Plans under way for Sahara makeover
Good luck to new owners of the Sahara Hotel-Casino, who have received the go-ahead on their plan to re-open the North Strip property which was shuttered last May after 59-plus years in business.
The idea is to re-model and downsize somewhat both the inside and outside, dismantling the ancient roller coaster that once ringed the facility and replacing it with a Strip-side beer garden. The pool area would also get a new look, and the casino/restaurant core would be given a long-needed once-over. The total number of rooms would drop a bit, to about 1,600.
A makeover [rather than imploding the facility and building anew on the same footprint] has had some success on the other end of the Strip, where the Tropicana has been keeping its head above water since its re-tooling.
The Sahara’s owners, SBE Entertainment and Stockbridge Real Estate, are clearly hoping that the economic recovery picks up steam and that the blighted north section of the Strip spurs a redevelopment spurt.