Bye Bye Stardust, Hello Resorts World

The empty lot where the Stardust used to be on the Las Vegas Strip has been walled off in preparation for work to start on the new Resorts World Las Vegas.

I loved the Stardust, particularly its neon sign that emulated a nuclear blast and the radioactive particulars that fell from the sky. I stayed there a lot in my day, and attended quite a few of its shows (Wayne Newton, The Platters, Smoky Robinson and the Miracles ... ah, memories).

Anyway, back to the present. Resorts World will be Asian-themed (Chinese) and the $4-billion first phase is expected to open next year, 2016. It's going to be huge - 3,000-room hotel, 4,000-seat theater, 175,000 sq.ft. casino, rooftop sky park and observation deck, aquarium, movie theaters, bowling alley, a panda exhibit, indoor water park. Eventually, the resort will boast four towers.

Total estimated cost? Up to $7 billion.

But for now, all I got to see was a wood-panel fence all painted up with teaser copy, and a rising tower.

Here's an artist's rendition:

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