others will open later in December as well into 2010.

• Vdara Hotel, opens Dec. 1. Soaring 57 stories, the hotel will host 1,499 suites, ranging from approximately 500 to 1,650 square feet. Each features a gourmet kitchen and many include a washer and dryer. Some of the most stunning art in the world will be on display, publicists say.

• Crystals Retail and Entertainment District, opens Dec. 1. The facility will house more than 500,000 square feet of retail and design with some of the world's most well-known luxury retailers opening their first locations in Las Vegas.

• Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, opens Dec. 4. The 47-story, non-gaming hotel and residence will feature accommodations, dining, a spa and bring the service of the renowned Mandarin Oriental hotel group to Las Vegas for the first time.

• Aria Resort & Casino, opens Dec. 16. Containing 4,004 guest rooms, the resort was designed by the world-renowned firm of Pelli Clark Pelli. Its theater of 1,840 seats will feature a permanent production involving the visionary team at Cirque du Soleil and the musical legacy of Elvis Presley. Its guest rooms are said to feature the most technologically advanced guest rooms in the country. Room rates range from $179 to $700. Its casino offers 150,000 square feet of gambling.

• Veer Towers, no opening date. The project consists of two 37-story glass towers inclined at five-degree angles and each tower will house approximately 335 condominium residences ranging from 500 to nearly 3,300-square feet.

Bob Retzlaff is travel editor of the Post-Bulletin. He can be reached by phone at (507) 285-7704.

Next week: Southwest Airlines impacts MSP travel.

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